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You'll Never Garden Alone

by quaking aspen

So, you've got a garden. Now you want to add a little pizzazz!!

What to do, what to do...

These following books can get that wheel of imagination turning so you can make that garden "ALL YOU".

Try the books; Garden Details: Accents, Ornaments, and Finishing Touches for the Garden by Warren Schultz, Smith & Hawken Garden Ornament by Linda Joan Smith, and Ornament in the Small Garden by Roy Strong.

These wonderfully illustrated books include amazing color photographs that help start you thinking about concepts like color, symmetry, material, and function within your garden space. Is your style classic or unusual when it comes to garden elements? Do you favor a garden in which ornamentation is filled with bold colors or muted earth tones? Is your style whimsical, or is it all about functionality?

You want to make your own garden ornamentation that reflects all your personal styles at once? We have a book for that too! Check out Creative Garden Mosaics by Jill MacKay.

The possibilities are endless, and these books are sure to inspire. So, get out there and spruce up that garden! Your gnome wants some company, he told me.

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Blog Post

OM

by quaking aspen

Zen Gardening by Sunniva Harte, is a wonderful book that explores the principles of a Zen garden. Zen gardens are created spaces that promote calm, tranquility, and beauty. Whether you decided a tiny space is right for you, or a larger outdoor garden is what you had in mind, a Zen garden will accommodate your needs perfectly. Zen gardens, whether large or small, incorporate a few simple elements which were adopted centuries ago by Buddhist Monks.

This book, with full color illustrations, takes the novice Zen gardener through the principles of Zen gardening. Sunniva Harte does a wonderful job illustrating complex principles of Zen gardening. She teaches us the motive for creating outdoor spaces along Zen principles, and reveals the meaning of the different elements.

Newbies will learn to create a harmonious and peaceful garden. If you have been thinking about creating a Zen garden, then this is your time to do it!! Make yourself a wonderful space that will nurture your spirit, relieve everyday stress, and promote quiet reflection.

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Fresh Food, Fresh Ideas

by annevm

You can still join Community Farm of Ann Arbor and get plenty of fresh, local food this growing season. There is even a kitchen tied to the farm. Need more green ideas? Check out the new book Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying.

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Gardening Newbies, Come Out of the Shed Already!

by quaking aspen

You have been thinking about starting a garden, but you just haven't taken that first step yet....

Well don't wait any longer!!! The best way to start any new hobby is by jumping in with both feet!

This is the perfect time of the year to start a garden, and we have many books on gardening here in the library to get you on your way. If you are like I am, then you probably have a lot of questions that need to be answered before you take on a new gardening project.

Check out this wonderful book, The New York Times 1000 gardening questions & answers. This book will get you started by answering some of your basic questions regarding gardening.

Who cares if you don't know everything a master gardener knows! Your thumb has to be a little brown before it gets green.

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Blog Post

Books for Michigan gardeners

by amy

My favorite class at U of M was Woody Plants, and the required text, written by Burton V. Barnes and the late great Warren H. Wagner, is well worth reading...although it didn't keep me from killing several shrubs and a Pinus Strobus. AADL has several books about gardening in Michigan for both experts and those of us with perennially black thumbs. The free edition of Michigan Gardener (available at many locations around town) recommends the following in their April 2008 issue: The Michigan Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Great Lakes State, Covering Ground, and Viburnums: Flowering Shrubs for Every Season.