The Informed Gardener

I came across The Informed Gardener by Linda Chalker-Scott during the BEA conference in May. It was one of the new books the University of Washington Press, whose booth was right across from ours, was promoting front and center in their display.

The beautiful cover first caught my eye, but I first suspected the book might be geared towards gardeners in the Pacific Northwest, since that's where it was published. That wasn't the case, though-it will be a useful book to any gardener in any part of the country. This is a collection of columns that the author had written since 2000 on various horticulture myths and misconceptions. (Her most current columns can be read on her web page.)

The book is broken down into six sections, including Critical Thinking, Understanding How Plants Work, How/What/When/Where to Plant, Soil Additives, Mulches, and Miracles in a Bag/Bottle/Box. Each column is neatly broken into sections: the myth, the reality, the bottom line, and a list of references. One of the myths she dispels is that watering on a hot sunny summer day (like today!) will scorch your plants' leaves. After explaining various causes of leaf scorch (including too little/too much water, salt, and poor root health) she recommends in her "bottom line" section to water plants anytime they show signs of drought and to preferably do that watering in the morning, to avoid over-fertilizing, and to make sure the plant site is optimal for root and shoot growth.

One of the other practices she takes issue with is backfilling a plant or tree hole with soil additives. I've always thought it was a good idea to add a little organic matter when I'm transplanting tomatoes or other plants, but she argues while the roots may grow vigorously for awhile, when they reach that edge between the organic matter and the native soil they may turn back towards the organic matter rather that reaching outward, which establishes a weak root system. She also suggests that the organic matter is too porous, and water will tend to move along to the native soil. Her recommendation is to instead add the organic matter as a top dressing, which you can continue to maintain without disturbing the plant.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read that encourages common sense, efficient, and cost-effective gardening. I'll probably re-visit it next spring before I head into the next gardening season.

We're all enders

I just finished reading The Enders Hotel by Brandon R. Schrand, winner of the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. I had looked forward to reading it because I knew he had a good story to tell-Brandon spent most of his childhood growing up in his family-owned Enders Hotel, Café, and Bar of Soda Springs, Idaho. Brandon is just a year or two older than me, so it was easy to connect his childhood and adolescent memories to what I remember of my own childhood, a time before cell phones, home computers, Netflix, Facebook, MySpace, etc. You had to make up your own fun, whether it was while reading a good book, exploring your house and town, or being with friends. (one difference was I didn't live in any hotels. I more than once, however, fantasized about my family living in Westroads Mall in Omaha. I think I was going to eat every meal at Bishop's Cafeteria and take the elevators everywhere I went. I could sleep far far away from my sister in a place like that.)

Brandon shares the stories of many interesting characters who came to the Enders Hotel to stay for various lengths of time--ex-boxers, ex-cons, down-on-their-luck families, you name it--I was sometimes afraid to read on in case something was about to go down either involving Brandon, his family, or the guests. He also shares his own personal stories of secret clubhouses, sinking rafts, childhood friendships, and some drug and alcohol experimentation that I naively didn't see coming. (although I have to say I think Brandon is the first person in my age group I've found who also remembers his parents smoking pot. I knew I couldn't be the only one paying attention to this stuff in the 70s.) Something about his coming of age antics reminds me of Stephen King's The Body.

I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you the Enders Hotel still stands. If I ever find myself in Idaho, I'd like to check it out.

Lastly, I really liked the cover. It wasn't until after it was far along in the design process and without any earlier consultation that the author told the designer that's exactly what their keys and key chains looked like. (That's the water cooler story I heard, anyway.)

Lewis Black on His Publisher

I wonder if this would work with any of my press's authors. (the part where he's begging you to buy his new book, Me of Little Faith.)

BEA Wrap-Up, part 1

Even though I focused on a few priorities this past weekend at this year's BookExpo America in L.A., I think it's going to take several posts to sort it all out.

Sure, I got my picture taken with Daniel Vosovic from Project Runway, and I snuck a sneaky photo of Alec Baldwin, also saw Lewis Black's act, but the highlight was getting to meet Laurie Perry, aka Crazy Aunt Purl. I had planned for this-I brought along the cat bed crochet pattern I've been working on for an autograph, but I hid it in one of my press's book catalogs on the way over to her booth. I don't think most of the fanatics in this business have a lot of room to ask questions as to why I'm carrying around a cat bed pattern, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I was far up in Laurie's first book signing line. I noticed right away she was as cheery as I expected. She was really nice to her publisher's booth staff as well (being the first one to say hi when one of them walked by) which I have a feeling isn't the case with every author. I got my copy of her book, Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair signed to the Yia Yia's craft night group, and I told her if she's ever in Nebraska, she needs to come to craft night. Laurie then mentions that she's read about a book about a girl in Nebraska and also mentions flyover fiction, which happens to be a series my press publishes! What followed was a series of squeals.

me: "that's us! We publish flyover fiction!"
Laurie: "no way!" (sorry, Laurie, if that's not a direct quote)

I left that book catalog at her table so she could peruse our books. I got a picture, too!