Reference works Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis Word-of-mouth may be a great way to learn about some products, but word-of-mouth gardening tips can be a very bad idea. The age-old practice of passing along gardening tips and tricks is no guarantee you will get a good result...it might even do the opposite.  In her new book, garden expert C. L. Fornari looks at 71 common garden practices and uncovers the truth behind the lore.  Do marigolds keep the bugs out of the veggie patch? Will rusty nails turn hydrangeas blue? With humor and affection, she goes back in time to sort out the good, the bad and the just plain silly...and tells us why. COFFEE FOR ROSES combines gardening history and expert advice into one useful, time- and money-saving package. The author’s award-winning full color photography is throughout.Trade Review"Self-proclaimed "plant geek" and author C.L. Fornari says some of what we have heard about gardening all these years is totally wrong. In Coffee for Roses, Fornari sets the record straight. -- Jill Sell * Homeowners who wany successful lawns and gardens need to dispel the myths *"I LOVED this book... great writing style... wonderful information." -- Niki Jabbour, gardening author & bloggerIf anyone knows the truth about gardening, it's C.L. Fornari. She has seen and heard it all. What a fun, enlightening read for gardeners of all skill levels and interests. - Susan McCoy, gardening industry speaker and president of Garden Media GroupI love garden 'myth busting' - so many old-spouse-tales are in need of debunking. How can you tell what's real and what's not? In her fun and funny new book, expert garden communicator C.L. Fornari helps gardeners tell truth from fiction. - Ken Druse, award-winning author of over a dozen books on gardening and host of the Ken Druse REAL DIRT radio show"The myths and folklore contained in the book will educate the new gardener, and perhaps amuse the experienced but I can guarantee everyone will find something in the book they've done, believing it to be true." -- Judith * Gardening Myths *In Coffee for Roses, C.L. Fornari tells it like it really is. With fact and humor, this well-known garden writer and lecturer has nailed most of the urban myths passed along by gardeners. Kudos to her for writing a book that every gardener will value for its wisdom and wit! - Stephanie Cohen is The Perennial Diva, a garden lecturer and author of The Perennial Gardener's Design PrimerSo if grandma's folk stories are dear to your gardening heart, look elsewhere: [Coffee for Roses] more closely examines the myths, outlines the realities, and provides scientifically-based alternatives based on solid facts that will save time, energy, and money and result in better gardening success. -- Diane Donovan"The new book’s subtitle, “and 70 Other Misleading Myths About Backyard Gardening,” says it all: it is an argument-settler. It is beautifully illustrated, mostly with C. L.’s own photography, and affably serves up information on how you should be gardening. Fornari succinctly lays many rumored garden quick-fixes and practices to rest in the 70 numbered, easy-to-digest sections. They reflect not only some of the latest, science-based findings but also some of the older, sturdy 19th century practices that have recently been proven correct." -- Abigail Higgins * Garden Notes: Irises provide color, structure *"This is a fabulous book, full of great information and now-dead myths that many of us have held dear for decades." -- Jim Long * Coffee for Roses C.L. Fornari *"Fornari's digest-sized book is pleasantly designed for the busy gardener. If you budget yourself to one entry per day, there are enough handy, bite-sized lessons here - each requiring less than five minutes - to last over two months." -- William Scheick * True or false and in-between *There are quite a few Master Gardeners in the U.S. today - there are fewer Garden Masters. C.L. is one of them. It's refreshing to hear her dispel so many of the myths we gardeners have heard for so many years. Brava! - Dan Heims, president, Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., author, lecturer and a general Hortiholic"This book is just simply beautiful. C.L's photography leaps from the pages. It invites you in, as she shares and reveals the truths about many gardening myths. In fact over 70 myths are featured. Their history is told and then systematically, C.L. enlightens us. I must say that even I believed many of these old wives tales that I had heard over the years. For it's small portable size, this book is bursting with plenty of useful information and C.L's wittiness (love that!). It would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves the outdoors. Plus it's the perfect conversation starter." -- Melissa Caughey * Book Review & Giveaway: Coffee for Roses *"You will learn why adding sugar to the soil won’t make vegetables sweeter, misting houseplants in the winter is mostly a waste of time, and amending the soil in a hole when you plant perennials or shrubs might not be such a good idea. This colorful and very enjoyable book is available everywhere. Buy a copy for yourself and one for a friend. You’ll both get a laugh out of it – and learn a thing or two about good gardening in the bargain." -- Ann McCormick * Coffee For Roses – A Book for Every Gardener *Every gardener needs a mentor. C.L. Fornari's Coffee for Roses mixes humor and wisdom to dispel many of the most stubborn gardening myths and folklore, while guiding us all to be more successful gardeners. - Joe Lamp'l, executive producer and host, Growing a Greener WorldC.L. Fornari brings a depth of knowledge and passion of expression to all of her many forms of communication and horticultural outreach. Read her and be delighted! - Kirk R. Brown, speaker and presenter of "John Bertram Lives!"

Read more less

Book SynopsisQuick: do you know the difference between hardpan and hardening-off? Between a native and a nativar? A cold frame and a cloche? Do you wish someone would write a book that explains in simple English what all those gardening terms mean just give you the stuff you need to know, so you can be a knowledgeable gardener? Veteran horticulturists Maria Zampini and Pam Bennett have done just that.Garden-pedia is written to fill the need for a clear, concise book of useful terms for the layman gardener. In a friendly, conversational style, the authors give the reader easy access to the what, when, why and how of gardening with entertaining sidebars, tips and color photos throughout. This authoritative, up-to-date guide is destined to be the reference of choice for gardeners everywhere. Go ahead: impress your friends and family with your newfound knowledge.Trade ReviewFor any busy person, trying to make sense of their own little corner of the world, look no further. This is the book. Just the book you need to make sense of this sometimes crazy and confusing world of horticulture. Gardening shouldn’t be complicated. But just in case you need some help, this book is a great place to start. Finally, a guide to gardening that breaks down some of the most confusing terms to everyday speak. My kinda book! If you’ve ever felt adrift in a sea of gardening terms, this book is your lighthouse. All you need for a casual and ready reference to some of the most important terms every gardener should know. -Joe Lamp'l, Executive Producer & Host: Growing a Greener World®, Founder & CEO: The joe gardener® CompanyThis cool, user-friendly garden dictionary will quickly become your go-to guide! Bravo to veteran plantswomen Maria and Pam for writing this fun, informative, concise book. -Tracy DiSabato-Aust, best-selling author and garden communicatorEasy to read but hard to put down. Maria Zampini and Pam Bennett have made the science of horticulture easy to understand. For the professional horticulturalist, this book is a great reminder of the need to connect with consumers in a way that encourages them to garden. This book should be on every plant lover’s required reading list. -Michael V. Geary, CAE President & CEO, AmericanHortMaria and Pam have bridged the gap for the home gardener to help them understand what the professionals are REALLY saying. A must-have for anyone who gardens!-Denise Schreiber, Mrs. Know It All of "The Organic Gardeners" radio show,author of Eat Your Roses…Pansies, Lavender and 49 other Delicious Flowers, Region 2 Director, Garden Writers AssociationWhen there are more than a dozen “how-to-garden” type books out there, it seems to me that gardening has become way too complicated for our friends and daughters. Gardening should be enjoyable, therapeutic and creative, not overwhelming. Garden-pedia does something for me that most other books do not; it takes the intimidation out of this calming, joyous hobby as well as simplifies the language of plant science and makes us a little smarter. All books should be as useful, fun and functional. I would not be without this book. -Dr. Allan M. Armitage, author, App developer, speaker and coiner of “nativar” and “55-mile per hour plant”.Too many of us in the horticulture world get caught up in complex terminology when talking about plants and gardening, which may scare people off unnecessarily. This book is a great A-Z guide that makes turning your outdoor space into something beautiful less daunting. So don’t be afraid to try your hand at gardening; this book breaks it down into easy-to-understand terms to make it all more understandable and approachable. Happy Gardening! -Diane Blazek, Executive Director, All-America Selections/National Garden BureauFrom binomial nomenclature for species on up to plant families & why it matters to a context for exotic invasive pests & plants & the term 'aggressive' for native plants that may also cause problems in certain landscape contexts, this book helps us to rethink what we think we know. -- Jim Chattfield * The Buckeye *In Garden-pedia you get a key to unlock the secrets of gardening language spoken by growers. This cleanly designed and easy-to-read book is packed with insights into the importance and benefits of using Latin names over common names of plants, as well as the definitions of terms bandied about by those who know the language by heart. This will make a great addition to your gardening library or a great gift for a gardening friend. -Patty Craft, content director at Horticulture MagazinePamela Bennett, a horticulturalist with the Ohio State University Extension and educator with the Master Gardener Volunteer Program, has probably answered more gardening questions for amateur and professional gardeners than anyone else in the state. Bennett and co-author Maria Zampini have penned Garden-pedia: An A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms (St. Lynn's Press) that is a good source to have on the bookshelf. -- Jill Sell * Read Now. Plant Later. New spring books provide plenty of inspiration for homeowners' gardens. *She (Maria) has finally solved the problem by writing, with horticulturist Pamela Bennett, "Garden-pedia: An A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms" (St. Lynn's Press), which codifies a lot of the terminology that new and veteran gardeners use. -- William Hageman * 'Garden-pedia' authors get to the root of gardening terminology *Some garden books are best read from cover to cover; others, as references, sit on a shelf until you need to look up a term or a technique. The brand-new Garden-pedia (St. Lynn’s, 224 pages, $16.95), by two Ohioans, is a happy combination of both. Subtitled An A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms, the book will sweep you along with its friendly tone as you learn about everything from accents (plants bold enough to stand on their own) to zones (geographic areas defined by temperature). -- Diana Lockwood * Green-thumb dictionary by Ohioans quite useful *

Read more less

Book SynopsisYour Guide to Spiders and Their WebsWe see webs everywhere, but do you know which spider made each web? And for what purpose? This user-friendly guide by award-winning science teacher and lifelong spider watcher Larry Weber helps you untangle the mystery of spider webs and demystify the many purposes of silk.Did you know that spiders have up to seven silk glands and that each produces a different type of silk? The complex process of building a giant orb web is explained in detail.Over 40 species of spiders and their webs are discussed here in detail, with over 200 color photos and 50 illustrations.Web Watching was a Silver Winner in the Nature & Environment category of the 31st Annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards for excellence in book publishing.Table of Contents1 A Guide to Web Watching 2 Spider Classification 3 Insect & Spider Comparison 4 Spider External Anatomy 8 Spider Internal Anatomy 9 Spinnerets & Silk 10 Silk Glands 12 Spider Silk 13 Types of Webs 17 Other Uses for Silk 17 Web Construction 24 Web Destruction 25 Web Watching Tips SPECIES ACCOUNTS 28 COB WEBS --30 Theridiidae --36 Pholcidae --38 Dictynidae 40 SHEET WEBS --42 Linyphiidae --48 Hahnidae 50 FUNNEL WEBS --52 Agelenidae --56 Amaurobiidae 58 ORB WEBS --60 Araneidae --106 Tetragnathidae --116 Uloboridae PHOTO GALLERIES 120 Insects Caught in Webs 122 Dewy Webs 124 Frosty Webs 125 Snowy Web 126 Dusty Webs 127 Seeds in Webs 130 Other Silk Constructions 132 Man-made Web Substrates 133 Titles of Interest 134 Photo Credits 135 Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less