Books I'm Reading, this week.

In the morning I sit in my chair with the sun streaming in through the windows - read the local paper, peruse the many trade magazines that seem to come in every other day, and then I start in on my gardening books. Some days these books can give me just the inspiration I need to go and open the gates at the nursery when the wind is blowing 60mph, snow is falling and the temperatures might not get above 30 -like this last week has been treating us to.

This morning I choose a new book that was introduced to me from a friend and fellow gardener, Alice H. The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide by Stephen Albert. A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia, I am hear to tell you, it is a book that no serious gardener or chef should be without. From the soil to the plate, this manual is straight forward and easy to follow. It provides answers to basic and in-depth growing questions. It includes how to plant, how to grow and care for crops, how to harvest, how to store, and how to prepare vegetables and herbs. From asparagus and beet greens to Belgian endive and strawberries, this book helps readers organize a small garden close to the kitchen that offers their favorite, fresh-picked-at-the-peak-of-ripeness small crop. My own juicing garden is getting some revamping this coming season, and with this book in hand it will not only make it easier to plan and plot, but it also is inspiring me to try some new things.

Another that has just came into the store from my buying trip to Atlanta that will be added to my pile at home, What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?), by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. This book is an EXCELLENT diagnostic tool. I actually bought it for the store so it will be at the information counter if you want to take a look. It breaks down into very simple, easy to read diagrams how to diagnose your plants ails, and fix them organically. Written in Microsoft's famous style of "Did it fix your problem- go to page 120, if not see below", it is a book that all of us can benefit from. (Rose already told me after she unpacked it and had a chance to glance through it, she wants 3 copies)

Got any new books that have inspired you this season? I would love to hear about them. Remember, only a few weeks till Spring is Sprung!! ahhhhhhh, Susan