100 Pages A Day.... Stephanie's Book Reviews
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Nearest Star: The Surprising Science of the Sun

5/21/2014

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The sun, our ally in the stars, is explained in an intriguing and mostly understandable way.  I did read this book in smaller chunks of information in order to fully be able to understand all the information that was given.  

Leon Goulb and Jay M. Pasachoff an astrophysicist and astronomer answer many fascinating questions about the origin, activity and purpose of the sun.  Written in a style that presents all the scientific information you need with pictures, charts, graphs and data, but still understandable enough for someone without a strong scientific background to understand.  In Nearest Star we learn what the sun is made of and how it came to be.  Most amazing is how the Earth is at just the right place in our solar system to reap the most benefits of our sun.  Also, how long the sun will be able to support life on Earth as we know it, a comforting yet terrifying fact.  

Other interesting things explored are the phenomenon of the northern lights and insights into global warming.  

A perceptive read for anyone interested in the science of the sun or wanting to know more about how our solar system works.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

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The Mix and Match Guide to Companion Planting

5/7/2014

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So, I have just begun to put plants in the ground and this book could not have come at a better time!  The Mix and Match Guide to Companion Planting is an awesome and unique way to find companion plants for your garden crops.  

This book does not just tell you that tomatoes grow well with peppers and so on and so forth.  The unique design of the book allows you to find a variety of crops that will help your main crop in the areas that you choose.  First of all, this book explains the benefits of companion plants and why you may want to choose to grow some plants with others.  There are nutritional requirements, beneficial insects, soil improvers, and weed deterrents, just to name a few.  

Secondly, I love the way that this book is set up.  The companion plant pages of the book are split into thirds, so you have three rows of flip cards on a page.  The middle cards are central crops you would like to plant.  To use the book, you flip the middle card to your main crop you would like to plant, along the top and bottom of that card are coded dots with benefits.  You then flip the top and bottom cards to match the dots up with the benefits you would like to find the compatible plants.  The top cards are companion plants that will support the plants aboveground needs while the bottom cards will support belowground needs. I really liked this setup, it allows you to choose from a large variety of plants and the companion plants are more likely to suit your needs as a gardener and your plants needs.

See an example of companion plants for my tomatoes below: 

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. 

More Info: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/235292/the-mix-match-guide-to-companion-planting-by-josie-jeffery
Author Info: http://www.randomhouse.com/author/187599/josie-jeffery

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The Plant Lover's Guide To...

5/6/2014

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Dahlias are a type of daisy, but a brilliant, diverse and exotic one that only began to become popular in the 1920's.  The Plant Lover's Guide to Dahlia's presents a trove of information on the flower.  I recently came into the possession of some Dahlia tubers and wanted to know more about them. I would have preferred the sections of the book presented in a different order with general information first, growing information second, landscape design third and varieties last. However, if you own the actual book, flipping between the sections isn't a big deal.  

The book opens with a lot of information on landscape design with dahlias and which type of dahlias work best in different situations, in hedgerows, in pots, on borders, and for cut flowers.  This is great information for more established dahlia gardeners, but not information that I needed now with only three tubers to my name. Good planting companions for dahlias are also in this section, this information was helpful for knowing which plants to place my tubers near.

The next section, Understanding Dahilas, was the information that I needed.  This section discussed the history, science and types of dahlias.  This information, and there is a lot, helps the grower to understand the plant as a whole.  Although, information about growing and propagating is not presented until the end of the book. 

There are 200 varieties of dahlias featured in the book and they are organized by color, which is nice.  The varieties are presented with clear, beautiful pictures and a simple description.  

Lastly, there is information on growing and propagating.  I was happy to learn that dahlias are an easy plant to grow!  I appreciated the information about handling and planting tubers in general and the tip to start in pots so they do not get devoured by slugs.  After (finally) reading this section I feel ready to plant my dahlia tubers.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

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Salvias are another fragrant plant that is in the mint family.  I enjoy growing salvias for their fragrance, beauty and most of all, their value to wildlife.  I'm glad this value was  highlighted throughout the book.  

The book opens with the many ways to incorporate salvias into your landscape design.  Different types of salvias are able to grow in many different types of environments, so there is most likely several types that can grow no matter where you are.  Tender salvia, which can be treated as annuals are also discussed.  I was very appreciative that salvias specifically for the wildlife garden was discussed.  

There are beautiful pictures and descriptions of 150 types of salvias to grow. The most useful elements of the description are the hardiness zones for each and the uses in the landscape.  

The section on growing and propagating is easy to follow and understand.  Salvias are another easy plant to grow and this book should be helpful to any level gardener who would like to grown any variety of salvia. However, I still wish the sections were arranged with the growing and propagating section near the beginning.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

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