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.

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.  

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.