Volume 2, Issue 8
RHS Plants from Pips: Pots of Plants for the Whole Family to Enjoy
by Holly Farrell; reviewed by Laura Blumhagen

Working in the kitchen, have you ever wondered whether you could grow peppers from pepper seeds? How about a mango tree from a mango pit? This book for gardeners of all ages explains how to germinate a wide range of commonly-seen seeds most people would usually toss in the bin. The entries detail what each plant would need to grow on to maturity, while an illustrated section at the end highlights basic gardening techniques as well as common problems and solutions.

Bound for Portland? Read this first: Wild in the City
by Michael C. Houck, M.J. Cody, and the Audubon Society of Portland
Excerpted from a review by Brian Thompson in the Fall 2012 Arboretum Bulletin

"Wild in the City" is an invaluable guide for an exploration of the parks and trails in the Portland metropolitan area, but it's quite readable even if you're stuck somewhere else. Scattered amongst the trail maps and descriptions of various sites and walks are essays about wildlife, history--both natural and human--and the complexities of disturbed ecosystems, with a good dose of philosophy on the value of having nature in an urban setting. Over one hundred writers and illustrators have contributed to this fine work.

Summer reading from the children's section: Lucy and the Green Man
by Linda Newberry; reviewed by Laura Blumhagen

For middle readers, this illustrated chapter book follows Lucy, who loves working in her grandfather’s garden over her school holidays. Together, Lucy and Grandpa Will see a magical Green Man called Lob in the garden. While Lucy is back at school, her grandfather dies suddenly, and Lucy decides to seek the Green Man on her own. Even though she can’t get to Grandpa’s garden, she works to create a space for Lob closer to home. Readers who garden, especially in the city, will reflect on the unique magic that comes of hard work close to home.

New to the Library July 2015