books I've been reading

I am a reading fiend. Admittedly, I read a bit like a starving soul at times. I've tried to reform but it's a lost cause. I am most content when my reading pile is toppling over from all that waiting-for-me goodness. Here's some books I recommend:

Ride the rising wind : one woman's journey across Canada
by Barbara Kingscote
I actually read this one two years ago but I think it's worth repeating because I still think about it quite a bit.
It's a memoir of a 20 year-old woman's journey alone by horseback across Canada in 1950. She set out one day on the east coast with her best horse and some sandwiches in her knapsack. She left her future meals and accommodation to fate and the kindness of strangers. This is the only book I've ever read that really captures what it's like to know and love a horse. And not in your typical girl meets horse love story kind of way, but in a much deeper, awesome way. If you've ever loved a horse or the whole riding experience, you know what I'm talking about. The way a good horse communicates with its rider is an exceptional experience. It's also a brilliant story from the viewpoint of what it was like to undertake such a journey as a young woman in the 1950's.

I'm not sure that it's in print anymore but check your local library if you're so inclined.

I recently read the revised Ecological Gardening: How to Garden With the Planet in Mind by Marjorie Harris.
It's a combination of making a clear case for responsible/green gardening and a lot of tips for managing gardening problems without using chemicals or disrupting the balance of the eco system. I found myself nodding and exclaiming, Yes! Yes! as I read it. Marjorie is well known in Canada for her gardening expertise and I find it comforting when the pros are completely tuned in to the urgent call for more responsible gardening and landscaping methods.

I thought to find the book again because of this piece that Marjorie wrote a while back for a Canadian Gardening magazine that has stuck with me:
"Here are the steps you can take to protect your gardens from drastic climate changes...." [read more]

There's been some turmoil in our area lately because the residential use of cosmetic pesticides has been banned during summer months. The push is on for a year-round ban. I see letters to the editor from unhappy lawn care enthusiasts who see this as an assault on their personal freedom.

They say that the chemicals are approved by Government Agencies and deemed 'safe' under controlled test situations and see the ban as a left wing movement to defeat the businesses who produce them. After reading their letters I found myself trying to think up some way, any way, to express the true danger of these chemicals in a manner that they might actually listen to. I mean, it's one more way that we are introducing unhealthy chemicals into our water systems. And into the water means into the air. And from there it's into everything we eat and breathe. But to the guy who loves his plush lawn, it's just between him and his maker. I wish I had the words to build the convincing bridge but so far I do not. And that's why I keep reading in a quest to find a presentation of the facts that might ease the Lawn Guys out of the rage....

Marjorie also keeps a gardening blog here though she's on a break right now while she writes her next book.
http://marjorieharris.com/blog/
Have a look at her gorgeous shade garden. It's big on leafy contrasts in colour and texture.

My Natural History: The Evolution of a Gardener
by Liz Primeau
Liz is another well-known Canadian gardening expert. This memoir chronicles her life story through her own development as a gardener. I saw myself in a number of her experiences.

Liz also aptly captures the common evolution of a gardener in six stages ranging from the impatient lover of annuals, seeking instant gratification, gradually morphing into the more patient gardener who recognizes the value of great infrastructure and soil. Oh that I'd had that maturity and patience when I started out. But don't we all wish that at some point?

City Gardens: Creative Urban Gardens and Expert Design Ideas edited by Liz Primeau
When I was fifteen my family moved from a small town to an old Victorian townhouse in Cabbagetown (Toronto, Ontario) where my parents stayed for about ten years. My mother had always kept a garden and she set to work creating one in the tiny front and back yards. At the time, there were few city gardens and her efforts were regarded as a novelty. Sometimes her giant window boxes and urns would be stolen without a trace. But she just kept going, adding beauty to our little piece of the city.

A few years ago we heard that the house was once again for sale and we went to the open house to have a look. I had not been to Toronto or Cabbagetown in a very long time. I was delighted and amazed to see the volume of front yard gardens. It had become the norm rather than the exception. Whole streets formed collective showcases of everything that is wonderful about gardening. It was so much more lush and beautiful. Once again, my mother proved to be way ahead of her time.

City Gardens is a collection of garden photos and profiles from urban Canadian gardens. The range of styles is broad and the photos are nice and big so there's lots of inspiration to be found.


The Thrift Book: Live well and spend less by India Knight
Written by a reformed compulsive spender, this book as a lot of ideas for saving money and becoming a happy non-consumer. It's written with humour and offers an abundance of how-to's as well as leads to useful websites and blogs for further inspiration.

I recently lost all my subscritions in Google Reader. While reading this book I stumbled upon the names of blogs I hadn't been able to recall to resubscribe. That was a handy coincidence!

As a rather thrifty Empress, I can't say I found any new tips in the book, but again, I must be needing reinforcement these days because I was happy to read it and confirm how much I already knew. If you're thinking about changing your ways because your finances are in bad shape, or you're tired of seeking happiness in the shopping experience, you may enjoy this book. Take the ideas, get creative, and have some fun changing your ways.

I think it's no small thing that what's good for your wallet and health is also good for the earth. Make better use of what you have, consume less, and be happy. Or less poor and unhappy just the same. lol.

The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series)
by Kelly Coyne (Author), Erik Knutzen (Author)
I bought this book while we were on holiday last summer. If I can't be in my garden I apparently need to be reading what I could be doing with it. If you've been here before you know I love urban farming. I love the fact that my neighbor keeps chickens. And I get to live somewhere where it's ok to grow veggies in my front yard because that's where the sun shines. This book provides basic how-to information on all sorts of aspects of urban homesteading from growing and canning food to raising farm animals and eco-positive and thrifty, efficient ways to live the good, urban farm life. The authors live and farm in downtown Los Angeles, California.