You Grow Girl™

As some of you may already know, my addiction to plant books is almost as bad as my addiction to plants themselves. Ever since I realized how cheap I can find plant books in the used section of Amazon.com, I've gone a bit nuts buying bargain books right and left. Of course the majority of books I look for are suggested by fellow plant lovers, writers, gardeners, my mum and the horticulture professors and students at Cabrillo college here in Santa Cruz. So needless to say, I'm building quite the eclectic collection.

I figured I'd talk about a few of the books I've been reading and then as I get more books in, I'll write mini-reviews in this journal for those of you interested in reading more about unusual plants, plant folk lore and ethnobotany. Also look for longer book reviews from me in the review section of YouGrowGirl.com.

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Guerrilla Gardening by Barbara Pallenberg
I'll admit that when I first picked up this book at the bookstore I was confused. I had been researching the concept of Guerrilla Gardening for an article I was writing for Organic Gardening magazine; only my definition of the movement was something quite different than this book. I always figured people who anonymously plant herbs, flowers and veggies in vacant lots, abandoned bus stops and crack alleys were urban Johnny Appleseeds hoping to leave something beautiful in an otherwise
desolate and depressing area. But author Barbara Pallenberg redefines Guerrilla Gardening as a method of obtaining otherwise pricey plants for free. Because I also happen to be a cheapskate, or as I usually like to call myself a frugal gardener, this book still appeals to me. That is, once I got
beyond the book's title:
Guerrilla Gardening: How to Create Gorgeous Gardens for Free. This is a fun read and I can't get over how useful the info is about how to propogate just about every plant you can think of. Thanks to the tips and hilarious stories in this book, my plant plunder pal/housemate Sharon and I have managed to nab part of a prickly pear cactus that fell off inches away from where I took horticulture classes!

Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles by Ellen Sandbeck
I'm a sucker for folky home remedies when it comes to growing organic goodies.

Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles: Amusing and Useful Techniques for
Nontoxic Housekeeping and Gardening by Ellen Sandbeck is a book every gardener should have. Not only does she give you tips on how to use common items to protect and nurture your plants, she also has suggestions on how to remove nasty stains, keep cockroaches from using your home their own private condo and more. Here are a few brilliant ideas I read about from this book so far -- freshen your car with coffee grounds, grow disease-resistant plants by putting sick ones in your compost pile, protect roses from deer using garlic, get rid of raccoons with dirty laudry and cure plant viruses with spoiled milk!

Complete Guide to Medicinal Herbs by Penelope Ody
I recently started using my fresh herbs for medicinal purposes but I had no idea the scope of plants that can be used for your health until I came across this extensive reference book. Not only does the
Complete Guide to Medicinal Herbs tell you what herbs can be used for stomach pains, headaches, stress relief and so on, but it explains exactly which parts of the plants can be used (flowers, stems, roots, rhizomes, etc.) and how to make the plants into lotions, tonics, steam treatments and teas. I found this book to be beautiful as well as informative. The color photos of each plant listed shows you the plant as a whole as well as its various medicinal parts in both fresh and dried form. If you see this book used, buy it.

The Psychic Power of Plants by John Whitman
Ever since I read the article "Can 'Cool It Now' Save this Plant?" I've been wondering if plants possess a psychic energy we take for granted. This book goes into weird questions such as do plants respond to ESP? Experience emotions? Diagnose disease? Have a memory? Have the ability to communicate with humans or beings from outer space? See without eyes? This is a great book to read and then use the stories you read to annoy your logical science pals!