Goodies for gardeners

For those of you eternal optimists who think there might be some summer weather still looming on the horizon, of for anyone forward-thinking enough to be planning for next summer, we have a few new items of interest.
Balcony & Container Plants from A to Z, a Compass Guide put out by Barron's, is a little pocket guide with 200 color photos that would be handy to bring along with you when you go out to purchase plants for your garden. The guide focuses on those plants which would work best in the little spaces we find to squeeze in some color on our decks, porches and windowsills. The listings separate out balcony plants from container plants, the distinction being a bit shadowy in my opinion (it seems to be based somewhat on the size of the plant, but I dunno....). The entries do tell you the eventual plant size, bloom times, water and light needs, whether it works well as a hanging plant, and if any part of it is poisonous. A helpful guide to take along when you go to the nursery, but I would hesitate to use it to plan your container garden. Try one of our other wonderful books about container gardening for your design needs.
Gardener Jerry Baker has a very popular show on PBS called Year 'Round Gardening, and we have added some of his most helpful shows to our DVD collection:

• Lawns
  Flowers
  Roses
  Vegetables
  Trees, Shrubs & Evergreens
  Garden Magic I and II

Jerry presents loads of helpful tips to make your garden look better and grow healthier. He also shows viewers how to cook up some great garden tonics using common household items - these recipes can be printed off your computer, as well. True gardeners love to share their little tricks and ideas, and this is a great series for gardeners.