Loren Nancarrow (–2013)

Gardening/organic pest control. I would expect a lot more from a revised reprint. While it was well organized, fairly comprehensive, and contained some interesting facts (legless lizards are distinguishable from snakes by their moveable eyelids!), it was not all that helpful with diagnosis--only one small drawing of an adult specimen was given per pest and no pictures of what the damage might look like or what the bug looks like in its other stages (larvae, eggs, etc.). The remedies for controlling each pest were OK (I appreciate the warnings for the less-safe measures) but I feel like if I knew what the bug was I could easily look up natural remedies online anyway.

Also, the book stated that the smallest lizard was a 3-inch-long gecko, and I believe it's a pygmy chameleon (tinier than your fingertip).… (más)

Quick read with almost a middle school style vocabulary, this book provides very detailed information regarding anything you need to know about worms especially worm bins. I assumed that there would be more information regarding worms in the garden but the main focus is instructing gardeners how to use them indoors. This does seem to be the best way to use them to create vermicompost.
With an excellent glossary of terms, research information and appendices including recipes and poetry a la earthworms, this book is definitely the place to begin your worm research.… (más)

I am in the process of buying a house -- with a yard! I've never owned a real yard. And it's almost spring, and I had to run an errand near a book store yesterday. So I now possess a half dozen books about gardening. This is a cute little book about earthworms. It has a chapter on earthworm biology with pretty and informative drawings, several chapters on maintaining an earthworm bin, a chapter on critters that are found in the vicinity of earthworms, a chapter on homegrown methods of discouraging various pests. Also a chapter with earthworm recipes which, setting aside the squeamishness factor, I will ignore because the methods for killing earthworms seem cruel (freezing or boiling). In sum, a useful book even if I never raise earthworms deliberately, but just want to be aware of what's going on in my yard.

(read 18 Feb 2009)… (más)