Sunday April 10th The Grass is Greener at the Library

Recently I was having a conversation with a six year old about how you can tell that spring has arrived. We came to the conclusion that even though you still have snow in the yard and wear mittens to school, spring is simply whenever it starts to not be winter.

Thunder Bay Public Library has ordered some new books that coincide nicely with the start of spring; puddles, mud, melting snow, and brown grass are turning blissfully into longer days, warmer rays, greening grass and the promising appearance of tiny fresh bulbs and half hidden shrubs and perennials.

CONTINUOUS CONTAINER GARDENS by Sara Begg Townsend and Roanne Robbins offers an innovative system for creating unique containers that change with the seasons. Using a variety of plants they start off with a basic perennial to which they add more plants as the seasons change. The transitions can be seamless in both colour and variety, resulting in uninterrupted gorgeousness.

THE EDIBLE FRONT YARD By Ivette Soler recognizes that each spring there are people who pick up garden tools and seeds maybe for the first time. They carefully plant tomatoes, beans and strawberries in tiny pots and containers in preparation for the growing season. This book shows how easy it can be to create gardens that are both useful and beautiful at the same time. Martha Stewart describes it as a lively new book which offers a huge variety of suggested vegetables, fruits and herbs as beautiful as any colourful rose bush.

HIGH-MPACT, LOW-CARBON GARDENING: 1001 WAYS TO GARDEN SUSTAINABLY by Alice Bowe is a great reference book for making a garden beautiful, colourful and earth friendly all at the same time. The ideas are simple and far-reaching, ranging from composting to water barrels. From eliminating pesticides to choosing plants that flourish with little water, who knew there are literally hundreds of ways to reduce the environmental impact of gardening without giving up any splendour.

50 BEAUTIFUL DEER-RESISTANT PLANTS: THE PRETTIEST ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, BULBS, AND SHRUBS THAT DEER DON’T EAT by Ruth Rogers Clausen addresses one of the biggest challenges facing some gardeners. No it’s not the lack of water or sun, or tiny insects, but deer. Yes those beautiful animals with the sweet Bambi-like faces who love to stop by the garden in early morning or late evening. Keeping them at bay can be as simple as choosing the appropriate plants. In place of fancy barriers, Clausen outlines fifty of the most beautiful but least appetizing annuals, bulbs, ferns, grasses, herbs, perennials, and shrubs. Snow crocuses and the Texas or Purple Sage Bush are a couple of varieties which will look lovely but deer want nothing to do with.

Feel like doing a little armchair gardening? Then the DVD GREEN GARDENING AND LAWN CARE will show you how to take care of your lawn the natural way, using hand picking techniques and no pesticides. Pest control, lawn maintenance, water management, soil requirements, planting and composting are all included.

If you cannot find what you need in the local Library, you can submit a purchase suggestion form on the library website www.tbpl.ca. Or you may request books and articles through the Interlibrary Loan Service, and TBPL could borrow it for you from other lending institutions in Canada. You can make this request online, by calling the library or by filling out a form at any library location. All you need is your library card.

So check out any of these new books that your library has to offer and you will discover that the grass is greener at your house.

Caron Naysmith, Library Technician