| What is growing
I recently asked the San Joaquin Master Gardeners to share their favorite gardening books or digital media favorites for the benefit of this column. I have a whole bunch of topics from cocktail horticulture to more for the more philosophical, but all of them are worth a look. It’s just too hot these weeks to work outside at noon, so let’s make the most of the “hot” summer time and cool off in the shade or in the hammock by the pool.
Recommended by San Joaquin Master Gardener Kate, Amy Stewart’s 2013 “The Drunken Botanist” was a New York Times bestseller. “In ‘The Drunken Botanist’, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying variety of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits and mushrooms that have turned people into alcohol through ingenuity, inspiration and sheer desperation. This fascinating mix of biology, chemistry, history, etymology and mixology – with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners – will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party. “The amystewart.com website is a fun place to find your favorite garden cocktail recipes Find.
Master gardener Elan recommends “One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming” by Masanobu Fukuoka, which made him reflect on his relationship with the earth. It’s a classic that was released in 1975. His “doing nothing” approach to sustainable agriculture “avoids the use of pesticides, fertilizers, tillage and, above all, wasteful effort”. Many consider his work to be the founding document of the alternative food movement.
Another classic from 1995, “Epitaph of a Peach, Four Seasons on My Family Farm” by David Mas Masumoto, reads like a “lyrical, sensual and thoroughly captivating reminder of a critical year in the life of an organic peach farmer “. In his 2009 book Wisdom of the Last Farmer, Slow Food activist Masumoto, hailed as the poet of agriculture by the New York Times, interweaves stories of family and agriculture, life and death to reveal ancient wisdom that is quickly disappearing – and urgently needed. “
Master gardener Inez recommends several television garden shows for digital lovers. The first is a PBS 2 show, “Garden Smart,” hosted by Eric Johnson, which is enjoying its 22nd season on the air. Gardens from Hawaii to Georgia and many in between are featured and practical gardening themes are covered throughout the season. They have a website and a free newsletter. Local PBS 2 stations broadcast the show at 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Inez ‘second favorite show is Joe Lamp’ls, “Growing a Greener World”, podcasts on her YouTube channel or PBS. Please contact your local broadcasters for more information. As a leader in organic agriculture, his show is considered to be from gardening to environmentally and environmentally friendly living to urban homesteading. He has also written several gardening books for the avid reader.
Finally, Inez recommends “Life in Bloom,” another PBS show that highlights the floral arrangement. Host J Schwanke, the flower expert, presents a show peppered with flower crafts, flower growing and even recipes for cocktail creations. Past episodes can be found online and broadcast to your smart TV.
Lifetime Master Gardener Fred Hoffman hosts Get Growing with Farmer Fred, http://farmerfred.com/ and has all the basics covered with his blog, newspaper articles, radio show, Facebook page and more. Topics range from how to kill your lawn in two easy steps, growing blueberries in containers, or cat-proofing your garden. His website is a good place to save on your computer for future reference.
Finally, I’ll be sharing our COVID-19 year binge favorite – Gardener’s World from the UK with host Monty Don. It’s a 50 year old British weekly classic that every serious gardener should check out. Monty has also written many books, of which I am just reading through one, The Jewel Garden, written by Money and Sarah Don, two-part, her personal stories of the rise and fall of her despair, then redemption, and how gardening is her life and saved her mental health. The show can be found on Amazon Prime. Always a show that teaches and inspires and is beautifully filmed in the British Isles. There’s an academic challenge that runs through the shows too, with a bit of history from English gardening heroes like Margery Fish, who introduced the classic English cottage garden style in the mid-1950s. Like a magic carpet ride away from the California heat and drought, Gardner’s World is a delightful escape to another very beautiful land of gardens.
Blueberries in containers or how to make your garden cat-proof. His website is a good place to save on your computer for future reference.
Finally, I’ll be sharing our COVID annual binge favorite – Gardener’s World from the UK – with host Monty Don. It’s a 50 year old British weekly classic that every serious gardener should check out.
Monty has also written many books, one of which I am just reading through, “The Jewel Garden,” which was written in two parts by Money and Sarah Don, telling their personal stories of the rise and fall of her despair and then salvation, and how she gardened Saved lives and their mental health. The show can be found on Amazon Prime. Always a show that teaches and inspires and is beautifully filmed in the British Isles.
There’s an academic challenge that runs through the shows too, with a bit of history from English gardening heroes like Margery Fish, who introduced the classic English cottage garden style in the mid-1950s. Like a magic carpet ride away from the California heat and drought, Gardner’s World is a delightful escape to another very beautiful land of gardens.
If you have a garden-related question, you can contact UC Master Gardeners at (209) 953-6112. For more information, please visit our website: sjmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/CONTACT_US/.
