As we did in 2021 and 2023, we're attempting to again increase book coverage in the community. After a review posts, we try to do a discussion with the reviewer. This go round, we're talking to Ann about "Container Gardening (book review), Idiot of the Week, and Kylie Minogue performed at the Brit Awards" Mike?
Mike: The book I reviewed was Tammy Wylie's CONTAINER GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS: A GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR OWN VEGETABLES, FRUITS, HERBS AND EDIBLE FLOWERS. Gardens can be fun. They can produce flowers or fruit or vegetables. They produce oxygen which we all need. They can be relaxing and help with stress My mom gardens. In a week or two, my dad will be tilling up the soil for whatever vegetables she's going to plant. In my review, I wrote, " My mom has a flower garden and she grows some vegetables during the spring, summer and fall and we've got a walnut tree. I grew up with that." Mom reminded me that we also have raspberry bushes. So I grew up with that. And Elaine and I have a daughter. I want her to grow up with that as well. We saw a thing on TV about container gardens. That's where you grow in containers. And it's great if you have a crop that could overtake everything in your garden -- you can contain that in a container. More to the point, you might not have land for a garden. Betty and I talked about how her daughter has a container garden because she's got an apartment. Before college, when she lived here with C.I., Betty's daughter and C.I. would garden -- some in the garden but some in containers. And I spoke with Betty's daughter and she's planting spicy peppers and cilantro and parsley right now in her containers. She says it makes cooking easier because for something to add to vegetables on the stove, for example, she just gets cilantro or peppers out on her balcony and add those to what she's cooking. As it gets warmer in her area, she'll plant green beans and other vegetables. So this is something I can do with my daughter and we can learn together and later on she'll be able to do it where ever she lives. It's a skill and it's a memory. My mom's always talking about how you should teach your kids to cook because it gives them a skill and a great memory.
And you liked the book?
Mike: I really did. I reviewed Tammy Wylie's book. That wasn't the only book on container gardening that we read. We also read Sophie McKay's BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL CONTAINER GARDENING and Max Barnes' CONTAINER GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS. Sophie's book was okay but Max's book bored us. All three grew up gardening at a young age -- I believe with grandparents teaching them to garden. But Max just made it boring. My daughter read maybe a third of his book. I read all but the last ten pages hoping to find something interesting but didn't. Sophie's book was okay. But Tammy wrote with such enthusiasm that it was hard to put down but you wanted to put it down immediately because she made it come alive and I just wanted to get started doing it.
So that's a strong recommendation for Tammy Wylie's CONTAINER GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS: A GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR OWN VEGETABLES, FRUITS, HERBS AND EDIBLE FLOWERS?
Mike: Yes.
And what about another year of book reviews?
Mike: I honestly wanted a year off. I get why Marcia and my mom wanted to continue but I did want a year off. That said, we talked and agreed that we didn't have to write lengthy book reports. So with that out the window, I'm okay with it. I don't get how you two write massive media pieces each week. That's a lot of work.
We're just doing a piece of an entertainment TV show this week.
Mike: Good. I bet you'll could use the break.
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Book discussions:
"Book Talk (Ann, Marcia, Trina, Ava and C.I.)"
