Recent library reading

I had errands downtown yesterday, which were awful close to the library.  So what could it hurt to stop in and visit the gardening section?

After dithering for a bit, picking and putting some back so I wasn’t taking a ridiculous amount that I would never have time to read before they came due, this is what I settled on this time:

The 2 Hour Garden – Roger Grounds & George Elbert

The Complete Urban Farmer – David Wickers

Edible Ornamental Garden – John E. Bryan & Coralie Castle

Have More Plan – Edward and Caroyln Robinson

How to Prune – John Cushnie

Two Acre Eden – Gene Logsdon

As I get a chance to at least scan them better, I’ll try to give a short report on each.  I’m already finding it interesting that those leaning towards what is now freely called homesteading and permaculture are all from the 1970s.

The Have More Plan, a 1947 book, in its introduction has been more focused on how to do less to have just as much if not more is related to a lot of the principles of homesteading and permaculture, but the authors thus far have stressed more typical post war self reliance and avoiding possible future downturns notions.

I write this full well knowing that there is overlap from then and now in terms of scarcity, self reliance, and even possible doom times (Edward specifically speaks to wanting to have less concern should another Depression occur, which is more period oriented, and when his memories of what living through same would have been like first hand.)

I’m most optimistic about The 2 Hour Garden as far as my short term needs, though the pruning book really is a nudge to just learn already for certain what I can still do that I already know I mostly should have done last fall.  The Complete Urban Farmer definitely covers a fair amount of small scale kitchen gardening, but The 2 Hour Garden also has some suggestions for smaller land plots.  So time will tell which bears more use for me at this stage.