Home and Garden Corner

Making & Installing Handmade Tiles. Angelica Pozo. Lark Books, 2004. ISBN: 9781579905255.
This is a recent purchase for my library that I am absolutely in love with. It is an exciting book both in its content and concept. It makes me want to go right out to buy a kiln, slab roller and all the accessories, tools, clay and glazes to go along with them. Angelica Pozo does a wonderful job of presenting tile making from beginning to end. She includes colorful photos of everything that is needed to create your own tiles, insets about specific aspects (i.e. ceramic absorption test, tile styles) of tile making, charts for cone temperatures, clay types, kiln colors and firing stages and others. Her colorful photos of tiles in all stages of development even show them in the setting they were created for. Also included is a list of gallery artists and a glossary.

Treehouses & Playhouses You can Build. David and Jeanie Stiles. Gibbs Smith, Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 9781586857806

Wow! These don’t look like any treehouse I ever built. The treehouses in this book are more like mini-cabins. Well, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but see for yourself. The Stiles have shown us that a treehouse can be a work of art and be functional, too. They are well designed and colorful. This is a do-it-yourself handbook with all that that entails. There are step-by-step instructions for building the treehouse/playhouse, rope ladders, bridges, decking and more. They include designs, measurements, lists of supplies, wood, tools, and hardware needed. Also included are ways to stabilize and secure the house to the tree(s). If you want to make your child (or grandchild) happy get a copy of this book. Happy building.

 Sweetwater County Library has added 3 titles from the Black & Decker Complete Guide series. The Complete Guide to Landscape Construction: 60 Step-by-step Projects for Completing a Perfect Landscape is exactly that. With color photos guiding you every step of the way, you can’t miss. The publishers suggest two good reasons for doing it yourself; saving money and personal satisfaction. There are charts that show you everything from choosing the right grass seed to selecting the right tools to figuring quantities needed. You will learn how to build fences, lay paving stones, install a water system and wire your landscape with outdoor circuits. Yes, you can do it! Remember. This book is a ‘guide’ designed to get you where you want to go.

The second book, Flooring 101: 25 Projects You Really Can do Yourself By Matthew Paymar, and the third, The Complete Guide to Dream Kitchens continue to provide the excellent information that Black & Decker is noted for. You will find everything you need to know to do your own floors and design and complete your dream kitchen. Again, color photos guide you through each phase of your project. Tools, supplies, charts and lists are scattered throughout. All books have comprehensive indexes.

One of the really nice features of gardening magazines is their tips section, did you know? columns, etc. I learn a lot from them. Garden Gate Magazine was kind enough to let me add this to my blog.

Did you know?

Get dirty, be happy
Gardeners know how important soil is to plants, but studies are now finding out that it’s good for people, too. Researchers at Bristol University and University college London discovered that the soil bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae helps elevate your mood. Originally used to treat cancer patients’ pain, scientists found the bacterium also increased feelings of well-being. Studies with mice found that M. vaccae affects the brain in a similar way to anti-depressants. So get out in the garden and get dirty – it’s good for you.

Where have all the honeybees gone?
Honeybees pollinate more than 130 agricultural food crops, as well as your back yard tomatoes and peppers. Unfortunately, these busy pollinators have been disappearing at an alarming rate since the fall of 2006, and no one knows exactly why. Dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder,” this mysterious phenomenon has affected bees in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. Recently scientists identified a virus originally found in Israel in the affected bees. But it’s too soon to be sure that’s the cause. Other suspects include a new disease, pest or pesticide. It could even be stress weakening the bees’ immune systems. How can you help? Use pesticides as little as possible and grow nectar-rich plants, such as hollyhock (Alcea spp.), catmint (Nepeta spp.), phlox (Phlox spp.) and sedum (Sedum spp.), to keep your bees well fed.

Copyright, Garden Gate magazine, www.GardenGateMagazine.com.