Afraid of joining Sharon's Doom 'n Gloom book club, aka The Post Apocalyptic Book Club? Well, never fear, I'm starting a new book club based on your last votes. And there will be no death and dismemberment. Okay, maybe a few grubs will be injured, but that's about it.Out of the almost 500 votes, the top book (at about 30%) was Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community.
From the publisher:
Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens."
But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden—simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community—to all aspects of life.
So, starting in July we'll start up the reading. I'll be putting up discussion posts probably towards the middle or end of July, so if it takes you a while to get a copy from you library, used bookseller or Amazon, do not fret. The world will not end between now and then. Although I haven't checked Sharon's blog yet today to see if that statement is correct.
Just so I can get a head count...
As usual, if you want to throw in your book club 2 pence, add a comment.
28 comments:
Will be following this one with interest to check out if the book is worth a borrow. I am from Britain myself and can see lots of gardens around me that are only lawn and shrubs/flowers - despite people complaining about the rising food prices. Am trying to grow a bit in pots - despite only having a teensy awkward little back yard ("yard" in English terminology - so no earth).
Count me in... as long as I can get the book through my library! I'm trying to refrain from purchasing books and such right now. I'm a bit of a bookworm and could have heavily invested in a publishing company with all the books I've purchased these last few years =)
Looks like a great book, and I'm sure my library will be able to get it here for me. Can't wait!
I read this about a year ago, but certainly don't mind rereading it (kept it). It's an interesting book-definitely not "just" a garden book.
And yes, Sharon's book list is kinda scary.
I read this book last month so I'll be following along but not rereading
I've already read this book, but I'll follow along with the discussion.
I just acquired this book a few days ago and am eager to read and chat about it. My backyard is full. On to the front yard!
I've already read the book and am part of a local group here in Fort Collins, CO called "Grow Food not Lawns." We are an offshoot of our community's "Be Local" movement.
We've hosted seed exchanges,
sheet composting workshops and seed starting events. We're also in the process of creating a new community garden. I will be interested to follow the discussions and reread the book.
I recently read this book and I LOVE it. I love her tone, her enthusiasm, everything. I have a black thumb myself, but some of her tips I've implemented (like the rain barrels etc). Can't wait for the discussions!
Hey! I wrote this book! Thank you for reading it and for doing a book club with it! Let me know if I can help and best of luck with all of your projects.
--Heather Flores
Hey Heather - email me at crunchychickenblog@gmail.com. I had been working with Laura Cherkas at Chelsea about your book but haven't heard back from Jessica. Thanks!
I'm with whoever said they'd be putting the book on hold at the library. I need motivation to fight the heat.
Ooops ... that last anonymous was me.
This is perfect! We are working this year to remove duplicate perennials, figure out how to rearrange, amend the soil, and get everything in tip top shape for making our land more productive next year. I'm going to request mine from Paperback swap right now!
I just placed a hold on this book at the library and I cant wait to join in this bookclub:) What a most excellent choice too!!
I have placed this on hold at the library and apparently I'm next on the list. Yay. So count me in!
Yay! This will definitely be a nice antidote to the Post-Apocalyptic stuff. I had some issues with Food Not Lawns, but overall it was excellent, and I'm looking forward to discussing it.
I live far from the lawn culture and do the growing already, but I will enjoy reading about you all reading the book and will study the summaries. I was somewhat alarmed by Sharon's Club and I guess I am literate enough to join hers but psychologically I am just too wimpy for the doom and gloom atmosphere.
Ill try to read her summaries too, but I may have to skip over the scorched earth and the Soylent Green type paragraphs.
Count me in... After being part of Green Bean's Bookworm challenge, I think I can handle it. She has "greened my bean"! And, I am rocking pepper plants in my landscaping and an herb garden in my containers. I need more skilz to get more goodies in my yard!
OK, so I'm not digging up my lawn this growing season becaue the elderly neighbor has given me rule over 1/2 acre, tilled with irrigation and tools.
I was however planning on digging up the lawn prior to the neighbor saving the landscape so am in general interested in food, not lawns.
i can't wait! after reading the urban homestead...i really want a front yard that is all garden...no sod!
amanda
I have been dying to dig up my front yard. Seriously - it just grows crabgrass and foxtails, and very little at that. Since we're in a drought in the Bay Area, the lawn does not get watered.
Well, it didn't get watered last year or the year before either.
When I suggested that I plant tomatoes in the front yard -- it gets the best sun -- my landlord just chuckled and shook his head.
Well, if he sells this place, maybe I can talk the new owners into it... I mean, we have a baby lemon tree in the front yard afterall (it's all of 4 feet high). That's a start!
I just put a hold on this book at my library and this will be my first online book club.
I have a certificate in permaculture design from a year long course I took in '96 and my first real attempt at this took place at 9,000' elevation so some things worked and a lot didn't due to the short growing season. Living the past few years at 5,000' in a valley makes a huge difference and we did lots of permaculture design on our property. We even just rototilled out a huge section of front lawn to grow flowers and medicinal herbs and may try veggies there next year. I'm on a fairly busy street so I'm not sure how well this will go over - hence starting with herbs and flowers. I now have 3 large flower beds and very little lawn left out front. Yay!
I didn't vote, I'm undecided. It looks like a really interesting book and I've been working every year to convert more and more lawn to garden and keep squeezing in more food crops. I might just have to see if I can get a copy.
I live in Greensburg, Kansas, which after being destroyed by a tornado is rebuilding as a green town (see the Planet Green series "Greensburg" on Sunday nights for info!) but there is still a rule on the books that front yards can only be a certain height... this is one of my "soapbox" issues - if my front yard looked like the Dervaes' the city would order me to cut it down... I'm going to try and change that - after all, we're a green town!
This book is one of my favorites - If I had more $$ I'd buy a copy for every city council member! lol...
Just picked up my loaner copy from the library and have used copy on its way in the mail...so I am ready to go.
Thanks for hosting this get-together.
~anajz~
LOL I Voted for this book, guess I better get it and join the discussion
Wow - my first on-line book club. I can't wait!
I'm in! I just bought this book, and Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn, as well. We live on an acre in the foothills, so all that is keeping me from taking out the grass in the front yard is the incredible load of work involved. I was hoping to put in an herb garden this year.
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