MARGARET'S BOOKSHELF http://www.gil.com.au/~emmerik/bookshelf.html Margaret's Homepage: http://www.gil.com.au/~emmerik/index.html The following is a list of books, magazines and articles which I thought worthy of mention. I have tried, as far as possible, to include ISBNs and publishing detail. (The books aren't necessarily on my personal bookshelf as I have tended to make good use of libraries as well.) I have now decided to include reviews where appropriate. The list has been roughly broken into subject areas and alphabetised by author. GARDENING GENERAL The Complete Australian Gardener, 1982 (reprinted 1993), Bay Books, Sydney and Auckland. ISBN 0 85835 565 5. Quite a comprehensive reference work. Bennett, P. 1979 (6th edition 1995): Organic Gardening. National Book Distributors and Publishers P/L, Frenches Forest, NSW, 2086. ISBN 1 86436 043 7. A useful and comprehensive reference. It also passed the 'slug and snail' test with flying colours. To explain: I look at how an author has addressed the subject of slugs and snails. If they recommend poisons only I usually find that the rest of their book is full of short cuts too, that are usually not so environmentally friendly, so I leave the book alone. In Bennett's case, he supplied the most comprehensive written material on the subject that I have ever found in one place - outside the S & S FAQ of course! BTW he does write on much more than slugs and snails... :-) Bradley, J. 1988: Bringing Back the Bush. The Bradley method of bush regeneration. Lansdowne Press, Sydney. ISBN 0 7018 2006 3. The book contains a detailed description of the method used by 2 sisters to 'bring back' the bush to its natural state. The method they developed relies upon the absolute minimum of disturbance to the environment and careful identification and removal of exotic weeds. Briefly the three principles they developed are: 1. Work outwards from good bush areas towards areas of weed; 2. Make minimal disturbance to the environment; and 3. Do not overclear. The bush is then allowed to recover itself. The word 'bush' in this context means natural woodland. The word 'weed' means any plant that does not belong it that particular environment. All in all, the book makes you want to go out and regenerate some bush! Collins, J. 1993: Companion Planting in Australia. Working with Mother Nature. Lothian Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 0 85091 580 5. The author spends alot of space on a handy plant by plant reference guide as to what works and what doesn't. Cundall, P. 1989: Seasonal Tasks for the Practical Australian Gardener. Penguin Books, Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Vic. ISBN 0 869 14153 8. The author is the presenter of ABC TV's Gardening Australia program. The book is a month-by-month almanac of what a southern Australian garden should be experiencing. As the name suggests, it is full of practical gardening ideas most of which cut across climate restrictions. Fanton, M and J. 1993: The Seed Savers' Handbook. The Seed Savers' Network, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. ISBN 0 64610226 5. A very useful reference. Foreword by Bill Mollison of Permaculture fame. This book will become one of my most used references, so I am expecting it to be dog-eared, tattered and loved to death in next to no time! French, Jackie. 1991: Jackie French's Guide to Companion Planting in Australia and New Zealand. Aird Books: Flemington, Vic. Australia. French discusses the hows and whys of companion planting. French, J. 1993: Jackie French's Chook Book. Aird Books: Flemington, Vic. Australia. ISBN 0 947214 40 2. For those who aren't quite sure what a 'chook' is, it is slang for chicken @ fowl @ poultry. As to how they came to be known as 'chooks' in this country, I have no idea. Anyway, back to the book: Good, basic, matter-of-fact presentation. Good info and a useful reference for anyone taking up running a few fowl. Heazlewood, A. 1982: The Organic Gardener's Companion. AH & AW Reed, Frenches Forest, NSW & Wellington, NZ. ISBN 0 589 50385 5. A useful month by month account of organic gardening in the cooler parts of Australia. Again, most material crosses climate restrictions. The book contains numerous apt quotes and makes for enjoyable and informative reading. Sinnamon, Liz. 1993: Organic Gardening in Tropical Climates. Earth Garden Books, RMB 427, Trentham, Victoria, 3458. ISBN 0 9595889 3 0. All good practical stuff for especially tailored for our climate. Sinnamon, L. 1994: Growing Fruit & Herbs Organically. Step by Step to Growing Success. Lothian, Melbourne, Vic. ISBN 0 85091 646 1. More good stuff! SLUGS AND SNAILS Link here to the Slug and Snail FAQ. Gordon, David George: The Western Society of Malcologist's Field Guide to the Slug ISBN#1-57061-011-8, Sasquatch Books, Seattle, USA. This book was suggested as a 'quick read and packed full of valuable information for the Pacific North West'. The book has been reviewed by Rick Reid and reproduced here with his permission. 'Not many people I know spend their evenings reading about slugs. I'm not one either, and I wouldn't have if it wasn't for an off comment by a woman out at the Arboretum justifying their existence, because they eat a beneficial fungus that is then dispersed and spread about. So I contacted my local library and found David Gordan's book. For the next hour I learned more about slugs then I really cared to. 'Gordan's Book is a highly readable, interesting and practical guide to the gardener's love to hate nemesis. In it he carefully details the slug's family tree (their related to the octopus and other members of Mollusca), introduces a slug's anatomy and identifies the five species that grace the gardens of the Pacific Northwest. 'He tells us about the docile banana slug, a true Northwest native; the ravenous European black slug which boast of having, "damaged more than 75 percent of Washington's [State] strawberry crop; The great gray garden slug, one of the fastest critters; the milky slug with its copious amounts of slime and voracious appetite and is said to "slither its way into a cabbage and then gorge itself on the walls of the vegetable..." and the greenhouse slug, "a true world traveler, with specimens discovered in locales as remote as Easter Island." 'Gordon, briefly mentions snails then sails us into the bulk of the book-- a self proclaimed, "Seven Wonders of the Slugdom." In this section he tackles some of the more mundane and unusual parts, habits and characteristics of the Slug. These wonders include: Sole, because a slug is a gastropod, they only have one foot, and challenges the reader to experiment by placing a slug on a piece of glass to watch. (Yuch!) Slime, "...with its protective covering of mucus, a slug can slide along the edge of a razor blade..." (throw out the diatomaceous earth.) Stomach, "Many slugs consume several times their body weight in a day." (no wonder they're fat and my gardens thin.) Speed (or lack there of) --(the actual title of the section.) Senses, "a slugs body is dotted with sensory cells...[that] react to light and darkness from all angles" (is that why I can't ever find 'em in the dark?) Sex. (an interesting but not family oriented description.) 'Finally Gordon outlines some controls, both natural and chemical, that should be considered. 'A big proponent of natural controls, including slug picking, traps and altering the environment, he chooses to inform rather than warn against the use of chemicals. Most slug killing chemicals, he claims have an active ingredient of either Metaldehyde which dehydrates the slug, and, "...theoretically speaking, in wet weather slugs can rehydrate themselves." or methiocarb which damages the nervous system and puts other animals such as earthworms, and other soil fauna in danger. He completes the section by sternly stating how Methiocarb is so toxic that it should never be used around food crops and then quotes the manufactures warning label (something we all should read more often). 'Gordon the malacologist puts in plain terms, information every gardener who is at war with these creatures should know. The subject matter is a bit squeamish, but as the old saying goes, "Know your enemy." I know enough about my enemy that as I spent last night slipping the creatures off the lily leaves, I understood more of the great design that went into the creature, but I'm not convinced about its beneficial attributes as argued by the woman at the aboretum. But then again, it is enough to make you wonder.' (Rick Reid, a Pacific Northwest native, fights slugs and other garden pests with the aid of his three children. He can be reached at: rick_reid@mentorg.com). CHILDREN'S GARDENING Fryer, L and Bradford, L. 1989: A Child's Organic Garden. Boolarong Publications, Brisbane, Australia. ISBN: 0 86439 097 1. First published in USA in 1989. The Australian edition (which has only had some minor alterations namely metrification of some measurements - not all) was published in 1990. It is an informative tale of a man, his grand-daughter and an organic gardening friend who develop a garden. It covers all the basics of organic gardening in a fashion that would be entertaining and educational for children aged 8 to 80. (Well 4 to 12 anyway.) :) I got a little bit tired of the way each chapter was written to a predetermined formula, ensuring that the main character had to eat something in each and every chapter but still children will probably enjoy it. SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND/BRISBANE Brisbane's Native Plants compiled and edited by Ruaux, C. 1992: Pangolin Press, Brisbane. ISBN 0 646 06391 X. Low, T. Dinkum Gardening: Creating a bushland garden in Brisbane. 1993: Greening Australia - Queensland (Inc.), Brisbane. ISBN 0 646 15724 8. Warm Earth magazine published quarterly by Liz Sinnamon, of 'Kiah' Cottage, Kennilworth, Qld, 4574. Deals with organic gardening in warmer climates. PERMACULTURE (This section is not arranged alphabetically as Mollison is the authority on this subject area, so it is only polite to put his works first.) :) Mollison, B. and Holmgren, D., 1978: Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements. Mollison, B., 1979: Permaculture Two: Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture. Mollison, B., 1988: Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia. ISBN 0 908228 01 5 Mollison, B. with Slay, R.M., 1991: Introduction to Permaculture. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia. ISBN 0 908228 08 2 Mollison, B., 1993: The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition. Tagari Publications, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia. ISBN 0 908228 06 6 NB: All of the above publications are available from Tagari Publications, P.O. Box 1, Tyalgum, NSW, Australia, 2484. Bell, G. 1994: The Permaculture Garden. Thorsons, London, UK. ISBN 0 7225 2783 7. Written from a northern hemsiphere perspective and will be quite useful for those with limited available yard space. Morrow, R. 1993: Earth User's Guide to Permaculture. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW, Australia. ISBN 0 86417 514 0. Firth, Julie. Permaculture Garden Guidelines for Dryland Coastal Regions. Published by Yilgarn Traders Lot 12 David Road, Waggrakine, Geraldton, West Australia (e-mail c/- prbagshaw@bilby.wn.com.au). ISBN 0 646 27584 4. This is a dryland specific book for permaculture gardeners. ALTERNATIVES Earth Garden magazine. "Self suffiency and planet care - for bush or city alternatives". Issued quarterly. Published by Alan T & Judith K. Gray, Earth Garden, RMB 427, Trentham, Victoria, 3458, e-mail earthmag@kyneton.net.au. French, J., and Sullivan, B. 1994: Switch! Aird Books: Flemington, Vic. Australia. An interesting account of options available with regard to power supply, light and appliances, heating and cooling, water supply, sewage treatment and garbage processing. ISBN 0 947214 30 5. French, J. 1992: Backyard Self-sufficiency. Aird Books: Flemington, Vic. Australia. ISBN 0 947214 24 0. French, J. 1994: Household Self-sufficiency. Aird Books: Flemington, Vic. Australia. ISBN 0 947214 42 9. Grass Roots magazine. Edited by Megg Miller and Mary Horsfall. Published by Night Owl Publishers P/L, Box 242 Euroa, Victoria 3666. ReNew magazine formerly known as Soft Technology. Published quarterly by the Australian Alternative Technology Association, e-mail ata@ata.org.au, snail mail ATA, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia. The magazine provides useful advice on the technical side of various earth friendly projects. Back to Margaret's home page: http://www.gil.com.au/~emmerik/index.html