Celebrity Numerologist, and recent Arizona transplant, Tania Gabrielle twittered us asking if we have any book suggestions for organic gardening in the desert.
We looked through our library for the most well worn and well loved gardening books in our collection. Here are our finds:
From caliche to zucchini, this is the definitive guide to desert gardening.
Brookbank started out as an Agricultural Officer in Africa; figuring out how to protect crops from elephants and monkeys. For many years he worked at the Extension Garden Center if the University of Arizona. Brookbank has been writing Gardening articles in Tucson newspapers since the 1970’s and has been in various local radio and tv shows.
The information he has compiled in this book is priceless. If you could only buy one gardening book, this should be it.
* We especially like the desert gardener’s calendar: garden projects for every week of the year.
* We reccomend all of George Brookbank’s Books: “Desert Landscaping: How to Start and Maintain a Healthy Landscape in the Southwest” and “The Desert Gardener’s Calendar: Your Month-by-Month Guide” – Find more great books like these at the University of Arizona Press
Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts
Occasionally, we get to watch David “Garden Guy” Owens on the wacky “Good Morning Arizona” show on KTVK, Phoenix. He’s a real gift to desert gardeners, with a wealth of organic gardening tips.
Let it Rot!: The Gardener’s Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey’s Down-to-Earth Guides)
Fortifying desert soil is crucial for a healthy, productive garden. This is the classic how-to book on the various methods of composting. It’s an easy, educational, and entertaining read. “Let it Rot” is a great resource for gardeners of all skill levels.
Don’t bother signing up for that expensive permaculture class when you can use this book, your own insight and imagination and transform your home into a hydrophilic paradise. Written by Tucsonan Brad Lancaster, “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond” is a three-volume guide on how to conceptualize, design, and implement sustainable water harvesting.
We hope these books will enrich your gardening adventures.
Feel free to twitter us: @OrganicGardenAZ
1 Comment
April 22, 2009 at 8:52 am
I’ve read a few of these. Good books all. If you are new to sustainable practices I imagine they would be very helpful….but no matter what your experience level they will certainly add to your pool of knowledge.