The Bible

If you never buy another gardening book again, at least buy this one. If you have a yard, IT'S A MUST!!! Here it is: Jerry Baker's Backyard Problem Solver: 2,364 Simple Solutions for Super Soil, Great Grass, Amazing Annuals, Perfect Perennials, Vibrant Vegetables, Terrific Trees, Bad Bugs, and Wicked Weeds

He's got all these kooky home remedies for things, and they really do work. You may wonder why a little soap would be good for a plant?? Phosphates for blooms and root development. Beer???! Sugars for metabolic growth and development. And all kinds of other wacky solutions that will save you money and save us all from dying mysterious deaths from cancer caused by toxic chemicals leaching into the ecosystem in 50 years. I do disagree with him on a couple of things: Bleach -- don't use it!!! I'm also unsure about using ammonia -- sounds toxic for the environment to me. But I absolutely agree on most things, including egg shells for calcium, coffee grinds for acidity, and BIG BEAUTIFUL HELPINGS OF RICH, BLACK COMPOST FOR EVERY SOIL IN SPRING AND FALL

Also, to anyone new to gardening: Never, ever buy Miracle Gro or any of those other mysterious little blue powder fertilizers. Why? They have high salt content (which damages plants in high concentrations) and they don't feed the soil. Result? In a few years, your soil will be totally dead and devoid of life, including all the necessary earthworms, soil microbes, and beneficial organisms that make soil healthy, alive, and nutritious. Your plants will be fast food junkies hopelessly hooked on blue powders for sustenance because the soil provides no nutrition to them anymore.

Okay, that's all the soap box preaching for today .. buy that book!!