The Victory Garden is the longest-running gardening program on American television, popular for its folksy style and Yankee practicality. Despite new generations of hosts and changes in garden styles, that unpretentious tone has remained refreshingly consistent, especially in books inspired by the show including the latest, The Victory Garden Companion. Released April 1 to coincide with the program’s 30th anniversary season on public television, the book covers every basic principle of domestic gardening in a readable, conversational style, from views and vantage points and braving the elements including sun, wind and rain, to entrances and exits, backyard fixtures and features, an excellent section on lawn (or the lack of necessity for it), flowers, the urban garden and the edible garden, which inspired the series’ name. Add step-by-step weekend projects, Inspired Gardens features on horticultural highlights from around the world, the Best Bets columns such as the top five tools for vegetable gardeners, Digging Deeper sections on current gardening trends including heirloom seeds and solar power, lush color illustrations and the reasonable price, and this book becomes black gold for any gardener looking for that perfect combination of how-to and why in one handy volume.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
