Touchwood Books - July Newsletter

July Newsletter

Touchwood Books Newsletter - July 2010

Diane and I spent a week away last month inspecting new grandchildren - we now have four. We stayed with Lucy and Hamish who live between Queenstown and Arrowtown, looking out over Coronet Peak. They now have two boys, Oliver and George. On the way home we spent a day visiting Kate in Wellington Hospital where she has just given birth to Max, a brother for Eva. Diane had a lovely grannyish time clucking and cooing while I read Max Hasting's book 'Finest Years. Churchill as Warlord 1940-45', a 664-page paperback. I didn't realise what a massive part Russia played in the Second World War - they lost 2 million men. Very depressing.

I arrived home and decided to read a nice little book we have had for a while called "HOW TO PLANT A TREE -A Simple Celebration of Trees and Tree Planting Ceremonies" by Daniel Butler. It starts off with planting a tree to celebrate the birth of a new baby, so I will have two more to plant. It suggests getting an embossed metal label giving the name and date of birth of the baby, and also the botanical name of the tree. Crosshills Gardens at Kimbolton will make up such labels for you. The book has all manner of fascinating information about the better-known and most interesting trees, including those from the tropics. It is very nicely illustrated with delicate black and white line drawings. A 128- page hardback, $35.00.

While in Christchurch we called in at Smith's Second Hand bookshop that has just moved from its rambling 3 storied building to a single floor, about 100 metres further down Manchester Street. They were to have a final $3 per book sale just after we left.

Nick Nelson Parker, who used to run Cheddar Valley Nursery near Whakatane, is now full time growing walnuts. He is running an interesting blogletter site just about growing and harvesting walnuts - if interested email treees@xtra.co.nz - yes, three eee's is correct.

"GROW IT YOURSELF VEGETABLES" by Andrew Steens covers 33 different crops best suited to NZ gardens. The author, who lives at Point Wells north of Auckland, is well known for his two books on growing bromeliads. This new book, which is illustrated with colour photos throughout, is due next month and will be $40.00. Andrew is currently writing another book on growing fruit but that won't be available till next year.

After a battle with cancer Auckland florist Fionna Hill decided to improve her health and grow her own food, which has lead her on to writing two books. The first, "MICROGREENS - HOW TO GROW NATURES OWN SUPERFOOD" covers the growing, harvesting and preparing the 20 most popular microgreens including arugula (rocket), beet, kale, radish, wheatgrass and basil. It explains which containers and growing media to use, how to prepare and sow the seeds, when and how to harvest and how best to store the harvest. Microgreens are the first true leaves of herbs and vegetables, and can be easily grown on the windowsill, taking up very little space. Most varieties are ready in a week or so. A 108-page paperback, due August, $30.00. But Fionna wanted more space and was delighted to eventually find herself with a plot in the Grey Lynn Community Garden.

This has lead her to write another book, due in September, "A GREEN GRANNY'S GARDEN. A YEAR OF THE GOOD LIFE IN GREY LYNN. THE CONFESSIONS OF A NOVICE URBAN GARDENER". In an honest and delightfully wacky way she takes the reader by the hand and shares her exploits, adventures, successes, failures and enthusiasms as she discovers what works and what doesn't. A 304- page paperback, $40.00. We don’t have this book on the web at the date of this newsletter.

"EDIBLE ESTATES: ATTACK ON THE FRONT LAWN" is an American book with personal accounts written by the owners who have ripped up their front lawns and replaced them with fruit, vegetable and herb gardens. First published in 2008 the book has been revised and expanded and includes 86 colour photos to show what has been done. It is not a comprehensive how-to-do-it book, but rather you-could-do-it-too. Writers include Rosalind Creasy and Michael Pollan. A 176-page paperback, $55.00.

"AQUAPONICS IN AUSTRALIA" by Shannida and Matt Herbert is about an organic method of growing fish and plants in an integrated system which uses no pesticides and causes no pollution. It explains how to grow herbs, vegetables, fruit, flowers and fish in the one system that can be used at home, in schools or on a commercial scale. An A4 sized 141-page paperback with black and white photos and diagrams throughout, $110.00.

"THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BONSAI" by Ken Norman is a very comprehensive book covering all aspects of growing bonsai trees. Brilliantly illustrated with 800 colour photos showing what to do. There are many books on bonsai but this is one of the best we have had. A 255-page hardback, $55.00.

"THE PERENDALE STORY" by Marjorie Law covers the history of the Perendale Sheep Society of NZ from 1960 to 2010. Written to coincide with the breed's 50th anniversary, it's about those involved with the Society as committee members and breeders, and illustrated with lots of black and white photos of people rather than sheep. The last section of the book is a register of all the studs, when they were started, and how many ewes mated. As sheep farmers cut back on the amount of fertiliser used and pastures revert to poorer species, there is a swing back to the tougher breeds like the Perendale sheep and Angus cattle that can thrive on rougher diets. A 192-page paperback, $50.00.

At times I feel as though I'm drowning in a flood of vegetable growing books and so many of them are the same. However "VEGETABLES EXCELLENT ADVICE, TECHNIQUES AND TIPS FOR GARDENERS" by the Good Housekeeping Institute of the UK grabbed my attention for two reasons. First, the quality of the photos is top class and, second, for a 128-page book it is a bargain at only $15.00. Though English, it talks of early spring - not September. A full page is devoted to each vegetable, photo of the plant, plus how to grow and harvest. Two other books in the same series and at the same price are "POTS AND CONTAINERS" and "EASY TO GROW FLOWERS".

"COWPATS AND BRICKBATS. TALES FROM THE WAIKATO" by Graham McBride is a collection of 40 humorous farming stories with illustrations by David Henshaw, famous for his cartoon character 'Jock'. Just the thing to cheer you up in the winter cold and mud. An 80-page paperback, $20.00.

Here’s some comments we tell you every time – it’s particularly for the benefit of those new to this newsletter. Look for the “New Titles” on our website to see a description and cover picture of books that were new to our shelves during June 2010. Soon the July 2010 titles will start appearing on our website.

Diane has cut the sale price on a new list of books yet again!. You can see the full range of her “Specials” in the “DIANE’S Specials” category on our website. Be sure to click on the “Diane’s Special Offers” heading above the list of recently added products to see a full list of books, with descriptions and cover pictures, that are at special reduced prices.

While you are looking around our website take a look at the Forthcoming category. Be sure to click on the “Forthcoming” heading above the list of recently added products to see a full list of books. We intend to keep this list to books that are not yet to hand from the publishers, and may not be here for some months. We will try to give you an idea of when the books will become available.

Peter Arthur, Touchwood Books, 21^st July 2010