At the January 13, 2013 meeting the theme was to discuss your favorite garden book. This is the list from that meeting. If you have a favorite book to suggest then let us know about it using the usual method to share a message with the group.

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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

by Barbara Kingsolver. HarperCollins, 2007 - An author and her family live off the land for a year. Humorous and informative. Also good recipes.

Annotated Checklist of the East Bay Flora.

by Barbara Ertter. 1997. - A list of the species that grow locally (Contra Costa and Alameda Counties) with geographic range, habitat, and rarity.

Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies.

by Eric Mader. The Xerces Society, 2011.- This is a comprehensive guide to the natural history of many important groups of pollinating insects, and how to protect and restore their habitat

Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification.

by Thomas J. Elpel. HOPS Press, 2004.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers.

California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists,

by Gordon W. Frankie, Robbin W. Thorp, Rollin E. Coville, and Barbara Erter. Heyday Press, 2014.

California Native Plants for the Garden,

by Bornstein, Carol; David Fross and Bart O’Brien. Cachuma Press, 2005.

"A comprehensive resource that features more than 500 of the best California native plants for gardening in Mediterranean-climate areas of the world. Authored by three of the state's leading native-plant horticulturists and illustrated with 450 color photos, this reference book also includes chapters on landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Detailed lists of recommended native plants for a variety of situations and appendices with information on places to see native plants and where to buy them are also provided."

Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens,

by Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook. UC Press, June 2007.

The Earth Moved: On the remarkable achievments of Earth Worms.

by Amy Stewart. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2004.

Foraging California: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods in California,

by Christopher Nyerges. Morris Book Publishing, 2014. [This book was recomended for use in selecting edible natives for the garden.]

Gardening with a Wild Heart: Restoring California's Native Landscapes at Home,

by Judith Larner Lowry. UC Press, 1999.

Golden Gate Gardening.

by Pam Pierce. Sasquatch Books, 2010 (3rd edition) - The essential book about growing vegetables in the Bay Area. If you think of something you would like to grow, Pam has probably done it already. A great source of hands-on information.

Growing California Native Plants,

by Marjorie Schmidt. UC Press, 1980

How to Keep a Naturalist's Notebook.

by Susan Leigh Tomlinson. Stackpole Books, 2010.

Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology.

by Eric Grissell. Timber Press, hardcover 2001, paper 2006. - A very readable and sometimes amusing account of the biology of garden insects, with the goal of helping gardeners learn to appreciate and live peacefully with insects; includes many great close up photos.

Noah's Garden.

by Sara Stein. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. - Out of print but available at used book sites. The subtitle says it all: Restoring the ecology of our own back yards. The author's story about restoring her upstate New York property to welcome all creatures (including humans) is poignant and entertaining. While a lot of the specifics do not apply to the Bay Area (she points out that a well-behaved native in one area can become a nasty invasive elsewhere), reading this book changed the way I garden.

Opening the World Through Nature Journaling.

by John Muir Laws et al. California Native Plant Society, version 2.1. (2011?) - Free download at http://www.cnps.org/cnps/education/curriculum/

Orchids of Cuba / Las Orquideas de Cuba.

by Juan A Llamacho & Julio A Larramendi. Greta Editores, 2005 [in English and Spanish]

Rodale's Garden Problem Solver for Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs.

by Jeff Ball. Rodale Publishing, 1988 (out of print but can be found on used book sites) - Plants are listed in alphabetical order describing the plants’ requirements for germinating, planting, growing, harvesting and storage. There is a list of common insect pests and diseases with only ORGANIC methods to controlling them recommended (no nasty chemicals). There is also a section on pests and diseases and general garden management.

Seed Propagation of Native California Plants.

by Dara Emery. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1988. - This small book contains a description of seed collection, treatment, and sowing techniques plus an extensive chart of recommended techniques by plant species.

Strawberries in November - a Guide to Year-Round Gardening in the East Bay.

by Judith Goldsmith. Heyday Books, 1987 - Has a month by month guide to what to do in your garden - planting, fertilizing, pruning, harvesting plus recipes. Note: may be out of print but you can get it used on Amazon.