 Down-to-earth advice(Dallas Morning News, August 31, 2007)
Joe Lamp'l, syndicated columnist and host of PBS's GardenSMART, takes us from beyond the windowsill and the garden to Over the Fence With joe gardener (Coral
[Cool] Springs Press, $24.99). The title's imagery suggests neighbors
exchanging gardening advice while leisurely conversing over a fence.
Good conversation it is, too. Mr.
Lamp'l offers down-to-earth, eco-friendly ideas ranging from how to
think about garden layouts to how to control weeds and pests. Without
calling pets pests, he offers some help with their unwelcome behavior
in the garden – for example, the scheme of burying an excavating
canine's treat or toy in a designated digging area. Border collies and
crew have met their match. Maybe.
Of course, heading Mr. Lamp'l's list of points on pet management in the yard is the importance of owner control. In fact, Over the Fence is all about taking control by exercising common sense.
Mr. Lamp'l's book is a no-nonsense
guide designed to build self-confidence in mastering all of the many
problems that can beset a gardener. You can do it, the author promises,
and his book is like his being there to help you: "No matter what your
experience or where you live, I'm your gardener-next-door."
Bill Scheick is a garden writer in Austin.
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