" Seeing the Miracle of Life Through Herbs" by Karen Smith is another of Smith's gardening books. In this one, Smith tackles the subject of gardeners who often get so wrapped up in their own problems and issues that they lose sight of the bigger picture: That which could make their lives better, both in physical and spiritual sense. For instance, many gardeners concentrate so much on what their plants need, such as light, water, and nutrition that they don't pay enough attention to what the plants need in order for them to thrive. Smith tackles this same problem head-on in her book by telling the story of a young gardener who was so preoccupied with his work that he failed to realize that water is the most important element in the life of any plant. When he finally realized it, and got his head out of the business of gardening, his business went under.
Another one of Smith's gardening books focuses on the issue of pests. In an effort to combat garden pests like aphids, which can cause serious damage to your garden, she teaches the readers how to do common household tasks that can prevent you from being tempted to use harmful chemicals against these evil little creatures. Pests can easily take over your garden, and sometimes, the only way to get rid of them is to get rid of the aphids or to use natural treatments, like those found in Smith's book. Sometimes, though, it isn't that simple. And that's why pest control is always best left to the experts.
The fourth gardening book that Smith writes about has to do with the issues of container gardening. These are the books that many beginning gardeners buy, hoping that they will make their fledgling efforts at gardening more successful. Smith starts out by reminding the reader that container gardening is not all about containers: It can be about planting seeds that can grow into plants that can grow into crops. Smith also stresses the importance of having fun while you're gardening, especially while you're learning the basics. This is why she includes a section on fun gardening, and even includes some gardening games for children to play so that they'll have a bit of fun along the way.
The fifth gardening book that Smith writes about concerns the use of recycled materials in making products that we use in our everyday lives. People use plastic in many things, and this is something that happens throughout the course of most of the development of our civilization. But, she reminds us, we should be thinking about resource conservation. She shows us that many items, including plastic, can be recycled easily, which means that we could save a lot of money if we were to implement such methods. This is why she encourages people who are interested in learning how to garden to think about how different things like plastic bags and paper go into the landfill.
Finally, there is one other gardening book by Hall that I have to mention. It's called How To Stop Wasting Water, and I don't know whether it's the best book on gardening books that I've ever read, but it's one that I really enjoyed reading. Smith starts out by explaining why we use so much water, then gives us some tips for conserving water and explains why some types of landscaping can help with conserving water as well. This is a very practical book that talks about the importance of being aware of how much we're using water in our day-to-day lives. It's an excellent primer on gardening books that I would highly recommend.
In all, seeing the miracle of life through the eyes of a gardener is something that I hope to contribute to humanity. When I'm done reading these books, I'm going to sit down and start designing my own garden. I'm also going to get a vegetable garden. I can't wait to see the fruits and vegetables that I put in it grow and flourish. If you're looking for gardening books that will motivate you to create a better garden, I highly recommend these books. You'll be surprised at what you find.