Voluntary Code of Conduct for the Gardening Public

This interesting site gives a code of conduct for dealing with invasive plants in your area.

In California, invasive plants are a major problem and various groups hold non-native cleanup days in parks and wildlife areas where the native plants are in danger of being driven out.

Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden via About.com.

Children in the Garden

Today's LA Times, has a neat article on children in the garden, Something to Grow On.

I know that my son is fascinated with what goes on in our garden, so I am sure other children feel much the same way. The article includes ideas for engaging your children in the wonders of growing your own plants, whether for food or decoration.

The article also includes a sidebar discussion with Sharon Lovejoy, author of Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots, a gardening activity book for children.

Fore more information, see:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together With Children

Web

My First Garden

A Guide to the World of Fun and Clever Gardening.

This site is a great introduction to gardening for kids. It includes activities, information and a teacher's guide on how to integrate gardening into the classroom.

Books

Grounds for Pleasure: Four Centuries of the American Garden

Much like many of you dream over plant and seed catalogs in the depths of Winter, I am perusing gardening books as I wait out our August heat wave. We have been experiencing highs in the mid to upper-90's the last week or so. I just can't bring myself to do even the smallest gardening tasks in such heat, unless I work after the sun goes down.

This book is an excellent way to spend some time. A thorough retrospective of the history of American gardens, its text and wonderful photos help to show you what the designer was trying to accomplish and how the design changed with age. I have just been flipping through looking at photos and reading captions, but now I am going to go back and do some more in-depth reading.

Most of the gardens in the book are large scale design, but I have found many elements that can be used in even the smallest gardens.

If you are taking some time to rest after your garden work, this is the perfect book to carry to your garden chair, along with a cool glass of ice tea, and lose yourself among its pages. Both you and your garden will be better off for the visit.