By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! May 2022.
You are invited to join the SD Hort Book Club
– everyone is welcome.
SDHBC meets the first Monday of every month (except we are skipping July) on Zoom at 4:30pm for Happy Half Hour social time and 5pm for book discussion. Zoom link is emailed directly to SDHBC members.
Interested? Send an email to info@sdhort.org with “book club” in the subject line.
June 6th
The Arbornaut by Meg Lowman ©2021 Biography
(audio, eBook, hardcover, paperback)
With a voice as infectious in its enthusiasm as it is practical in its optimism, The Arbornaut chronicles Lowman’s irresistible story. From climbing solo hundreds of feet into the air in Australia’s rainforests to measuring tree growth in the northeastern United States, from searching the redwoods of the Pacific coast for new life to studying leaf eaters in Scotland’s Highlands, from conducting a BioBlitz in Malaysia to conservation planning in India and collaborating with priests to save Ethiopia’s last forests, Lowman launches us into the life and work of a field scientist, ecologist, and conservationist. She offers hope, specific plans, and recommendations for action; despite devastation across the world, through trees, we can still make an immediate and lasting impact against climate change. A blend of memoir and fieldwork account, The Arbornaut gives us the chance to live among scientists and travel the world―even in a hot-air balloon! It is the engrossing, uplifting story of a nerdy tree climber―the only girl at the science fair―who becomes a giant inspiration, a groundbreaking, ground-defying field biologist, and a hero for trees everywhere.
DATE CHANGE! August 1st
Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit ©2021 Biography (audio, eBook, hardcover, paperback)
“In the spring of 1936, a writer planted roses.” So begins Rebecca Solnit’s book, Orwell’s Roses, a reflection on George Orwell’s passionate gardening and the way that his involvement with plants, particularly flowers, illuminates his other commitments as a writer and antifascist, and on the intertwined politics of nature and power.
September 5th
The Nature Of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy ©2021 Nonfiction
(audio, eBook, hardcover, paperback)
Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area. The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them.
Previously Read List:
January 2021 - The Language of Flowers by V. Diffenbaugh 👍
February 2021 - The Food Explorer by D. Stone 👍👍
March 2021 - Green Mansions by W. H. Hudson👍
April 2021 - A Memory of Violets by H. Gaynor 👍
May 2021 - Founding Gardeners by A. Wulf 👍👍
June 2021 - Elizabeth and Her German Garden by E. von Arnim 👍
July 2021 - In Praise of Tomatoes by S. Shepherd 👍👍
August 2021 - Undaunted Courage by S. Ambrose 👍👍
September 2021 - Around the World in 80 Plants/Trees both by J. Drori 👍👍
October 2021 - American Eden by V. Johnson 👍
November/December 2021 – Finding The Mother Tree by S. Simard 👍👍
January 2022 – Braiding Sweetgrass by R. Kimmerer 👍👍
February/March 2022 - The Seed Keeper by D. Wilson 👍
April 2022 - In Search Of Lost Roses by T. Christopher 👍👍
May 2022 - Turn Here Sweet Corn by A. Diffley 👍👍
Our Ratings System Explained -
👍👍 Two thumbs up = excellent
👍 One thumb up = good
✔️ No thumbs up or down = okay
👎 One thumb down = bad
👎👎 Two thumbs down = awful
