HOOK

LIVING FeNCeS By Ogden Tanner With our world becoming ever more divided, neighborhoods are now li4ered with wooden, concrete, and metal fences separa3ng one home from an- other in a never-ending row of ugly, inanimate boundaries cu5ng us off from the natural world. Ogden Tanner has a so- lu3on for this cacophony of unnatural structures: living fences. His book of the same name is a recipe for bringing nature back into the fold to help turn our urban and sub- urban homes into natural oases where "peace and pri- vacy can be enjoyed at the end of a busy day." The book is divided into three sec3ons: hedges, vines, and espaliers. And each sec3on dives deeply into ideas and methods any homeowner can use to create the serenity he or she desires. In the sec3on dedicated to hedges, for example, Tanner covers how to choose the right hedge for your property, how to properly prune a hedge to keep it healthy and luscious, and what tools you need to own in order to take care of your hedge. There is also a long list of selected species one can use to build their hedge–both deciduous and evergreen. Each entry on this exhaus3ve list contains infor- ma3on on the type of hedge the plant is best used for (for- mal or informal), expected height of the final product, how much sun and what soils the plant needs to thrive, spe- cial features, and how to best care for the individual species. Near the end of the sec3on, Tanner lists all of the species by their func3on, such as which are flowering hedges and which are best used as windbreaks. There are numer- ous color photographs depict- ing many of the species, and in all, it contains everything you would ever need to know to create a beau3ful hedge for your yard. Vines are a different beast en3rely, which can "screen an unwanted view as effec3vely as a solid wood fence while al- lowing the passage of light and air." There is an important sec- 3on on training your vines so as to ensure they do not spread out of control. Tanner also includes handy drawings demonstra3ng how best to make a hinged trellis and what the proper hardware looks like. Pictures of species such as Dutchman's Pipe, Climbing Rose, and Climbing Hydrangea dot the sec3on, bringing color to the pages and real life exam- ples of the methods Tanner is espousing. Finally, with his sec3on on ornamental or fruit bearing es- paliers, Tanner opens up the world of four-season fences. While espaliers require more labor than hedges or vines, the end result, a#er a few years of work, can be truly amazing. Tanner devotes mul3ple pages to choosing a pa4ern for your espalier, with diagrams, im- ages, and charts to help en- lighten the reader. Living Fences is a must read for anyone looking to create natural barriers between themselves and their neigh- bors. A true font of informa- 3on, it will help any homeowner turn their yard into a work of art. Echo Point Books www.echopointbooks.com Vines are a different beast entirely, which can "screen an unwanted view as effectively as a solid wood fence while allowing the passage of light and air." ... bringing nature back into the fold to help turn our urban and suburban homes into natural oases where "peace and privacy can be enjoyed at the end of a busy day." pages, Coronado gives us detailed, easy-to-follow steps on how to create not just an organic garden, but one that creates nearly zero waste and which can grow and thrive in almost any situa3on. The book is divided into a number of large sec3ons covering everything from soil to pollinators to container gardening. In all, there are ten main sec3ons, and each of these sec3ons is very neatly divided into a series of 3ps you can use to urge the most out of your garden. For example, under the sec3on 3tled 'Garden Mainte- nance' there are 3ps on coffee grounds compost, uses for worm cast- ings, self-watering plant containers, and how to create wine bo4le water- ing cans. The sec3on on 'Seeds and Seedling Power' includes 3ps on plas- 3c food container plant nurseries, how to create a seed-star3ng soil mix, and picture-perfect seed storage (wherein Coronado uses a photo album to contain and catalog her indi- vidual seed packets. Coronado writes with an easy-to- enjoy tone that invites you to share her journey. Her excitement for the subject oozes out of every page and is, frankly, infec3ous. Whether she is describing how to build a loose-straw raised bed, giving ideas on how to turn an empty street side plan3ng into a public garden, or how to build fer3le soil using "sheet mulch", her exper3se shines through and you cannot help but feel empowered to take on your own projects. One read- through and you'll be ready to create your own 3ki hut garden shed or use your kitchen scraps to grow new food. No-Waste Organic Gardening is a must-read for any DIY enthusiast who is ready to up their gardening game, learn how to limit your per- sonal waste stream, and become a true eco-friendly, earth-conscious gardener. www.quarto.com you cannot help but feel empowered to take on your own projects 36 HOOK

• Cover