Hear Ye, all that will listen! Having never been ones to listen to allegedly clairvoyant groundhogs, the rabbits of spring have decided to welcome the season early here at A.K. Smiley Public Library. Our new Spring Display is up and ready for the spring bloom; the question is, are you? Drop in and make an origami rabbit to join the rabbit army slowly taking over our display. Or stop by the Seed Market, the rabbit merchants have taken up a stand as part of the display. They are offering a variety of seeds for the shockingly low price of zero silver coins.
Beyond some seeds and rabbits, why not begin the season by trying something new this spring? There’s plenty an exciting hobby to find, but if you need some inspiration look no further than the Library’s vast array of new material, fresh and ready to help you try or retry something new!
If you’re looking to get into gardening this spring, then can I start you off with two suggestions I have found helpful in my own gardening journey?
“Gardenista, the Low Impact Garden” by Kendra Wilson revels in the growing natural and sustainable garden movement, making clear their indifference for crisp clean lawns. The book invites readers to cherish nature’s imperfections–the marks left by pollinators and insect friends that tell you they made a stop at your garden, that they too treasure its beauty. It offers a framework of eight rules to work with to create your own sustainable wonderland. I found this particularly helpful with the front garden of our home where we have many native plants. Wilson prompts readers to reconsider the perspective of bugs and insects as pests, and more as visitors to our gardens, even offering advice on how to be considerate and build a garden not just for yourself but for your whole ecosystem. All the while, she showcases some of the beautiful gardens found around the world and the lessons their gardeners learned. The example gardens have given me plenty of ideas on how to accommodate my own visitors (lots of pigeons, crows, small birds, and one or two neighborhood cats). Balanced, thoughtful, and plenty graceful in what sustainability looks like, this is a highly recommended read for anyone of a gardening heart but a sustainable mind.
If you’re looking for a different style of gardening, our veggie garden has taken to some of the helpful tips in Scott Wilson’s “Gardener Scott’s Guide to Raised Bed Gardening.” Wilson makes the case for raised bed gardening; whether curious, a sceptic or a believer, he assures the reader there is something for everyone. Raised beds come in all shapes and sizes, in all economies and materials. He highlights the benefits of the raised bed, but is clear that a raised bed is not ideal for every garden out there. Wilson offers solid advice on how to plan your raised bed; consider the placements, the plants, the material, and season, and how to problem solve. There is excitement in the air as I eagerly await my radishes’ arrival. One can close this book feeling significantly more confident in their ability to plant and maintain a raised bed garden and leave with all the tools necessary!
If you’d prefer a less involved spring activity than perhaps you could consider expanding your knowledge as a way to grow along with the season. Why not try to learn all about flower language. A quick, simple but informative read with beautiful illustrations to boot, Sarah Cray’s “The Language of Flowers” offers a simple and straight forward look into what different flowers symbolize, what they say and why they say it. It’s a delightful read and aesthetically pleasing. You could also try reading, “Faeries: A History in Art, Verse, and Lore” by Nikki Van de Car. It offers a thorough look into how faeries have presented themselves in different art forms and the different categories they fall into–an interesting read for any faerie enthusiasts!
Consider checking out these and many other spring-inspired books at A.K. Smiley Library!
Still looking for something to do this spring? Why not join us for our junk journaling event on March 25?
Ruth Aguilar is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who often finds themself at the mercy of new hobbies! This month? It’s origami!