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Trowel and Error: Over 700 Organic Remedies, Shortcuts, and Tips for the Gardener
Hundreds of organic gardening tips and homespun remedies that come only from season after season of experience—a perfect gift for the green thumb.
Born of necessity and ingenuity and honed through years of “trowel and error,” these helpful hints include environmentally friendly ammunition against weeds and pests, shortcuts for cultivation and propagation, and clever uses for curious household items. And every page is charmingly illustrated with Sharon Lovejoy's watercolor art.
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Born of necessity and ingenuity and honed through years of “trowel and error,” these helpful hints include environmentally friendly ammunition against weeds and pests, shortcuts for cultivation and propagation, and clever uses for curious household items. And every page is charmingly illustrated with Sharon Lovejoy's watercolor art.
Find tips such
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2002
21 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Lovejoy
18 books60 followersNaturalist, author, and illustrator Sharon Lovejoy’s passion for nature led her to a lifetime of cultivating wonder for grown-ups and children. Her honors include the National Outdoor Book Award for Children’s Literature, 2010 Gold Award from National Parenting Publications, the key to the city of Indianapolis for her work with youth, numerous Garden Writer’s Association awards, and one of the Best Chapter Books Pick by the International Reading Association for her novel Running Out of Night.
As a graduate with Distinction in Art from San Diego State University, Sharon successfully combined her training in art with her love of botany, natural science and history. She worked as a docent naturalist for the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History and for the Smithsonian Institution in the lagoons of Baja, California. Sharon founded Heart's Ease Herb Shop & Gardens in Cambria, California, which gained international acclaim and was featured in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers throughout the world.
Sharon has lectured throughout the United States for over twenty years. She speaks at conferences, educational symposia, museums, botanic gardens, arboreta, and for professional trade associations, libraries, schools, STEM, universities, and gardening organizations.
For 13 years she wrote an award winning column for Country Living GARDENER magazine that was distributed through Canada by The New York Times Syndicate. Sharon is past President of the International Herb Association. She served on the Youth Garden Advisory Panel for the American Horticultural Society and the Advisory Board of KidsGardening.org. Her other professional affiliations include Garden Writers Association, The Authors Guild, Inc., Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
As a graduate with Distinction in Art from San Diego State University, Sharon successfully combined her training in art with her love of botany, natural science and history. She worked as a docent naturalist for the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History and for the Smithsonian Institution in the lagoons of Baja, California. Sharon founded Heart's Ease Herb Shop & Gardens in Cambria, California, which gained international acclaim and was featured in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers throughout the world.
Sharon has lectured throughout the United States for over twenty years. She speaks at conferences, educational symposia, museums, botanic gardens, arboreta, and for professional trade associations, libraries, schools, STEM, universities, and gardening organizations.
For 13 years she wrote an award winning column for Country Living GARDENER magazine that was distributed through Canada by The New York Times Syndicate. Sharon is past President of the International Herb Association. She served on the Youth Garden Advisory Panel for the American Horticultural Society and the Advisory Board of KidsGardening.org. Her other professional affiliations include Garden Writers Association, The Authors Guild, Inc., Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 18, 2022
Review originally published May 2010
Author, gardener, speaker, and consultant, Sharon Lovejoy, inspires all gardeners with her enthusiasm for the wonders of nature through gardening. From her first book, Sunflower Houses, to her most recent book, Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars, Sharon Lovejoy is recognized as a master at sharing unique gardening skills with gardeners of all ages.
Her book, Trowel & Error, is a collection of clever tips, shortcuts, and remedies for the gardener. The indispensable “dispensary” section of this book teaches readers how to use common household items like aspirin, Epsom salts, flour, oils, vinegar, coffee grounds, and glue to make gardening potions. Even shells that children collect and carry home can be put to good use in the garden.
According to Ms. Lovejoy, children appreciate a plant with a personality: an onion that grows really fast; a pansy with a “face” in its blossom; a snapdragon that opens with a pinch; a dried gourd that rattles when shook; a tomato or a marigold with a unique fragrance; or a “four o’clock” blossom that opens in the late afternoon.
Sunflowers are also exciting plants to grow because of their beauty and giant height. Ms. Lovejoy describes how to combine sunflowers and morning glory plants to grow a sweet sequestered shelter: a sunflower house.
Have you ever considered the possibilities of a snapdragon? Young gardeners can use snapdragons for clip-on earrings, for hiding secret messages, or as paper clips on a dinner place card. Try using your imagination to create other unique and whimsical uses for a snapdragon.
Allowing children to select plants and seeds gives them a freedom they may not yet have in other parts of their lives. Gardening also provides opportunities for children to learn about responsibility and creativity.
Sharon Lovejoy has written and illustrated award-winning and inspirational books and contributed to numerous other books, magazines, and reference materials. All of Ms. Lovejoy’s books are available through any of the five La Crosse County Libraries in Campbell, Bangor, Holmen, Onalaska, or West Salem. Requests may be placed in person or online.
As a recognized and entertaining gardening expert, Ms. Lovejoy speaks throughout the U.S. and has appeared on television and public radio. Sharon Lovejoy is coming to the Heider Center in West Salem, WI, on Thursday, June 3, 2010, for a 7:00 p.m. presentation: “The Artist in the Garden and the Garden in the Artist.” Ms. Lovejoy is donating her fees for this appearance to the West Salem Boys & Girls Club. For ticket information, please contact the Heider Center, a non-profit theatre, at 608-786-1220 ext. 4, or visit: www.heidercenter.org.
Take an hour, a day, a week, or a season to enjoy the wonders of your garden!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Author, gardener, speaker, and consultant, Sharon Lovejoy, inspires all gardeners with her enthusiasm for the wonders of nature through gardening. From her first book, Sunflower Houses, to her most recent book, Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars, Sharon Lovejoy is recognized as a master at sharing unique gardening skills with gardeners of all ages.
Her book, Trowel & Error, is a collection of clever tips, shortcuts, and remedies for the gardener. The indispensable “dispensary” section of this book teaches readers how to use common household items like aspirin, Epsom salts, flour, oils, vinegar, coffee grounds, and glue to make gardening potions. Even shells that children collect and carry home can be put to good use in the garden.
According to Ms. Lovejoy, children appreciate a plant with a personality: an onion that grows really fast; a pansy with a “face” in its blossom; a snapdragon that opens with a pinch; a dried gourd that rattles when shook; a tomato or a marigold with a unique fragrance; or a “four o’clock” blossom that opens in the late afternoon.
Sunflowers are also exciting plants to grow because of their beauty and giant height. Ms. Lovejoy describes how to combine sunflowers and morning glory plants to grow a sweet sequestered shelter: a sunflower house.
Have you ever considered the possibilities of a snapdragon? Young gardeners can use snapdragons for clip-on earrings, for hiding secret messages, or as paper clips on a dinner place card. Try using your imagination to create other unique and whimsical uses for a snapdragon.
Allowing children to select plants and seeds gives them a freedom they may not yet have in other parts of their lives. Gardening also provides opportunities for children to learn about responsibility and creativity.
Sharon Lovejoy has written and illustrated award-winning and inspirational books and contributed to numerous other books, magazines, and reference materials. All of Ms. Lovejoy’s books are available through any of the five La Crosse County Libraries in Campbell, Bangor, Holmen, Onalaska, or West Salem. Requests may be placed in person or online.
As a recognized and entertaining gardening expert, Ms. Lovejoy speaks throughout the U.S. and has appeared on television and public radio. Sharon Lovejoy is coming to the Heider Center in West Salem, WI, on Thursday, June 3, 2010, for a 7:00 p.m. presentation: “The Artist in the Garden and the Garden in the Artist.” Ms. Lovejoy is donating her fees for this appearance to the West Salem Boys & Girls Club. For ticket information, please contact the Heider Center, a non-profit theatre, at 608-786-1220 ext. 4, or visit: www.heidercenter.org.
Take an hour, a day, a week, or a season to enjoy the wonders of your garden!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
November 2, 2011
I was drawn to (ha) the cute illustrations, but it was full of good advice too. not a british book so I am surprised the library carried it, I will look for my own copy from ebay (this whole trying to save money by using the library is an epic failure)
September 13, 2012
Excellent, creative, resourceful and inventive ideas and prescriptions; lots of great info, knowledge, insight, wisdom, and experience; clever witticisms; and the cutest illustrations! I love the simple, cheap, do-it-yourself approach.
Some of the remedies for pests made me a little uneasy, as I would always prefer to prevent and/or remove "pests" without harming them. That being said, Lovejoy offers solutions for prevention, e.g. by attracting beneficial allies and maintaining a healthy, robust garden, and emphasizes their importance. She also highlights more humane treatment techniques when applicable. Still, the tone and enthusiasm of luring pests to their "last supper" or "bitter end," and the easy methods such as dropping them into soapy water to kill them, are a little unsettling. But then, I haven't done much gardening; maybe if I had I'd be just as eager to get rid of those suckers!
My current hope (subject to change, of course!) is that resilient, healthy ecosystem gardens will require minimal human maintenance, including pest control, and produce diverse abundance - even if not always as expected or intended - for the flexible (lazy?) gardener. The beauty of Lovejoy's book is that it can be adapted to fit any gardener's preferred level of engagement - you can use as few or as many of her wonderful ideas as you please. :)
Some of the remedies for pests made me a little uneasy, as I would always prefer to prevent and/or remove "pests" without harming them. That being said, Lovejoy offers solutions for prevention, e.g. by attracting beneficial allies and maintaining a healthy, robust garden, and emphasizes their importance. She also highlights more humane treatment techniques when applicable. Still, the tone and enthusiasm of luring pests to their "last supper" or "bitter end," and the easy methods such as dropping them into soapy water to kill them, are a little unsettling. But then, I haven't done much gardening; maybe if I had I'd be just as eager to get rid of those suckers!
My current hope (subject to change, of course!) is that resilient, healthy ecosystem gardens will require minimal human maintenance, including pest control, and produce diverse abundance - even if not always as expected or intended - for the flexible (lazy?) gardener. The beauty of Lovejoy's book is that it can be adapted to fit any gardener's preferred level of engagement - you can use as few or as many of her wonderful ideas as you please. :)
February 25, 2014
Love this book! The tips and gardening advice are tried and true. Just as with other Sharon Lovejoy books, illustrations easily lend themselves to the reader no matter the age, looking forward to following the guidelines given and the anticipation of seeing the "fruit" of the planting & nurturing of the seeds.
I highly recommend any book by Sharon Lovejoy!!!
I highly recommend any book by Sharon Lovejoy!!!
February 25, 2016
Getting ready for spring. Starting to prep for the garden and getting thinking about it. A nice wonderful book of ideas and ways to do things in the garden. I tell you what though, Sharon Lovejoy is a cold blooded killer for pests and varmints that hinder the garden, she don't take no crap from harmful bugs thats for sure.
May 10, 2011
This was a nice book, chocked full of great gardening helps and ideas. It doesn't cover anything on vegetables, so if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. For general plants, it had lots of helpful hints and information.
June 25, 2014
This book has some great gardening tips that include home made organic solutions for garden pests which I was looking for. The illustrations are whimsical and fun-if you have read any of Susan Branch's books you will recognize the style. This book was easy to read and helpful as well.
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May 25, 2020I have this book in my hands, it is only 226 pages. publication date and isbn match. not 336 pages, only 226.
-enough interesting tips that i purchased a used copy online.
a sample of tips:
-for a twine dispenser use a grated cheese container and run the end of the twine thru a hole in the lid.
-snip a worn out black or dark green hose into 3 foot sections and paint with patters to resemble snakeskins. drape over tree branches to keep critters from your trees.
-glue a small mirror onto a yardstick to check the undersides of leaves for pests, especially helpful for gardeners with trouble bending over.
-comfrey leaf brew for added potassium and nitrogen
-use lawn aerator sandals after a rain when grubs surface to stamp them out.
-enough interesting tips that i purchased a used copy online.
a sample of tips:
-for a twine dispenser use a grated cheese container and run the end of the twine thru a hole in the lid.
-snip a worn out black or dark green hose into 3 foot sections and paint with patters to resemble snakeskins. drape over tree branches to keep critters from your trees.
-glue a small mirror onto a yardstick to check the undersides of leaves for pests, especially helpful for gardeners with trouble bending over.
-comfrey leaf brew for added potassium and nitrogen
-use lawn aerator sandals after a rain when grubs surface to stamp them out.
September 27, 2025
This is a useful practical guide to different gardening situations However, my favorite part was the cute illustrations! The most unique suggestion I read was to pace good sized mirrors in shady places.
October 20, 2025
This book is so beautiful! Great ideas. The illustrations are stunning! I got it for almost free ($1.00 donation) at the public library on Catalina Island, but if I had come across it in an independent bookstore, I would have bought it.
August 10, 2019
Delightful book, good gift for my gardener friend.
May 21, 2021
Very organic
January 19, 2022
Interesting with cute illustrations. Definitely got a few new ideas but did not need to read it through, most was not applicable to me.
February 17, 2026
It was an interesting read but some things she wrote are not the best advice in my experience
August 21, 2025
This will be an adorable, incredibly useful, astonishingly creative guide I will refer to throughout my life. It is a perfect reference for the new organic gardener. Even if you're living in an apartment with no plot for a garden (yet!), Lovejoy shares countless tips for us indoor gardeners and plant lovers. I especially enjoy and appreciate the 'Consider the Humble Houseplant' section, as it is the most relevant to me at this point in my life.
Thank you, Sharon, for all your botanical wisdom.
Thank you, Sharon, for all your botanical wisdom.
April 21, 2008
maybe i would have liked this more if i hadn't just read the well-written 'you grow girl' which shares many of the same tips and tricks. i appreciated the plentiful chapter about how to make your own pest control and fertilizers using household ingredients. 'you grow girl' hinted at this but didn't give exact recipes or application instructions.
i get the feeling that this author's garden is a total junkyard, but that she tends to it with unsurpassed attention to detail. i appreciated the tips i got from here but just can't imagine spending every day in my yard pulling slugs from plants and throwing them into soapy water. i'm just not the type of gardener this book was written for.
also, i hate the title. hate.
i get the feeling that this author's garden is a total junkyard, but that she tends to it with unsurpassed attention to detail. i appreciated the tips i got from here but just can't imagine spending every day in my yard pulling slugs from plants and throwing them into soapy water. i'm just not the type of gardener this book was written for.
also, i hate the title. hate.
December 14, 2013
This was an informational gardening book. A small one, and one that you can pick up, read a little, put down, and resume later on. There are some good hints, and I think for a person who gardens, it't the kind of book that you read and then mull over which of the tips would apply to your gardens. It's definitely a book that I'll keep and flip through pages whenever I'm trying to figure out what to do in a specific area of garden--a good source of ideas, yet not long or complicated.
April 10, 2007
This is super cheesey. With lots of silly drawings and cheesey anecdotes. BUT it has tons of easy non-toxic solutions and ideas for gardening and planting. Houseplants, too - which is good since that is all I have.
July 21, 2013
Great book. Full of short, fun ideas. It is a resource or just a lighthearted bathroom book of tidbits and ideas. My only criticism is that I felt lots of ideas were not workable in Wisconsin (example: gather seashells to use in your garden... it's a long way to ocean from my home!)
December 19, 2013
Delighful & just fun! I loaned my copy to my dad and couldn't stand it I had to buy myself a new one which was a good thing because he enjoyed it so much he didn't want to return it anyway. Loads of information and ideas!
May 24, 2015
I love this book!! This book is so thorough and the illustrations are downright adorable. What a great find (thank you, Cracker Barrel for stocking this gem)! Highly recommend for those who love gardening.
March 27, 2015
Terrific little book all about attracting beneficial insects and pollinators to your yard. It also has quite extensive coverage of non-chemical solutions for pest problems. For those who are trying to go fully organic, this book has some excellent advice in it.
February 9, 2016
Wonderful! Great gift idea for friends who love gardening on any level, there's something for every garden lover here. Informative without being intimidating. I realize how much I still have to learn about the vastness of indoor and outdoor gardening. Complete with soil and fertilizer recipes. <3
September 1, 2007
This is a fun little gardening tip book full of random helpful hints, such as a concoction(water, alcohol, and hot sauce) to get rid of pests on your plants.
January 5, 2008
Lots of nifty tricks, tips and ideas for those who love to garden naturally.
January 11, 2008
Good reference book to have around.
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February 1, 2008Very gppd consider buying a copy
January 6, 2011
hands down one of the best gardening books ever written... a must for every lazy gardener, organic gardener, begining gardener, ---you hear me???
April 18, 2009
This is one of the best "little" books with gardening tips that you can use today. This book has helped save plants, rid plants of mildew and saved hours of hard work from being lost.
May 20, 2010
Some really neat ideas here. I may turn into a gardener yet...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews