I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Trees - Joyce Kilmer

Trees are just awesome!  They lower heating and cooling costs by providing shade and wind breaks, remove carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the atmosphere.  They're beautiful and if treated properly, a tree will live longer than you or I!

Did you know that you can get a free tree to plant in your yard from Our City Forest?  You apply for a tree - and I don't mean a little stick in a plastic bag like you got on Arbor Day when you were a kid - I'm talking about a tree that's 8-10 feet tall!  In order to get the tree, you have to agree to take care of it for a minimum of three years, watering it, keeping it trimmed and the area around free from debris.  That commitment is something you'd do anyway!

Trees need loving care!  Learn about how to plant, water and maintain trees from these resources at SJPL!

The hills are green and the weather is in turns warm or rainy.  Its time to get out into the garden and get some work done!  I've been walking out and doing a little bit of weeding every morning and today I sowed some seeds. 

March is a great month to get started with the following:  Fertilize trees and shrubs, plant potatoes and summer blooming bulbs like caladiums and elephant ears.

Whether you have a small orchard or a few plants in pots on your windowsill, SJPL has a lot of resources to help you plan this year's garden and give you inspiration!

The world-renowned San Jose Heritage Rose Garden at Spring and Taylor is a great inspiration to rose lovers.  A dedicated cadre of volunteers maintain the garden. Check out this aerial view video of the volunteers hard at work!  How's that for inspiration?  I've only got four roses to prune!

A recent article from NPR titled How To Save A Public Library: Make It A Seed Bank caught my eye.  At the Basalt Public Library in Western Colorado, customers can check out more than books and media.  They can also check out packets of seeds.  Here’s how it works:  customers choose from among many varieties of carefully labeled seeds, take them home and grow the fruits or vegetables, and then return to the library with seeds harvested from the biggest and best of the crops.  While it may seem unusual, a public library really is a perfect place for a program like this one.  Over time, the community works together to develop seeds that will flourish in the particular environment of its own neighborhoods.

A little research revealed that there are many other libraries in the country with similar seed libraries, several of them right here in California.  Some nearby ones are San Francisco Public Library, East Palo Alto Library, César E. Chávez Branch of the Oakland Public Library, and Saratoga Library.  

The San José Public Library offers many resources for gardeners of all ages and levels in the form of books, articles and valuable programs.  Check back frequently to see when a gardening program may be happening in our library.  In the meantime, plan your garden with some of our gardening books!

•  The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible by Edward C. Smith
•  Square Foot Gardening Answer Book by Mel Bartholomew
•  All New Square Foot Gardening : Grow More in Less Space! by Mel Bartholomew
•  The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook by Ron Kujawski & Jennifer Kujawski

It is the beginning of a new year.  Are you planning a new garden landscape?  Do you know there are many species of California native plants that you can grow to make a beautiful garden to enjoy? Native plants are plants that evolved in an area before modern humans or their animals wandered through.  

California is a distinctive state with a variety of over 4,800 species of beautiful native plants.  The King Library has invited Rebecca Schoenenberger, the principal at California Nativescapes, a design, installation, and maintenance landscaping company to give a presentation.  She will introduce several easy-to-grow native plants for your garden.  

This program is sponsored by the Friends of King Library. No reservation is required.  All ages are welcome.  Please come and enjoy this special informative event.

Date & Time:  Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Location: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library,Room 225

Address: 150 E. San Fernando St., San Jose

Contact:   Leslie Tanaka at 1-408-808-2173 for questions

Strega Nona's Harvest, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, is a deligtful story about vegetable gardening.  Big Anthony and Bambolona help Strega Nona plant a vegetable garden in her backyard.   Later, Big Anthony plants his own vegetable garden in his backyard.   While Strega Nona's garden is orderly, Big Anthony's garden is chaotic.   How will the harvest turn out?   Read and find out!   Tomie dePaola has written and illustrated other fun books featuring Strega Nona and Big Anthony.

Growing Vegetable Soup, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, is another fun story about vegetable gardening.    A father and child plant a garden in the spring.   A few months later, they prepare and cook vegetable soup with their bountiful harvest.   This book is also available in Spanish.

On Saturday, May 19th, 2012 from 2 PM until  4 PM the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County will be at Santa Teresa Branch Library to discuss the ways of improving your garden's soil.

Learn the importance of healthy soil for growing healthy plants. Master Gardener Laura Monczynski will teach a class on how to improve your garden soil. Topics include evaluating and testing your soil, composting, amending, and mulching. It all starts with the soil!