Trees and shrubs : a gardener's encyclopedia by senior consultants Geoff Bryant and Tony Rodd — A companion to Annuals and Perennials, this book provides the same kind of detailed information, but this time about trees and shrubs that a gardener might use in the garden and landscape. There are a wide variety of plants listed, including twenty species of Maples alone.

The 2011 season debut of Canton's Farmers Market is Sunday, May 15, 10:00AM to 2:00PM (rain or shine) at Preservation Park, 500 N Ridge Rd (just 1/3 mile north of Cherry Hill Rd.). The open-air market runs every Sunday until Oct. 16 (except July 3) and features a variety of local Michigan-grown and made foods and crafts. You'll find seasonal produce, farm eggs, natural meats, sauces, pastas, artisan breads and cheeses, honey, plants, fresh-cut flowers, and crafts.

Join us this Wednesday at 7:00PM in the Purple Room. Marjorie will be giving us a demonstration of Freezer Paper Applique. She will show us some tricks she has learn to get sharp points and smooth curves. I have heard from several people that this is one demonstration no quilter should miss.

The complete guide to quilting techniques : essential techniques and step-by-step projects for making beautiful quilts by Pauline Brown — If you are looking for a book to explain this technique, try this one.

Annuals and perennials : a gardener's encyclopedia by senior consultants, Geoff Bryan and Tony Rodd — As a gardening enthusiast, I'm always looking for new plants I haven't yet grown and for ways to add color and texture to my gardens. This book provides terrific inspiration in addition to useful information. There's a chart that provides easy access to all the details about each plant, as well as detailed descriptions for all and color photographs for many of the listings in the encyclopedia.

Warm weather is finally headed our way. Time for the dreaded spring clean! While you're at it, why not re-organize your stuff? These books will help you find a place for everything, and keep everything in its place.

Best organizing solutions: cut clutter, store more, and gain closet space

Unstuff your life!: Kick the clutter habit and completely organize your life for good by Andrew J. Mellen

The artful garden : creative inspiration for landscape design by James van Sweden and Thomas Christopher — It's easy to think of being inspired by viewing paintings and art, but how often do we think about great works of art when we plan our garden or landscape? This book recommends doing just that. Why not check out one of our Museum Adventure Passes and see what strikes you?

The 100 thing challenge : how I got rid of almost everything, remade my life, and regained my soul by Dave Bruno — Do you ever feel like you have too much clutter in your life? Like maybe the stuff that surrounds you is threatening to take over? Dave Bruno had that feeling, and he decided to winnow his belongings down to only 100 items. This book talks about how he did it and the impact it had on his life, which was far greater than just having fewer possessions. His blog's motto is "Reduce - Refuse - Rejigger" and offers continued insights like those contained in this book.

Continuous container gardens by Sara Begg Townsend and Roanne Robbins — Focusing on container gardening using transitions to sustain visual impact all year long, this book really has just about everything you could want to know about growing in containers. The authors focus on types of plants that create different effects, and how to combine them for the result you want, but also include how-tos and tips that are generally useful for container gardening.

Urban pantry : tips and recipes for a thrifty, sustainable & seasonal kitchen by Amy Pennington ; photography by Della Chen — This cookbook takes a different tack than many, starting from a perspective of working with what you probably usually have in your pantry and/or from your garden. It focuses on types of ingredients and encourages use of what you have to come up with thrifty yet delicious results. For even more, check out the author's blog.

We're celebrating Earth Day all week (April 18-22) and want you to join us! There will be events for adults, teens, tweens and children, including:

• Everything Green — Monday, April 18, 11:00-11:45AM (children, 1st through 3rd grade)
• Vegetarian Eating — Monday, April 18, 7:00-8:30PM (adult)
• Scrapbox Fun! — Tuesday, April 19, 1:00-3:00PM (all ages)
• Green Gardening — Tuesday, April 19, 7:00-8:30PM (adult)
• Recycled Crafts — Wednesday, April 20, 2:00-3:00PM (all ages)
• Bob the Bee Guy — Wednesday, April 20, 7:00-8:30PM (adult)
• Craig Perdue, Naturalist — Thursday, April 21, 3:00-4:30PM (all ages)

Microgreens: how to grow nature's own superfood by Fionna Hill — Most of us are trying to find new ways to eat better, but what the heck are microgreens? They're larger than sprouts but smaller than baby salad greens, making them perfect to add to a variety of dishes. From stuffed mushrooms to vinaigrette dressing to frittata, the possibilities are myriad. They're easy to grow, even for kids, and how cool would it be to have a houseplant that you can eat?

Spring is a great time to clean out your file drawers for old documents and paperwork. However, many people worry about the safety of throwing away sensitive records and most home shredders are not powerful enough to handle large amounts of paper at one time.

If you are considering shredding for those piles of paper, Office Max offers a secure shred service for $.59 per pound. Those documents that are shredded are then recycled, making it an environmentally good choice as well.

Looking to get out of the rat race? Striving for less? Check out these books for great minimalist tips:

Philosophy of Simplicity

Enough already!: clearing mental clutter to become the best you by Peter Walsh

Simplexity: why simple things become complex (and how complex things can be made simple) by Jeffrey Kluger

Tonight at 7:00PM in the Purple Room

Join us for a Demonstration of Strip Quilting featuring Grace.

Meeting Wednesday, April 6 at 7:00PM in the Purple Room.

We will be featuring Strip Quilting this month. Grace will demonstrate this quick and easy method of putting together quilt tops.

This is a good way for someone to start quilting. There are also more difficult patterns for the more accomplished quilters. Check out The Art of Classic Quiltmaking by Harriet Hargrave and Sharyn Craig; Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts by Pam Lintott; and Strip Quilting by Diane Wold.

Crafting a meaningful home: 27 DIY projects to tell stories, hold memories, and celebrate family heritage by Meg Mateo Ilasco; photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy — We all want our homes to be reflections of who we are, but sometimes it's hard to know what will make that happen. This book has a variety of projects that you can make personal by incorporating your own fond memories or keepsakes. For a quick peek, check out this book trailer.

Homegrown harvest: a season-by-season guide to a sustainable kitchen garden by Rita Pelczar, editor in chief — The idea of having a kitchen garden sounds so romantic, but is it really doable? It is! This book will take you through the entire year, from planning to harvest and on. It also contains a wealth of information about particular vegetables, fruits, and herbs that you might grow in your garden. The glorious full-color photographs make this book a treat just to look through, but you'll definitely want to start a garden once you do.

Practical bamboos: the 50 best plants for screens, containers and more by Paul Whittaker — Bamboo seems like such an exotic plant to grow here in suburbia, but there are actually some varieties that would be quite happy here. And not all bamboos are invasive, either! This book covers just about everything you could hope to know about bamboos.

The revolutionary yardscape: ideas for repurposing local materials to create containers, pathways, lighting, and more by Matthew Levesque — When I see a garden or yard with cool planters, trellises, or other accoutrements, I always think about how pricey it would be to do the same in my garden. But with this book, you can make your own goodies from previously used materials — save some cash and go green at the same time. This book has lots of tips for making old items seem new. Isn't it time to add some useful art to your landscape?

Sugar snaps & strawberries: simple solutions for creating your own small-space edible garden by Andrea Bellamy; with photographs by Jackie Connelly — Have you started planning your garden yet? Even if you have, you'll want to check out this book to see some fabulous ideas and pick up some tips. Whether you're designing your garden space or picking out what to grow, this book is full of info and is illustrated with gorgeous photographs (given how grey it can be in Michigan this time of year, just looking at the photos is reason enough to pick up this book!). If you like this, you can also check out the author's blog, Heavy Petal.