There was a wonderful surprise in my email inbox last night: a message from amazing Chicago artist Anne Leuck Feldhaus. No one on the planet paints a dog quite the way Anne does. Her vividly colored canines leap and fly across the canvas, a kaleidoscope of paws and ears and wagging tails. I dare you to look at her artwork without smiling.
Not long ago, Anne asked for feedback on her web site. She entered all the commenters in a give-away drawing for a signed black poodle print, and to my delight (it’s a beautiful print) and complete amazement (I never win ANYTHING) my comment won. Thank you, Anne!
Now I’m inspired to have my own give-away. Here’s the deal:
1. Leave a comment at the end of this post. (If you have a favorite garden-related book to recommend, I’d love to know about it.)
2. One week from today, on Nov. 21, I’ll use random.org to select the winner.
3. The give-away goodies include The 20-Minute Gardener by Tom Christopher and Marty Asher; a Garden Days Journal by Karen Strohbeen and Bill Luchsinger; and a handbound blank book I made. (It has cream-colored writing paper inside, and is covered in fabric purchased several years ago in San Francisco’s Chinatown. I have written and drawn some inspirations on one page of the blank book … and to round out the whole package, I’m also including a raku kitty cat ornament from the clay studio.)
You can never have too many books. Good luck!
valwebb.com 
I really enjoyed the gardening book Carrots Love Tomatoes for trying to figure out how to make the most out of my space in the garden next year.
I’m new to gardening. I recently found a book at the library that I had to end up buying. The Complete Gardener by Monty Don. It’s an old book, but I love the DK books and it’s full of great photos and how-to’s.
I just happened to stumble onto your blog. I agree, You can’t have too many books. I happen to work at a library but it doesn’t stop me from buying them. I recently posted a review of some of my favorite childrens’ books. My current favorite inspirational gardening book is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney.
I tried my first attempt at balcony gardening this past year with only minimal success. I’d love to have a guide!
i am going out on a limb and recommending a book that i have never actually seen in person, but the idea of it and the few pictures i can see on the web, really make me want to get it.
“Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn”
i just love the idea of the whole project. taking the front yard and making it into a productive and edible garden. it makes me look out my window, into the front yard, and dream of all the possibilities. more inspiration than how to. i have 0.26 acres. most of it is front and side yards. that’s a lot of garden for just me and ray. think back to the time when it was common for a lot of people to have at least a few fruit trees in their back yard. what i wouldn’t give for a fig tree and some blueberry bushes.
Hello~
I love your art! So many different mediums and all beautiful.
One gardening book I found very interesting was “The Findhorn Garden.”
Very interesting book about gardening, intention, nature spirits and more.
This is a cool give away… Great idea…maybe I’ll try it too.
Thank you~
Karrita
Its not a gardening book perse, tho it contains loads of gardening information:
The Encyclopedia of Country Living
🙂
I love your blog! I’m a hit or miss gardener. I get distracted too easily so I don’t do that well at it. My favorite gardening book is a little book I picked up on a sale table many years ago – “A Year of Flowers” by Peter Loewer. It made me think about garden plants that provide winter interest.
I really love Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway. I’ve read it at least 4 times and always gravitate back towards it as we complete projects. It is my inspiration, my muse!
What a great blog and the drawings are fabulous. Living on an ‘almost’ organic farm, I so identify with a lot of what you write about. Books…..oh boy….now there’s a subject near and dear to me and my bookshelves 🙂
My current favourite is Wildflowers of Newfoundland & Labrador by Peter Scott http://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Newfoundland-Labrador-Dorothy-illustrator/dp/0973850140
Of course I live here on this isolated piece of rock in the Atlantic, so making things grow is challenging at the best of times due to poor soil and short seasons, but I keep trying!
The gardening book I’m currently reading is: Down To Earth with Helen Dillon. I’m only on Chapter 2 so I can’t recommend it highly but so far so good!
I just found your blog and started with today’s writing, but I’ll read the rest of the entries. Your pictures are fantastic. Love the Halloween one!!! The book give away is a great idea.
And your right…you can never have too many books!!!!!
THE question: being a Brazilian resident, can I try to win this? Please let me know!!
Kisses from Nydia.
Sorry, somehow my first sentence didn’t show up, only the question – that sounded rude! Your giveaways are just sweet! I’ll understand if you limit it to the U.S., though!
Yes — international commenters are most welcome. Thanks for asking! (And thanks to everyone so far, for such a tantalizing reading list.)
If you can find them, PLANTS AND GARDENS PORTRAYED by LuEsther Mertz & Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady are 2 of my favorites.
I am completely IN LOVE with art journaling. When it comes to gardening, I am lost. I would love to grow veggies but I have no idea where to begin. The Square Foot Garden books seem to make logical sense to me, though I haven’t put any of it into practice.
Thanks for your tutorial on how to draw petunias! I have the drive to draw, but I lack the knowledge of what steps come in between blank page and finished product.
Gardening for Love by Elizabeth Lawrence really fueled my passion for heirloom gardening. I’m pretty excited to enter a drawing on your site. yay!!
I just stumbled upon your blog to find that we must be thinking alike. I would love to enter your contest for a free book. Will you enter mine? http://studiog.greayer.com? maybe in the end we will end up swapping.
now to go check out the rest of your site…
Not only can you never have too many books, but “books do furnish a room.” That was the name of a bookstore I used to frequent in Raleigh. It says it all.
If you haven’t read “Yard Full of Sun” about making a colorful, funky, “green” garden in Arizona, you should. It’s very good, funny too, with lots of eye candy.
Thanks for that adorable photo of Atticus, Val! I might post it.
Also thanks for the link on this post and your very kind words about my art. I am a frustrated gardener, afraid of worms! My husband has recently gotten into it so I was lucky to reap the benefits of fresh vegetables over the summer. If only I could get him interested in growing flowers!
I would love to win this one – count me in please 🙂
That’s what I get for not visiting in a while ~ I missed the fabulous giveaway. 😦 So nice of you to do. Your garden angels and holiday print are beautiful Val. I love all that I’ve seen you do, your illustrations make your blog so unique and truly feed the artistic soul. Happy holidays to you and your family.