Penny Carnathan

Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.

Kim Franke-Folstad

Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.

Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.

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1st Dirty Books Contest has 33 winners! (But we’re all winners when we can post comments, right?)

Posted Mar 1, 2010 by Loren Omoto

Updated Mar 2, 2010 at 08:09 AM

Some of us may have a hard time admitting it, but we’re suckers for a good dirtry book.

Titles like “Teaming With Microbes” and “Tall Perennials” make our hearts race. Throw in something like “Sustainable Gardening for Florida” and there’s a good chance thinking too much about it might crack one of the 10 Commandments.

It’s all part of nature, friends. No reason to feel guilty.

On Feb. 28, in the print version of The Dirt in The Tampa Tribune, I wrote about some of the great new gardening books I’ve gotten from publishers in recent months. The pile of good ones had grown so big, Kim was complaining they were putting her sun-loving desk plants in deep shade. Time to move them.

I wrote about four very different ones that I liked, and invited print readers to win one from the pile by coming here and actually posting a comment. (A blatant attempt to find more friends for our sandbox.) We ran photos of the books so they could see the titles and request specific ones.

And the tally is: 39 people actually made it through registering and posted a comment. I was really proud of those who said they had never gone to such lengths on a computer. I thought of my mom, a devoted print reader, who’s a little intimidated by the Internet. Congratulations to all of you, and thank you for that huge effort.

I also had about a dozen who emailed or made their requests through the “Post a question” feature here. If I had enough books, I’d send you one just for the attempt. But alas, I don’t have enough even for all who actually did the Dirty Deed.

The Post-its you see on the books are the names of the person getting them. I’ve already put eight in the mail. Early commenters whose choice was already taken are getting a substitute that I hope suits, based on what you were looking for and the spirit of your comment. The most popular requests were 1) “Sustainable Gardening for Florida,” and 2) “One Magic Square.”

Lisa Meinke was the first to comment (7:29 a.m. Sunday) and got “Sustainable Gardening.” Meg/Marge commented at 8:16 a.m. and got “One Magic Square.” (Your books are in the mail and I hope you’ll come back to The Dirt!)

Here are the rest of the winners. If you have an asterisk by your name, I already have your address and have put your book in the mail. If you don’t, you need to email your address to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Please include your screen name if it’s different from your name name.

*CJ—“Gardener’s Color Palette”

*Eleanor—“Vegetable Gardener’s Bible”

Noel—“Grow Your Own Vegetables”

Rosemary—“Florida Gardening on the Go”

Susan Cook—“Small Plot, High Yield”

Connie—“New, Low-Maintenance Gardens”

Tara—“What’s Wrong with my Plant?”

Karen Fletcher—“Back Yard Homestead”

Dori Kane—“Grow Your Own Vegetables”

Caroline—“Teaming with Microbes”

Marcia Hunter—“Guide to Best Hardy Shrubs”

Gia—“Florida Landscape Plants”

Susan Bisulca—“Explorer’s Garden Shrubs”

*Kiran—“Tall Perennials”

Chmtchr—“Grow Your Own Drugs”

Susan McAveety—“Grow Great Grub”

*Pinky—“Garden Bouquets and Beyond”

*BJean—“Seeds From My Garden”

Patti Cash—“The Dirt Cheap Green Thumb”

Sharon—“The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible”

Peej—“Complete Chile Pepper Guide”

Norma—“Garden Lover’s Puzzle & Quiz Book”

Evelyn Hicks—“Complete Herb Book”

Ursula Schultz—“Succulent Container Gardens”

Anneleliese Meier—“Flowering Shrubs & Small Trees for the South”

Jack—“Landscaping with Fruit”

cjajacobs—“Bloom-Again Orchids”

Marthak99—“Pruning Book”

heartplants—“Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars”

Steve Byram—“The Truth About Garden Remedies”

Valerie Call—“Essential Garden Design Workbook”

Inger—“Perennial Companions”

OK folks, if you want your book, remember to send me your address. Thank you SO much for playing, and especially for all of your very, very sweet comments. I’m so glad you like The Dirt, but what makes it fun is not us, it’s you!

We’re already getting more books, and the next contest will be posted only here—not in print. (Oh yeah, we Dirty girls play very dirty!)