Thanks Citrus Guy, I will purchase the book, unfortunately we are going to have a possible postal strike starting on Monday, but it is in my cart ready to buy when it is over. I have been searching for a good book, I live in a very cold zone so any citrus must be in containers. The info on container culture here is excellent, but sometimes it is hard to filter thru when dealing with each person's preferences and growing zones. It is hard to decide what to do. Besides, I am a "book" person. I read these types of books a lot and even read them for enjoyment. I have threatened my book club that the when I get to choose the book it will be "The Grafter's Handbook" a truly awesome read. LOL :)

One book that I have been enjoying is called Gardening and Landscaping in Central Florida by Marlys Bell. It does not tackle the Tropical look specifically, but illustrates all the issues that living in zone 9a/b has to take into consideration. Throughout the book it gives suggestions for what types of plants to put in for what kind of situation and goal. "If you want green and lush through out the year, try these..." type of suggestions. It also doesn't cover some of the more exotic types of plants that might be used, but more covers the ones that you "plant and forget" as the book tries to follow the Florida Friendly concepts of "Right Plant, Right Place", "Water Efficiently", "Mulching", "Appropriate Fertilization", "Responsible Pest Management", "Recycling", "Reducing Storm Runoff" and "Protecting the Waterways". I don't think this book by itself will help you to achieve that Tropical Look, but it can definitely help you to make sure landscape works instead of having to be replaced a few years down the road. Another book to look into is free over the internet and has lots of good information about Landscaping in Florida. The Florida-Friendly Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design (for some reason the Update Message button keeps adding a space at the end of this link and breaking it. If/when you follow this link, check the address bar and remove the spaces from between the d and f in pdf) was put out by the University of Florida and is chocked full of good information. And at the end of this pdf is a rather large illustrated list of plants to consider for use. But you have to read over this list with care as it covers all plants for all of Florida, so a beautiful, tropical looking palm might turn out to be Zone 11 recommended. I like this book so much that I downloaded it to my computer so that I always have it on hand instead of having to find an internet connection and to check online. If the above link takes you directly to the PDF file instead of giving you the option to download it, you can right-click the link and choose "Save Target Link as..." to save it to your computer. Those are the only two books that I have to suggest, as they are pretty much the only books I have so far (well, I also have Florida's Best Native Landscape Plants but this will definitely NOT help you to achieve the Tropical look... well... it could... but not to the extent that I think you're looking for.). But these two are so full of information to take into consideration that I wish I had found them when I first started working with my yard. Edit: And now that the caffeine has penetrated my system a little more and my eyes are a tad bit more open... I realize you never really said you wanted the Tropical Look... just you wanted a book about Tropical Gardening... Oops. This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Sun, Apr 14, 13 at 7:52

Hi Marcia from PA! The link below is to a book that is awesome...at least for me. I 'temporarily' lost my copy last week. I looked high & low...in closets, under beds, the garages...everywhere!...over and over again...but couldn't find it. So...I went to HD and bought a a second copy. I was bummed because I had so many hand-written notes in the old copy. Anyway...got home with the new book...walked into our master bedroom to get a different book out of one of the night stands...and lo! and behold...there was my original copy! LOL I can be such a wing-nut. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Living Garden Book

Unfortunately, cook books aimed at kids tend to reinforce the stereotype of kids as fussy eaters. I hate to see kids encouraged to focus on sweets and melted cheese dishes. If a kid shows interest in cooking and food, they should be encouraged to explore "real" food and learn the essentials of real cooking. They should learn to saute, braise, roast, etc. They should learn how to make and use a roux, which is probably the most versatile technique of all, turns lackluster dishes into elegant ones and is not difficult to learn. Recently I spent time with my grandchildren. My 15 year old grand son assisted me skillfully in making authentic enchiladas, quickly picking up the knack of handling the tender corn tortillas in hot oil. I taught my 17 year old grand daughter to poach eggs, a task avoided by many adult cooks. She wasn't daunted. Kids are more adventuresome and confident if you, in turn, put some confidence in them. Therefore, I would recommend a book which stresses basics, not novelties. One which gives them a foundation for cooking the rest of their lives. S'mores and English muffin pizzas don't qualify. The James Beard Cookbook is the one I luckily picked up early in my cooking career. I've made sure all my kids have it in their kitchens. Following the clear instructions, all the standard preparations can be made. From there, the sky's the limit. Forgive me if I've been preachy, but this is a topic dear to my heart. Jim Here is a link that might be useful: The James Beard Cookbook