For me it's "Getting the Most from Your Garden, Using Advanced Intensive Gardening Techniques" It's by Dan Wallace, published by Rodale Press. It was written in 1980 and is long out of print but it can be found in used bookstores, Ebay, and such. This book is written so clearly and is a wonderful source of intensive gardening info.

The tool I seem to be picking up the most this year is my trowel. I bought a new trowel two years ago at Lowes. Oh my, I love it! I bought two of them. They are stainless steel and have a comfortable grip. I used to go through trowels pretty quick, they would all rust when I would forget to put it away, but this stainless steel looks as good as when I bought it and I leave it out in all the weather every day. Kitchen shears...I have taken to putting them in my back pocket..probably not a good idea. [g] I use them for deadheading and they work better than other scissors I have tried and are sturdy. They did a great job on cutting back grasses in the spring. We bought an edger last year, again at Sears, that is one of those half circles. We had a lot of beds that needed edging and it made quick work of it with little effort. Another favorite I wouldn't be without are the quick connect hose attachments. I wonder what we all did before those came on the market. I couldn't leave out our two wheeler. We used that a LOT this year. Usually it gets used to move pots into place, unload materials from the van, but this year we were also constructing a patio etc in the yard and edging a border with heavy rocks, and it probably got used every day we were in the garden for months. Hoses, nozzles and reels seem to be my annoyance as they are every year. I have had a hose from Sears for many years. I bet it's going on 10 years. It has never given me any trouble with leaking or splitting or kinking. It may be a rubber hose? I have two complaints with it though. One is that it is black and if I pull it along and it rubs against my pots, the black will come off on them. So I have placed a lot of hose guides to avoid doing that, but I still have to be very conscious of it. Second it seems very heavy to me when I am pulling it..lol. I suppose they all are. I would replace it if there was something better. I would love a nozzle that would stay on and not have to be held open. Patty, I don't have an Ocean State Job Lots near me, you don't happen to know the brand name of the one you bought do you? I am very interested in the reels that use water pressure to roll up the hose. Terry, and Triciae did you buy them locally at a big Box Store or did you find it in a garden tool catalog? We seem to be leaving our hose out a lot. We have a hand crank reel, but just not using it.

Jet Star for sure. it is a hybrid and you must buy f1 seeds and not plants which are usually not f1. plant breeders seem to save their own seeds and the plants do not perform well. Buy the seeds and enjoy the real difference.

Here are some sauces I sometimes make on the weekend and refrigerate, if I plan on stir-frying later that week. STIR FRY SAUCES Each recipe makes 2 servings but can be doubled. BASIC STIR FRY SAUCE 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. minced ginger 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1 Tbs. brown sugar 1/8 tsp. Tabasco 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 1/2 tsp. lemon or lime juice 1 1/2 tsp.cornstarch 1 Tbs. rice wine or sherry Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry 15-30 second over medium heat to bring out the flavor. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring just to a boil, stirring. Dissolve the cornstarch in the wine and whisk into the sauce. Heat until sauce thickens and reaches a full boil. Simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside. GARLIC SESAME STIR FRY SAUCE 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 Tbs. soy sauce 3 Tbs. chicken broth 1 Tbs. sugar 2 1/4 tsp. lemon juice 1/3 cup sesame oil 2 1/4 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tsp. water Combine the pepper, soy sauce, chicken broth, sugar and lemon juice. In a small saucepan heat the sesame oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute until soft but not browned. Add the soy sauce mixture and bring just to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let boil 20 seconds. Remove from the heat. SZECHUAN STIR FRY SAUCE 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 whole anise stars 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. hoisin sauce 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. 5 spice powder 2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs. water Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and garlic and saute 1 minute until softened but not browned. In a bowl combine the remaining except for the cornstarch mixture. Add them to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove star anise. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let boil 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more Tabasco if desired. Adapted from The Frog/Commissary Cook Book by Steve Poses, Anne Clark and Becky Roller