http://locallygrownnews.com/stories/Book-Review-Citrus-,28681

4/10/12
By Monica Moran Brandies

Book Review
Citrus: How to Grow and Use Citrus Fruits, Flowers, and Foliage

By Dana Villamagna


Citrus,
by Monica Moran Brandies

In this tiny, 71-page book, longtime Florida gardener and writer Monica Moran Brandies provides plentiful advice on growing citrus trees and ways to use citrus fruits and she offers fascinating knowledge about citrus, too (did you know all citrus is classified as herbs?).

From a primer on making juice or potpourri, to drying oranges or making key lime pie, this book will help anyone who has a citrus tree in their backyard -- or who just really loves buying and eating citrus from a local stand -- put every last piece of fruit to good use.

One of the most interesting sections of this book was about how to use citrus in your garden for pest control and as an herbicide. "The fumes or even full contact will not hurt people or animals, though cats don't like it," she writes. (I've also seen people leave orange peels on their lawn as a deterrent to dogs using their yard as a potty break spot!).

Citrus is truly an amazing fruit group (oops, I mean herb!). We are fortunate here in Florida to be in one of the best places in the world to grow and enjoy it in all its varieties. This book will help you enjoy it even more.

For more information on Monica Moran Brandies' work, visit her website www.gardensflorida.com.