Book release party and giveaway: The 20-30 Something Garden Guide

February 16, 2014


It’s the season for garden book releases, and today I’m helping to celebrate my friend Dee Nash’s brand-new book, The 20-30 Something Garden Guide: A No Fuss, Down and Dirty Gardening 101 for Anyone Who Wants to Grow Stuff. I met Dee, an Oklahoma garden writer and blogger at Red Dirt Ramblings, six years ago at the first Garden Bloggers Fling. She’s an experienced gardener of both edibles and ornamentals in her own country garden.


Dee wrote this book for newbies, particularly those who want to grow edibles sustainably and organically. Her friendly, conversational voice offers plenty of can-do encouragement, and she’s quick to remind the reader that no one is born with a green thumb — or a black one, for that matter. Gardening, like anything else, is a skill that is honed with practice, mistakes, and failures.


But as she shows throughout the book, the rewards of success are sweet — and can be tasty too! If you’re ready to start growing your own food, or if you’re already doing that and want to add ornamental plants to your garden to make it more attractive to wildlife, and to yourself, Dee’s book will show you how.

GIVEAWAYS

Bee Preserver

And now, since this is a book-release party, on to the giveaways! Dee has rounded up some cool gardening prizes for each participating blogger to give away.

Here at Digging, I’m giving away a trio of small Bee Preservers from Glass Gardens NW. These colorful, textured glass floats for your pond or container water feature are designed to save thirsty bees — your garden’s valuable pollinators — from drowning. The textured surface gives bees a safe place to land and something to hold onto while they drink.

Bee Preservers

If you don’t have a water feature of your own, go ahead and enter anyway, and if you win you’ll have a nice gift to give to a water-gardening friend. Be bee-friendly!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Sunday, February 23. Check back here on Monday, February 24, to see if you won!

The fine print: One comment per person. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open only to residents of the continental U.S.

Update 2/24/14: Congratulations to Sara B., whose comment #41 was chosen at random! Thank you to everyone who entered.

Visit the other bloggers in Dee’s book-release party to enter their giveaways too:

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was sent to me for free. Garden photographs courtesy of Dee Nash. Bee Preserver images courtesy of Robin Haglund.

All material © 2006-2014 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

78 responses to “Book release party and giveaway: The 20-30 Something Garden Guide”

  1. Jenn says:

    Wow! THose bee preservers are a fantastic idea!

    I definitely need to order that book – we just moved into a new place with the biggest yard we’ve ever had…and it has NO gardens at all. Just lots and lots of empty space – ahhh!! 🙂

  2. Christina Kamp says:

    Can’t wait to get my hands on Dee’s book. So excited about all the bloggers joining in!

  3. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    I am so proud and happy for Dee. You are a great friend to help with the launch. I have never heard of bee protectors. These are beautiful spheres.

  4. Jeanette says:

    Great give away. Can’t wait to read the book. Please count me in.

  5. Jean says:

    Ooh, I need some of those! Next wedding of my friends’ kids gets Dee’s book.

  6. Becky says:

    It’s that time of year when seed catalogs and gardening books are our bright spots. 🙂 Love the bee preservers, too. So cute and a very clever marriage of form and function.

  7. Azucena Gee says:

    Bee preservers? Oh, this would complete my bee haven!

  8. TexasDeb says:

    I’d never heard of bee preservers before – what an ingenious solution to an ongoing dilemma! Count me in.

  9. Corrine says:

    Bee preservers sound awesome. I love water in the garden to attract birds, but didn’t realize I could also drown bees.

  10. Gwen says:

    What a great giveaway!

  11. Shirley says:

    Those bee preservers are such a pretty solution.

    I’ve met quite a few new veggie gardeners over the last few years and Dee’s book is a great way to get started.

  12. Pamela Graham says:

    Yay!!

  13. Renee says:

    Much like some others, I’d never even heard of bee preservers, but whow coo! I will have to check this book out… I can always use more tips!

  14. patty soriano says:

    Pam, I would absolutely love these bee preservers…I get so upset during the summer when I see dead bees in my pet’s water dish outside. Seldom am I in time to save them from drowning, but I do manage to find a few in time to dig them out of the water. Thank you for hosting this giveaway!

  15. Gaynell says:

    My bees would enjoy the bling in their water source. Thanks for a great blog.

  16. Margo Kuykendall says:

    Wow both the book and the bee preserver look great. I can’t wait to get the book. The bee preservers are a brillant idea and very pretty. Would look great in my stock tank pond.

  17. Joanne says:

    Bee preservers are great. Good excuse to add a large water feature to our garden so I can use one.

  18. Jan Johnsen says:

    Great way to launch a book!

  19. Kris P says:

    I can’t be considered a “30-something” anymore, although I’m sure I could still use the tips – and the bee protectors. That’s a great – and colorful – idea.

  20. Heather says:

    I would love this book, as my attempts at edibles have been . . . ummmm . . . less than edible. 😉 The bee preservers are beautiful–we love our bees here in Central California!

  21. Jill-O says:

    Wow, another one of the garden bloggers “gang” to come out with a book. It sounds like a good one. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

  22. Kathi B says:

    This book would be such a wonderful addition on my bookshelf! Thank you for a great giveaway.

  23. AmyO says:

    What a fantastic idea! A ‘blog party’ is a great way to get gardeners together and discover all the wonderful bloggers out there in the world of horticultural geekiness!

  24. Susan Staudt says:

    Bee preservers! Who knew! Great giveaway!

  25. Pat D says:

    Love the bee preserver! (and your blog!)

  26. jim says:

    Neat. Never thought about how bees drank.

  27. Katharine Davis says:

    I have never seen a product like this before, how beautiful and wonderful. kdkdcats at yahoo dot com

  28. Carol Yemola says:

    I never knew what bee preservers were! In fact, I have never heard of them. They would be a great addition to my water garden feature!

  29. Margie says:

    Great introduction to a new product for me.

  30. Would love to own these bee savers. They are beautiful and I know just the friend that would love one for her own water feature. I will be adding your blog to my own blog Southern Gardens at http://pdgardener.com/

  31. Deborah Williams says:

    OMG!!! Love these!! Love BEES!! My name even means “Bee” in Hebrew! Dee’s book looks like a real winner! Thanks for letting the world know about it.

  32. I’ve never seen these before. They are beautiful and beneficial. Love ’em!

  33. Tim Burress says:

    Bee keeper, new to me, but am getting my first hive when warm weather gets here

  34. Cathi says:

    What a great idea for the bees!

  35. Cheris says:

    I’m not a beginning gardener, technically, but I still feel that way. 😉

  36. Jenny says:

    SOunds like a great book for the beginning gardener. Please count me in for the bee preservers. Perfect now that I have a water garden.

  37. Stephanie says:

    Sounds like a good book for my collection!

  38. Jennifer Essad says:

    I appreciate all of you working together helping w/gardens and growing-thanks so very much for offering us a wonderful gift to win-I look for bees here in central Florida and watch in wonder as the pollinate our gardens. I’ve not seen or heard of the “Bee Preservers” before reading your article.

  39. Merrilyn Rutledge says:

    Love this idea because it gives you a chance to find about lots of new garden blogs.

  40. peter schaar says:

    My garden is alive with native bees, no honeybees, but I never find any in the birdbath. Would these only be needed for honeybees? Even so, they would be cool floating in my birdbath, so here is my entry.

  41. Sara B. says:

    What a brilliant idea.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Congratulations, Sara — you’ve won! Please look for my email to you. I’ll need you to email me your mailing address in order to claim your prize. Thanks! Pam

  42. Renee G says:

    I absolutely love these balls. What a fantastic idea!

  43. rebecca says:

    I could put one of these to great use! What a generous way to celebrate Dee’s new book!

  44. I love these bee preservers. What a great idea! Thanks for joining with Dee in celebrating her new book!

  45. Megan says:

    This book is a fantastic idea!

  46. What a great idea! And I can’t wait to see Dee’s book.

  47. Cindy says:

    Very cool! Hope this makes for lots of happy bees.

  48. Great idea to save the bees. I do have two water gardens – would love to add this to one of them.
    ChrisG

  49. Lela says:

    What a great addition to our small water garden! Thanks for the opportunity!

  50. Frankie says:

    What a great idea — would love to have one of these and help the bees.

  51. Carrie says:

    Love this giveaway! I try to do everything i can to encourage pollinators. These would go great near our bee house.

  52. Brenda says:

    Bee preservers – what a great idea! Dee’s book sounds like a good starting point for new gardeners!

  53. Cheri says:

    I’ve never seen a bee preserver before – they’re so pretty too!

  54. Nancy Stone says:

    The bee balls are outstanding,both in beauty and a sustainable element. A colorful reason to
    add to my birdbath.

  55. Gail says:

    Wowzer! I am #55! The bee preservers are incredibly cool as is this book by Dee. I have ordered one for my newly married son. I think it will be a great first gardening book.

  56. Emily says:

    I absolutely adore your stock tank water garden, I want one! I wish I had space for a cinderblock succulent wall too, need more land!

  57. Cathy says:

    This sounds wonderful! I love the bee preserver idea.

  58. Martie Brown says:

    My bees want to win these. Thanks

  59. Laura says:

    Love spring in the garden, and the book store!

  60. Jennie Brooks says:

    OH! I’ve always wanted one of these but felt like it was an extravagance I couldn’t talk myself into. And you’re giving away three! How wonderful.

  61. cheryl sigler says:

    thank you and i do have 2 water fountains as well as a summer bird bath i add rocks too for the same reason and also i have a heated water bathe i use in the winter i also add rocks too –this GIFT would be a great idea to use in my baths all year around — as well as im wanting to save to try make a water chain for water coming from the roof to a little mud area for MASON BEES and also want mason bee HOUSES (IF I CAN FIND WHERE TO GET THEM) i have recently as last year heard about MASON BEE HOUSES our native bee and wanted to try and start this becauce i know our bees are in danger — we have a garden for many years and also flowers and also climbing plants as well as potted plants to attract bees-hummingbirds-and butterflies –we NEVER use pesticides and so trying everything to keep pollinators around to keep my gardens surviving as well as gods little creatures THANK YOU — im not sure if this helps but i also have 2 names both are me lol my google name is CHAWA and my facebook name is cheryl frances sigler –if i find your fb link i will also add you there THANKS

  62. Hi, Pam–Lovely to see you are supporting Dee and her new book! Your blog looks really pretty. xox K.

  63. Greggo says:

    Really would like to have the book and the bee ball.

  64. Melody Lee says:

    What a neat idea – I haven’t seen these before but would love to have some for my pond.

  65. Indie says:

    Oh, how cute! What a great book party!

  66. Looks like a great book. Good for you!

  67. Julie says:

    Oh! Thank you for this giveaway! I’ve already ordered the book from Amazon, and those bee preservers would be oh-so handy. As someone who plants a garden to appeal specifically to my local pollinators, I find myself running outside all the time to make sure that bees haven’t gotten all waterlogged and trapped in any water features. I’m always heart-broken when I’m too late to save one of them.

  68. kara says:

    we need bee preservers too!

  69. Katina says:

    I’m glad someone is looking out for the bees. 🙂

  70. Denise says:

    So excited for my sweet friend Dee and her new book! We have a lot of native bees, but no honeybees. I do have a very pretty fountain and some bee preservers would be oh-so-pretty!

  71. Mia Graves says:

    I can’t wait until my copy of Dee’s book arrives! I am planning on growing plants that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and of course bees! theses bee preservers will really come in handy!
    thank you for the chance to win!

  72. jess says:

    I would love to win this!

  73. JessicaMcCarthy says:

    I am so excited to find your site and page! I am cleaning up my beds in Cedar Park today and was looking at my vines that froze back this winter. When I googled “Yellow Butterfly Vine frozen,” your site popped up. I opened it and saw that we share a zone. Thank you!

  74. KaTinka Bolding says:

    What a great idea for a book launch! And what a unique item to give away. Thanks for letting me join in the fun.

  75. Cheryl says:

    Oh these are so pretty AND practical!

  76. Barb Roberts says:

    I so need to get this book for my son and his girlfriend. They are starting their first garden.

  77. I have been dying to get my hands on her new book once I saw it on Amazon the other day! It’s great you are helping her promote it!