This is nice to see:

Still selling well – and the paperback isn’t even out yet.

Eliminate the Weight Watchers and cooking books and I’d be winning a bronze medal right now. I have no idea why those other books are in the “Gardening and Horticulture” section, but Amazon doesn’t pick the categories – the publishers do.

William Horvath of the excellent Permaculture Apprentice site gave me a nice plug in his newsletter today:

“My friend David the Good, the Survival Gardener just wrote a book Push the Zone. In the book, David reveals the methods for growing tropical edibles outside their “natural” range.

Now, even if you’re far much north or south to even think about tropical edibles, you’ll still find this book useful if you want to add a growing zone or two to your own backyard.”

Some nice reviews of Push the Zone have been rolling in on Amazon, too.

I liked this one by R. Williams:

“David the Good, I hate you. I’ve always put off starting a garden because what I really want to grow “won’t grow” in my range – now you’ve gone and destroyed that excuse. Furthermore, don’t you know that gardening books aren’t supposed to be fun to read? Come on, man – get it together.

“Push the Zone” is the 3rd book of a series but can be read as a stand alone. I won’t give any spoilers, but Mr. the Good describes many methods that he has researched or attempted to grow plants outside of their recommended range. Since he approaches gardening as an experimenter, he also gives examples of what didn’t work so well for him, and along the way he discusses ideas that he thinks might work but hasn’t personally attempted yet. He gives suggestions on how to improve conditions within a greenhouse for zone pushing, as well as discussing the conditions to look for when deciding where in your property to prepare and plant warmer-zone plants for the best chance of success. The final chapter provides a discussion of how to care for a lengthy list of particular plants.

If a gardening book can be said to be hard to put down, well this one makes that list. Even if you never had the urge to pick up a shovel, you will probably still enjoy reading it. If for no other reason, David is an encourager, exhorting us to go out and try something even when we’ve been told that it’s impossible. Maybe it is, but maybe it’s just improbable instead.

After some reflection, David, I take it back. I don’t “hate” you, I just don’t like that you’ve left me with this guilt complex for not doing what God put Adam on earth originally to do. And how could I dislike a brother-in-arms in the fight to keep our pies free of meringue. You, sir, are a pie patriot, and for that I salute you.”

Thank you.

If you don’t have your own copy of Push the Zone yet, you can get one here.