Monday, February 18, 2013

Kiss My Aster — Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Landscaping Has Never Been This Fun!

Spring is just around the corner, and now is the time to start thinking about sprucing up your yard! What do you want it to look like? How will you make it your own? How do you get started? These are all questions the Amanda Thomsen helps you with in her new book Kiss My Aster.


Our gardening blogger friends below are excited to share their own reviews of Kiss My Aster on their blogs all week long. Check out their reviews at the links here, and then enter in the comments section below from 2/18-2/24 for a chance to win your own copy of Kiss My Aster. One winner from the US will be chosen at random and announced here on Inside Storey on 2/25, so check back to see if you’ve won!

Participating Blogs:
Austin Garden Design - J Peterson Garden Design
Cowlick Cottage Farm
Gardener to Farmer
Gossip in the Garden
North Coast Gardening
Punk Rock Gardens
Red Dirt Ramblings
Year Round Veggie Gardener
Kiss My Aster
The Dandelion Wrangler

Meet Amanda at these upcoming appearances!
Feb. 22nd and 23rd, Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Seattle, WA
March 10th, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA
March 13, Chicago Flower & Garden Show, Chicago, IL
March 16, Boston Flower & Garden Show, Boston, MA

About Kiss My Aster:

For novices in the world of home landscaping, the choices appear overwhelming and the potential landmines plentiful. Witty garden blogger and landscape designer Amanda Thomsen comes to the rescue with her practical advice cloaked in humor and irreverence. In Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You, Thomsen guides and encourages readers through their yard-designing adventures.

Young homeowners are looking for fresh inspiration and frank advice for turning their backyards into outdoor spaces that suit their own style. Forgetting the preconceived notions of what a backyard is supposed to look like, Amanda Thomsen lays out the many landscaping options in a fun, clear voice. She writes in a graphic, nonsequential format, so readers can open to any page and are guided to other pages that will help them based on their choices. “For a new and improved bed, border, or berm, turn to Soil, Yourself (page 62).” Or “To create the privacy of a hermit, turn to What Neighbors? (page 114).”

From stone walls and hedges to a vegetable garden, patio, lawn, or water feature, Thomsen’s hilarious voice is the perfect companion to guide and reassure the novice that there are no “right” answers, only those that make you happy. For any yard-challenged homeowner, Kiss My Aster is guaranteed to entertain, stimulate the creative juices, and cultivate a confident, can-do attitude.

Amanda Thomsen is a landscape designer whose blog, Kiss My Aster, can be read at www.kissmyaster.co. She is a Master Gardener and has been gardening professionally for over 10 years. She is the coauthor of Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.           

Illustration © Am I Collective

102 comments:

Melanie J Watts said...

Go Amanda, Love your informative and entertaining book.

Anonymous said...

Love your posts and would love to get your book! Very entertaining for gardeners.

Emily R. said...

This looks like a fun read!

Carol Yemola said...

Love the title of this book! So fun ... just like you! Asters are one of my favorite flowers!!!

vlmoore said...

Can't wait to pick this book up for my daughter! It's just her kind of humor served up with gardening tips!

Apothecarie Brand Co. said...

Darling concept!

Suzanne said...

Can not wait to get entrertainined and informed :)

Carla said...

Would love, love, love a copy of this book. Humor & gardening tips---what more could I want?

Maria said...

Interesting read!

Ginny Stibolt said...

I love the title! What fun.

kara said...

Love it! Funny and informative? Can't go wrong!

ElizabethBee said...

Love the illustrations.

Ann said...

Spring is coming and I need someone to Kiss my Aster.

ann
thejardinencantado.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

If it is half as entertaining as the blog, I am hooked. Cathi Lamoreux

Shirley Fox said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shirley said...

I'd love to read this book, it sounds fun.

Shirley said...

I'd love to read this fun book!

petoskystone said...

Gorgeous book! Wonderful giveaway :)

jmoorebub said...

I would love your wonderful and witty book!

Deb K. said...

Laughter is the best medicine......so is planting things.

Deborah J. Benoit said...

It looks like this book would be a great addition to my gardening book collection.

Anonymous said...

Would like to read this

Unknown said...

I am a fourth grade teacher who loves to garden when I have the time...would love this book!!!

Unknown said...

Laughter and gardening together - no better combination!

Anonymous said...

Gardening is fun and this book looks like it would be fun to read.

Summer said...

need all the help i can get ...this book looks great...

Bengo234 said...

Looks good!

Terry P. said...

Always love a little humor in any book. Gardening is no different. You can always find something funny when you garden!

NR Kelly said...

"if you can't laugh at yourself, I'll do it for you" Laughter is just as important as breathing! Love a good read, great gardens and laughter of course!

pegruth said...

all of the great gardeners I know are a little crazy and a lot of FUN!!! Love the book!!!

Anonymous said...

Yipes, how did you get my pic? LOL That is me, except I perfer a Margarita! LOL - I'm going to have toc check this book out! Looks really great!

Deb Beau said...

Love martini gardening!

kelly said...

I definitely need to read this book. It sounds hysterical just like my garden projects!

Kelley said...

I love new ideas!

Unknown said...

Just added to my "Must Read" list. Sounds like fun!

katina said...

Sounds like a fun and interesting read. Just added it to my goodreads list of "books to read"

Victoria Lynn Rose said...

I could use SO MUCH help with my yard. It overwhelms me. So here is my comment - please enter me in your drawing. Thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

This would be a great read to share with my customers!

Gail said...

It looks like a fab read!

MzVinnie said...

I have a blank canvas --and need all the help I can get in this new area! Just bought a house in Boise, I am starting from scratch...HELP!

jessica w said...

I need some inspiration for my blah suburbian yard...help!

Jeanne said...

Gardening tips and humor, two very important aspects (activities) of my life! Sure hope I win a copy of your book. Keep up the good work!

Jeanne said...

Gardening tips with humor, what a great combination! Can't wait to win a copy of your book! Keep up the good work Amanda!

Unknown said...

Amanda is awesome! I'd love a book loaded with her sass, witticism and expertise :)

Anonymous said...

Love the title, bet the book is really great!

Belinda said...

Fun Gardening Book!
Congrats.

Jan said...

I just had 60 cows walk through my garden after a 2 inch rain. I need some humor and good ideas to repair the damage!

Stamphere said...

Love to have a copy of this book. Sounds like fun!

Martha Henrichs said...

Just the inspiration I need!

Nikki said...

I've followed Kiss My Aster on FB for a while now and I'd love to have her book!

creations landscape designs said...

I would love to win a copy of this book. She is awesomeness all rolled into one fine book.

Anonymous said...

A new way of gardening sounds like fun

mamasherri said...

Looks like this is a great garden book!

julie said...

I am in need of some fresh ideas.

pseudoMom said...

Love the name!

Kathy said...

I've loved listening to the podcast, now I want to read the book!

Laura said...

I am very intrigued by this book.

Debbie said...

Your newest book looks like great fun. As we are still in winter here in OK, I'd love the book to read while I'm stuck inside.

cathy f said...

would really LIKE to receive this book.

kathy said...

Oh! This book sound so Good I'd love to have it!

christelle said...

Finally some humor to read while weeding this summer. Just what i need!

christelle said...

What a great give away. Finally some humor to read while weeding in the garden this summer and fighting year in year out the War against snails :) just what i needed!

Evelyn Vincent said...

I love it! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy to read! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

Candice Suter.....Sweetstuff said...

Sounds like a really awesome book! I sure would love one!

Jackie said...

What a great sounding read!

Mindie said...

You had me at the title! LOL What a wonderful sounding book. I would enjoy getting my hands on a copy :)

Anonymous said...

Humor and gardening should always go hand in hand! This looks fantastic.

Judy April said...

Love the creative way you have presented your ideas! A true teacher!

Cherlyn said...

Get down-get dirty-and get to laughing

Marsha M said...

What a fun book and just the thing to get a gardener started as spring comes around again.

Mandy said...

This book looks like the kids and I could read it together and have a lot of fun!

EarthyGardener said...

Cannot wait to read this! Thanks for putting a humorous spin on garden books!

Mary said...

Looks like such a fun book! Looking forward to reading it.

Kay said...

Would love to win this book! Thanks!

Steph@RamblingWren said...

Sounds like entertaining read. Great title!

Unknown said...

I gotta have this book! Just love gardening.

Kristin Cooley said...

Ooh! Looking foward to reading this book. Would love to win a copy!

Angela Hunter Geiss said...

I need some Kiss my Aster in my garden! Heck yeah!

Sora said...

This time of year my garden is always perfect. Dreams and reading about new ideas! Looking forward to reading this!

Chelsy said...

This looks awesome! I'd love to win a copy!!

Marie said...

Count me in!

Brenda said...

Look forward to reading!

Anonymous said...

What a fun book!

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to get this book!

John said...

I can't wait to read this; I tweeted about it last week. There's quite a buzz going around the web. I wish you every success.

Cheers!

John

Unknown said...

What a fun idea!

SolDucky said...

What a fun book!
soluckyducky at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I love Amanda and want this book...Gimme please!

Anonymous said...

Would love to win your book, looking forward to spring and getting rid of this snow!!!

Anonymous said...

Would LOVE to get a copy of this book!

Jamie K said...

This would be a great book to read!

MizzBzVegan said...

Fun fantastic book. Great to read, share and put to use in my harden. Thanks.

garden lover said...

I am moving back into my chilhood home and the yard is in severe nneed of tlc as for the last four years about the only thing that happened was mowing. I am anxious to bring back it's beauty as my mother had a definite green thumb. I on the other hand can use all the help I can get. I found today to be the appropriate day to enter as this would have been my mom's 87th birthday.

Jennifer said...

Please inspire me! I have no green thumb, I hate getting dirty and sweaty, and the bugs bug me. Can you make it more fun??

Unknown said...

I would love to add this book to my library!

Anonymous said...

Love the title, love that Amanda's got green-thumb humor, and I'd love to win a copy!

Evelien J said...

This sounds like a great read. Just found your blog & having a ton of fun catching up.

Licha77 said...

This book sounds like just the thing I need to educate and motivate me to rework my backyard. I'm looking forward to reading the chapter on "What Neighbors?" Definitely a book I will be adding to my home library.

Steve and Peggy said...

Would love to win this book! Thanks!

MarthaJane said...

Surely would love to win this book! Combining humor and gardening in the same book gets it all!

Unknown said...

Outstanding title! What a great spin on gardening - would love to win this book!

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