Book spotlights double-duty plants

March 24, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

Some plants put on a show for a few weeks. Others enhance the garden for two or more seasons.

It’s the latter that Graham Rice spotlights in “Powerhouse Plants.”

The book profiles 510 hardworking plants with multiple-season appeal. They comprise annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines and grasses that add interest through their leaves, flowers, fruits, bark or other plant parts.

In addition to describing the plants, Rice includes tips for caring for them, situating them to their best advantage and combining them effectively with other plants.

“Powerhouse Plants: 510 Top Performers for Multi-Season Beauty” is published by Timber Press and sells for $24.95 in softcover.

Trash can makes compacting easier

The TK10 Trash Krusher lets you compact your kitchen trash right in the can.

The TK10 is a kitchen waste receptacle with a compacting plate attached to the lid. You push the plate to compact the trash cleanly, so you can fit more trash into a single plastic bag. The plate is held to the lid with magnets and can be cleaned in a sink. The 10.5-gallon can is made of brushed stainless steel and has a foot pedal and slow-closing lid. It works with 10- or 13-gallon trash bags.

The can is available for $199.99 at http://trashkrusher.com.

McClatchy Newspapers