Throughout the month of January 2026 Bellingham Public Library is celebrating all the ways in which plants and animals improve our lives, and the ways in which we can help them live THEIR best lives. The display title for this month’s joyful display theme is Keep It Alive!
Please also enjoy the delightful photographs of some of the Bellingham Public Library staff’s plants and pets, as well as recommendations for books featuring lovely living things, with special thanks to Library Assistant Dani Knapp for providing so many great suggestions this month.
And remember to visit any BPL branch in January to browse our “Keep It Alive” displays in person.
Staff Recommendations
Nonfiction
Library Assistant Dani has multiple flower, garden, and plant book recommendations:
Sweet Pea School: Growing & Arranging the Garden’s Most Romantic Blooms by Marryn Mathis
“Marryn Mathis is the owner of The Farmhouse Flower Farm in Stanwood, Washington. She is known as the Sweet Pea Queen and this gorgeous book gives you all the details for a successful season growing and enjoying these fragrant blooms.”
Pansies: How to Grow, Reimagine, and Create Beauty with Pansies and Violas by Brenna Estrada
“Brenna Estrada’s Three Brothers Bloom flower farm is located on Camano Island in Washington state and specializes in Pansy seeds. This brilliant book will inspire you to grow and enjoy Pansies in your garden.”
Dahlia Breeding: for the Farmer-florist and the Home Gardner by Kristine Albrecht
“[Award-winning cultivator] Kristine Albrecht, of Santa Cruz Dahlias, explains the biology of dahlias without over complicating. She outlines the principles of dahlia breeding in this step-by-step guide where she shares several strategies and her processes with photos.”
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest & Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms by Erin Benzakein
“This immersive guide has won the American Horticultural Society Award and for good reason. A guide from starting to finishing a floral season with success that will have you planning your garden this January and starting seeds this February. Happy planting!”
Floret Farm’s A Year In Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season by Erin Benzakein
“Keep your cut flowers thriving in their vase and learn to make stellar arrangements for your home, friends and family using Erin’s useful tips and tricks. This carefully curated book is a visual wonderland. Happy arranging!”
Floret Farm’s Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms by Erin Benzakein “This book may be habit forming. The library is not responsible for the reader’s potential Dahlia addiction.”
Plantopedia: the Definitive Guide to House Plants by Lauren Camilleri
“Having trouble keeping your house plants alive or thriving? Have no fear the Plantopedia is here! A wonderful guide for happy healthy plants for all levels of indoor gardeners.”
Gardens Illustrated magazine The Flower Issue No. 354 (2025 8 Aug)
“Pressed for all time (page 86), is a wonderful write up on an amazing couple who took their pandemic woes and turned them around by taking other’s wedding joy and preserving it. Taking bridal bouquets and preserving them through flower pressing. This side hustle is what led to their current art practice of turning pressed flowers into fine art.”
My Pollinator Garden: How I Plant for Bees, Butterflies, Beetles and More by Jordan Zwetchkenbaum
“Explore the animals and plants that make up a pollinator garden and how they need one another to flourish. Beautiful illustrations and information about how you can grow your very own pollinator garden.” Children’s Picture Book
The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Rhonda Sherman
“Worms eating your green waste, manure, yard debris, paper, and more! All in the name of making more worms and producing rich soil! While this book may include farm scale vermicomposting, you can absolutely scale down for your needs.”
Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System by Mary Applehof
“Learn how to use your food waste for good with some red wiggler worms and a self-contained bin to make nutrient rich compost for your indoor plants or garden. Reduce food waste, while your worms and plants thrive!”
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
“‘At my house, I count ferments like kombucha, kefir, and sourdough among my pets. After all, they need to be fed, kept comfortable, and appreciated on a regular basis in order to keep them alive. Sandor Katz is a fermentation whisperer, and this book is an incredible compendium of how to keep ferments (and the universe of microbes that they support) healthy and thriving.” Adult Nonfiction
– Miranda, Library Events Coordinator
Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn Martin
“A neat, informative guide to growing tropical edibles such as citrus, coffee, and vanilla indoors. Filled with gorgeous pictures, this book made me want to turn my kitchen into a greenhouse so badly.” Adult Nonfiction
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside by Kari Percival
“You can often find me in my tiny patio garden saying hello to my plants, hummingbirds, bumblebees, and pet worms! These little wrigglers of mine live in recycled library book bins and eat my compost scraps.
I’d recommend playing in the mud and reading this book (though maybe not at the same time) to all ages, but the sweet story will especially appeal to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.” Children’s Nonfiction Picture Book
– Ali, Children’s Services Librarian
Making Meadows by Northwest Meadowscapes
“The ecological value of the humble meadow has never been more punk! Learn about native PNW meadow plants and how best to nurture your own wild spaces outdoors throughout the year in ways that promote a healthy local ecosystem for everyone.” Adult Nonfiction
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Fiction
Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero
“This is a touching story about a stray cat’s interactions with 5 strangers and the connection that builds between them all. I recommend it for anyone wanting a simple, feel-good book with a strong found family dynamic.” Adult Fiction
– Melissa, Cataloging Specialist
Hounded by Kevin Hearne: book one of the Iron Druid Chronicles
“The last druid on Earth is hot, Irish, tattooed and living in Arizona with his awesome Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. The dog is a major character for the whole series; he communicates telepathically with certain lucky individuals who bring him sausages; Oberon REALLY likes sausages.
Adorable series. Great for dog lovers who liked Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files or Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Projects.” Adult Fiction
– Liz, Public Services Librarian
“A cute whodunnit! Hairballs on the floor, scratch marks on the furniture, and the distinct feeling of being watched every second of the day…what horrible criminal could possibly be behind such strange phenomena? Detective Bumble is on the case!” Children’s Picture Book
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
BPL Staff Pets and Plants
Bellingham Public Library staff love their pets and plants as you can see from the delightful photos below.
Dani’s Flowers and Friends:
Jenni’s Crew:
Jett’s House Cats:
Jon’s Feline Companion:
This is Katie the cat.
She is 19.
She is saying, “Please, sir? May I have another?”
Her life of Dickensian squalor is one of constant hardship, in that her heating pad turns off after 2 measly hours, and her food bowl does not constantly refill itself.
Mandee’s Pal, Pickles Meowski Palmer:
Melissa’s Friends:
Michelle’s Menagerie:
Rosalie’s Pal, Marceline:
Events and Programs
Welcome Salmon Eggs to the Library!
Children’s Department, Central Library
Children of all ages are invited to join us as we welcome a new batch of salmon eggs to the Bellingham Public Library. The salmon eggs will hatch into fry and grow over the next few months, until they are released into Whatcom Creek in the spring.
Worm Composting for Beginners
Thursday, January 15, 1:00 3:00 pm
SkillShare Space, Central Library
Are you curious about worm composting (vermicompost) and how it can benefit your garden while reducing waste? Drop in to hear from Hunter Wolf Lydon as he presents information about worm composting operations, why you’d want to start, and which worms are best suited for the job. Hunter will provide best practices on how to set your composting worms up for success and keep them alive, healthy, and thriving throughout the year. A seasoned worm farmer, Hunter has cultivated composting worms for over ten years with success and has seen and heard from friends about the benefits worm castings can have on a garden.
Links for More Information
- Alternative Humane Society
- Birchwood Garden Club
- Farmhouse Flower Farm
- Floret Flower Farm
- Master Gardener Foundation of Whatcom County
- Whatcom Humane Society
