Danita Cahill, a freelance writer and former Democrat-Herald reporter, will discuss her new gardening book at two upcoming events.

Cahill, of Sodaville, will appear May 23 on Hatch Patch, a radio gardening show from Eugene, and will do a book signing June 13 at the ZCBJ Hall on Main Street in Scio.

Hatch Patch airs at 9 a.m. on KPNW, 1120. She will discuss gardening and her book, which was released April 1.

The book signing will be from 3 to 5 p.m. during a "Books and Tea on the Terrace" event sponsored by the Scio Friends of the Public Library.

Cahill describes her book "The Ultimate Gardener" as an "uplifting book of photos, gardening stories and how-to pieces sure to inspire any gardener."

Cahill, a Linn County Master Gardener, will give a free gardening demonstration.

Cahill has owned and operated the retail nursery DanCin' Bloomers Greenhouse in Shedd for 12 years. She specialized in perennials and geraniums.

She received her Master Gardener certification and tried her hand at hybridizing daffodils, and she worked as a junior daffodil judge at flower shows. At one time, she grew more than 200 different varieties in her garden.

Cahill gives gardening talks and demonstrations for non-profit groups. She talks about layering bulbs in containers, container gardening and attracting butterflies.

Several of her garden-related articles have appeared in the Linn County Extension magazine. She wrote a weekly column, "Gardener's Notebook," for several years and has published numerous home and garden features.

In June, one of her stories will appear in "County" magazine, with another slated to run this fall and a third in January 2010.

"The Ultimate Gardener" is published by HCI Books. It is available at bookstores, at Amazon.com and from the publisher at www.hci-online.com.

Cahill can be reached at www.danitacahill.com.

Library event

Linda Ziedrich, president of the Friends of the Scio Public Library, will join Danita Cahill at the June 13 "Books and Tea on the Terrace" event to sign and talk about her newly released cookbooks - one on jams and one on pickles.

Tea and scones will be served along with samples of Ziedrich's jams at the event that goes from 3 to 5 p.m.

"Books and Tea on the Terrace" is free, but seating is limited. For a reservation, contact May Garland at (503) 394-3696.