Synopses & Reviews
Why do you garden? For fun? Work? Food? The reasons to garden are as unique as the gardener.
The Roots of My Obsession features thirty essays from the most vital voices in gardening. They show that gardening is a passion and obsession that cannot be conquered or abandoned, only indulged. Each gardener tells a compelling story. Whether their muse is the quest to achieve a personal vision of ultimate beauty, a mission to heal the earth, or the attempt to grow a perfect heirloom tomato, the writing is direct, engaging, and from the heart.
For Doug Tallamy, a love of plants is rooted first in a love of animals: "animals with two legs (birds), four legs (box turtles, salamanders, and foxes), six legs (butterflies and beetles), eight legs (spiders), dozens of legs (centipedes), hundreds of legs (millipedes), and even animals with no legs (snakes and pollywogs)." For Rosalind Creasy, it's "not the plant itself; it's how you use it in the garden." And for Sydney Eddison, the reason has changed throughout the years. Now, she "gardens for the moment."
As you read, you may find yourself nodding your head in agreement, or gasping in disbelief. What you're sure to encounter is some of the best writing about the gardener's soul ever to appear. For anyone who cherishes the miracle of bringing forth life from the soil, The Roots of My Obsession is essential inspiration.
Review
This slim book of short essays by 30 top gardeners is as varied as any garden, with something for every taste and style. Its a bit like getting a letter (or e-mail) from your favorite gardener. The tone is informal, even if the gardeners style is not. The reader comes to understand the English accent to Sydney Eddisons gardening, the surprising Turkish heritage of Fergus Garrett, the yummy crunch behind Rosalind Creasys edibles. The essays are bite-sized and intelligent; these gardener-writers are both pithy and reflective, as befits people who know truth and beauty, but also need to weed and mulch. This charming, simple book makes a great gift for gardening friends, who can curl up with it on a rainy day and reflect on their own obsession.
Country Living
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"After finishing the book, you may even feel a bit better about your own all-consuming horticulture hobby." Library Journal
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"A new title that'll stir recognition in gardeners as well as delight them." Winston-Salem Journal
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"This is a wonderful book because you can leave it by your bed and open it to any short essay and find yourself relating, laughing or learning."
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Synopsis
Why do you garden? For fun? Work? Food? The reasons to garden are as unique as the gardener.
The Roots of My Obsession features thirty essays from the most vital voices in gardening, exploring the myriad motives and impulses that cause a person to become a gardener. For some, it's the quest to achieve a personal vision of ultimate beauty; for others, it's a mission to heal the earth, or to grow a perfect peach. The essays are as distinct as their authors, and yet each one is direct, engaging, and from the heart.
For Doug Tallamy, a love of plants is rooted first in a love of animals: "animals with two legs (birds), four legs (box turtles, salamanders, and foxes), six legs (butterflies and beetles), eight legs (spiders), dozens of legs (centipedes), hundreds of legs (millipedes), and even animals with no legs (snakes and pollywogs)." For Rosalind Creasy, it's "not the plant itself; it's how you use it in the garden." And for Sydney Eddison, the reason has changed throughout the years. Now, she "gardens for the moment."
As you read, you may find yourself nodding your head in agreement, or gasping in disbelief. What you're sure to encounter is some of the best writing about the gardener's soul ever to appear. For anyone who cherishes the miracle of bringing forth life from the soil, The Roots of My Obsession is essential inspiration.