A Gardening Year

The adventures and misadventures of an heirloom gardener

Friday, November 30, 2007

Garden Bloggers' Book Club

I was very happy when “Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden” by Eleanor Perenyi was chosen for the Garden Bloggers’ Book Club. I checked this book out of my local library about four years ago and liked it so much that I added it to my Wishlist on Amazon.com for purchase so that I could re-read it at my leisure. This was the perfect opportunity to finally buy the book and read it again.

The author and I are kindred spirits. We garden organically, prefer heirlooms, abhor lawns and lawnmowers, and adore compost. I have to keep reminding myself that she was writing in 1981, long before any of these things were “fashionable”.

Her writing is lighthearted and very readable. Even the essays on vegetables, which I don’t grow, are enjoyable. I especially like her exasperation at unclear directions. It’s nice to know that other gardeners have the same difficulties with unclear instructions that I do.

Each essay is complete in itself, so the book can be read right through or you can skip around. I’m so glad that I finally have my own copy. It’s one of those books that I will read over and over.

5 Comments:

At 6:11 PM, Blogger Carol Michel said...

Thanks for joining in! I've added you to the post.

I'm glad you liked the book and finally got your own copy.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

 
At 7:57 PM, Blogger Colleen Vanderlinden said...

I loved "Green Thoughts" too. I found myself nodding along with her when she was ranting about catalog ambiguities regarding biennials. Some things never change :-)

 
At 9:48 PM, Blogger Annie in Austin said...

Isn't it funny how so many of us are using the Garden bloggers book club as our excuse to finally buy a book we want? Especially when it's an author who is a kindred spirit. I liked this book a lot, too, Old Roses.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

 
At 5:49 PM, Blogger sixty-five said...

One of my favorite gardening books also. I crossed paths with Mrs Perenyi in 1962 when I worked for Mademoiselle, where she was managine editor - an imposing figure, to say the least. It was only a year or two ago that I came across her first book, "More Was Lost", which recounts her wartime marriage to a young Hungarian. A remarkable story, very worth tracking down, though nothing to do with gardening.

 
At 1:22 PM, Blogger a woman who is said...

just popped in here, looks like some kindred spirits around here. I am on my way to the Garden Bloggers Book Club. My Christmas wish list I am sure will be expanding.

 

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