“American Garden Writing, Gleanings from Gardens Then and Now, edited by Bonnie Marranca, published by Penguin Books, 1989, builds windows to click on and hear the musings of fellow gardeners. Thomas Jefferson, Notes from His Garden Book, Edith Wharton, Italian Garden-Magic, A Visit to John Bartram’s Garden by Michel-Guillaume St. John de Crevecouer as chosen by Editor Bonnie Marranca portrays 50 some American garden musings.

Louisa Yeomans King, one of the founders of the Garden Club of America, was the author of ten garden books.  Ms. Marranca, extracted the following vingnette from Ms. King’s book, Chronicles of the Garden:

Mrs. King invited several women who were admiring her garden to come inside her gate.  “I left them exclaiming over the beauty of what they saw.  But we had had together, these three unknown women and I, that satisfaction of the common beauty of the common things of the common life; and such moments leave one happier.  They make for friendship through a common and rarely fine interest, an interest in the things that grow, an interest than there is no better for body, mind or spirit.  Each one has his own most real thing.  Mine is the garden.  And the best wish I can have for any one is the he may have a garden of his own, a little garden in which through work and sweet imaginings he may find a creative happiness unknown to those without this dear possession.”

Happy New Year in our gardens!