giveaway: the 'why's' of 30 garden writers

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I WAS HONORED to be invited to be one of 30 voices in the new essay collection “The Roots of My Obsession: 30 Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden,” just out from Timber Press and edited by Thomas Cooper, former editor of “Horticulture” magazine. On the jump page, I’ve harvested a few tidbits from a handful of the other contributors, English and American alike—and if you tell us your reason, you’ll get a chance to win one of three copies I’ve bought to share. Care to confess what really gets you going–out the back door, I mean, to weed, water, and experience the wonderment such as only a garden can provide?

Tony Avent, founder of Plant Delights Nursery:

“Just as a computer comes with certain pre-installed programs, I was born with a fully functional 7.0 horticultural operating system…I wasn’t very popular in high school, where an interest in plants was not something for a guy to admit in public.”

Rosalind Creasy, author and edible landscaping guru:

“I was in charge of finding the cutworms curled around [my father’s] tomato plants. With every cutworm I found, he would whoop and holler; I felt like I had saved the family from starvation.”

Penelope Hobhouse, author and National Trust gardener:

“Gardening is not about instant gratification. It is a process—from seedling to flower (a matter of a few weeks) and from small rooted cutting to a useful shrub (often a few years). This whole process, rather than the ultimate product, seems to me half the joy of gardening.”

Ken Druse, author and photographer:

“Why do I garden? Am I crazy? I don’t really have a choice. The only way to avoid the pangs of withdrawal from an addiction like gardening is to garden more. This is one habit I have no intention of breaking.”

how to win ‘the roots of my obsession’

TO WIN A COPY of “The Roots of My Obsession,” simply comment below, telling us why you garden. I’ll choose three winners at random, using the tool on Random.org, after entries close at midnight Monday, October 15. Feeling shy? Just say “count me in” or some such, and your entry will be registered. Good luck to all. Want to learn more about the book? Start on the Timber Press page about it.

Categorieswoo woo

beyond organic gardening: ecological horticulture

I WATCHED A ZOOM lecture the other day that really put into words a lot of the ways my own deepening understanding of ecology is shaking up the way I practice horticulture—from spring cleanup, right on to the last chore of the active year. The lecturer was Rebecca McMackin, director of horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, where she leads the team that manages 85 acres of diverse parkland with a central focus on habitat creation of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows to build soils and support birds, butterflies, and other organisms.

We talked about the dynamic tactics they use and when and why–a whole different approach to spring cleanup, where the life cycles of animals (from insects on up) dictate what happens when, garden maintenance-wise. Like why some things don’t get cut back, and others that are still seed-laden when they do have their seeds collected and set aside, then returned to the spot after whatever cleanup is needed there.

253 comments

Mary Hoblit says:

November 5, 2012 at 8:11 am

I am a gardener. It is who I am.

Bonnie says:

December 29, 2012 at 8:54 am

I garden because I like to bring beauty into my world. Because it calms me and each new bud or veggie picked brings me such joy

Annette says:

December 29, 2012 at 7:36 pm

Count me in. I garden because it relaxes me & is good easy exercise.