This was a wonderfully descriptive, emotional, nostalgic book about seemingly all aspects of gardening - from how they build our internal emotional lives, how they connect us to our ancestry and cultural heritage, to how they are portrayed through literary explorations and asides and depictions of painted landscapes. I loved the authors strong feelings about how gardening and time are so inextricably linked, as this is what my own garden-loving mother expresses when she talks about her garden. She is constantly battling weeds, natural pests, and the general elements, but something draws her to get her hands dirty, to respond with continued enthusiasm to new garden stores nearby (she can always buy new plants, needed or not). I feel like this book connected me to her even more, in understanding how she feels about the growing seasons and her beloved yard. Though I’m of the urban-situated, I still manage to have several pots of plants that I hope will manage to survive my not-so-green-thumb (I’m not so sure Lively’s assertion that gardening is genetic is true). Full of interesting information about the history of various planting trends, the economics of gardening, and the history of some plants and flowers.

This is the perfect book to take with you into the garden. It will inspire you to expand your gardening and help you connect with what is already growing. I received an ecopy ARC from Netgalley. I will buy a print copy for my garden visits. It seems more fitting.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Penelope Lively is a gifted writer. I enjoyed the book and the references to gardens in literature.

To tell the truth, I did not finish this book as I intend to buy the published copy. I love Penelope Lively,s writing, and I intend to savor (and underline) her musings about life, art, memory, time, literature and gardening. Thank you for the heads-up.