after long winter, books to celebrate spring

After difficult times, spring reminds us that everything is temporary, yes even winter and even spring.  Last spring was temporary.  This spring too - but yet it will return again and again.
There is nothing in the gnarled and blackened bark of a winter cherry tree to indicate that the next phase will be ephemeral delicate blossoms. 

After my son's surgery last week, we turned our thoughts wholeheartedly to the garden - to nourishing new growth and to reading books about gardening.

I was shelving this particular book at the store last week, when I decided to purchase a copy and bring it home.  It's a wonderful resource as we think about our garden - which lost a large silver maple earlier this year and needs a lot of TLC.

Jan Johnsen writes about focal points, points of drama and depth in the garden, about the mystery of a blue garden gate and making steps out of branches and using wood chips to cover them.  Looking though these pages is restorative. So is raking up branches, planting pots of seedlings, mulching and weeding beds.  You lose yourself in a garden and losing yourself is usually the best way to rediscover fulfillment and joy.


Another book that came my way is A Tree In The House by Annabelle Hickson.

 This book is extra special, since the author is my daughter-in-law Katie's sister.  She has an extraordinary eye for style and flower arrangement. She can make clippings from a roadside into a chaotic, exuberant arrangement. It always looks so wild and beautiful.  She and her family live on a pecan farm in New South Wales.  When we visited Australia for Alex and Katie's Australian wedding reception two years back, we took an unforgettable road trip - courtesy of Susanna and Rob - Katie's wonderful parents. For sure one of the most memorable parts of that trip was visiting Annie and Ed's pecan farm.

Katie and her nieces at the pecan farm

A Tree In The House is a feast for the eyes and spirit. It takes me back to that precious family time when I browse through its pages, looking at all the innovative arrangements for all occasions from wedding breakfasts to picnics.

the family in Annie's kitchen

  A Tree In The House is a slice of heaven in book form.


Finally, I just picked up a copy of poet CD Wright's posthumous book Casting Deep Shade.

I've never read anything quite like it. It's a homage to the beech tree -  to its spirit, its root system, its meaning for poets and its meaning for CD Wright.  The book is a beautiful object and a pleasure to hold in your hands. But I love the looseness of form here - poetry crossed with field notes, anecdotes, annotations.  It's funny and it's informative and it's touching.  Who knew the beech was such a complex and controversial tree!  You can browse this book or ponder it. As Ben Lerner says in the introduction "It is both CD's book and a loving tribute to her. To her strength and receptivity. "Beech bark is a tender thing."


#gardenbooks #treeinthehouse #gardentopia #castingdeepshade