Holiday Books

There are the books we take on holiday and then there are the books we acquire on holiday!

The new reading pile

I didn’t intend to add to my collection of gardening books on this holiday but they seem to have crept into my luggage! The Piet Oudolf book was purchased in New York after my inspiring walk on the NY High Line with Richard Hayden. Its 8 years since I first walked along the High Line, back then I was just a year into my RHS Level 2 course. I’d always loved plants, bought plants, watched gardening programmes and sought out gardening books but it felt different to finally be studying horticulture.

Since that first visit I’ve completed the Level 2, studied on other courses, volunteered in gardens and begun the podcast where I get to learn from growers every month. I think my appreciation of the skill of gardeners like Piet Oudolf has increased and my curiosity of how they create gardens that offer something all year round has grown. So this time I came away from the walk wanting to seek out a book to understand more about the choices of plants and the way they have been put together - so this was the first book to go in the case.

Then we happened upon Emily Dickinson’s garden, totally by chance - well thanks to having an old fashioned map on my lap in the car. I knew a little of her poetry but had not appreciated how important her love of nature and her garden were to her work. So when I discovered that Marta McDowell had written a book on that very subject, following her time working in Emily Dickinson’s garden - well I was excited. Emily studied nature, she was always giving gifts of flowers to friends. She created a herbarium of the plants she found. Perhaps, I thought, it would be a good subject for an Offshoot. So a second book went into the suitcase.

We’ve spent the last few days with a very dear friend who now lives in Canada. He is responsible for the third book. He gave it to me saying he’s not sure how I have lived without it because it gives short histories to plants from all over the world, a go to reference book for each time I start to research a plant story. Andrew is a geographer through and through and when you travel with him, he is always connecting the place with the people and the landscape. So I can see why someone gifted him this book - Around the World in 80 Plants by Jonathan Drori. Andrew has now gifted it to me and its the third one in the suitcase.

The suitcase is becoming a little heavy!

I hope you too have found some good books for these summer days and the time to do some reading.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sally

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