Iris Bagshott strolls down the paths of her ancient garden, close to Lichfield in the heart of England, wondering if it is time to sell her house and land for development. She is unaware that around every corner myriad family secrets from the past unfold. From a Saxon clearing to a monastery, Tudor dwelling to the present day, this sacred plot has nurtured her ancestors. Generations of Bagshott women have found refuge and solace tending it through years of plague, civil war and beyond. This is their story.
A collection of evocative personal essays about the practical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of gardening, including gardening tips, recipes, and ideas. With warmth, wit, and wisdom, author Joyce McGreevy looks to gardening as a source of creativity, spirituality, and inspiration, and she offers practical ideas for gardening--and living life--to the fullest. Her essays include "Gardening Without a Clue," which asserts that one's sense of wonder coupled with nature's own revelations are the greatest gardening teachers; "It's All Rented," which begins as a humorous account of a gardening experience in Ireland and becomes a gentle call for stewardship, rather than ownership, of the Earth; and "Eating, Sleeping, and Living in the Garden," which invites readers to rediscover the traditional rituals of leisure. With so many of us longing to slow our frantic pace and live more authentically, this timely book shows us how gardening "by Heart" can help us do just that and thereby enrich all aspects of our lives.
The Garden In My Heart is a beautifully illustrated book about sowing and reaping that encourages children to sow good things in their heart. "There is a secret garden inside every girl and boy, and there a special seeds to sow that will grow into joy."
In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.
Born into one of Melbourne's most prominent establishment families, Sunday Baillieu was expected to become a society princess. But this passionate individualist turned her back on upper-class privilege and created a life wholly her own. With her husband, John Reed, Sunday established Heide - a home and the focal point for the development of Australian modernism. In 1935, Sunday and John bought Heide, a modest weatherboard house in rural Heidelberg. Until their deaths in the early eighties, the Reeds lived there and cultivated Australia's most significant circle of artists, including Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, John Perceval, Joy Hester and Charles Blackman. In the words of Albert Tucker, Sunday was 'the magnetic force that drew us together, the eye...' While Sunday was a muse to several generations of Australian artists, Sidney Nolan reamined her lifelong obsession. Gifted, charismatic and visionary, Nolan was mesmerised by Sunday - and she by him. They were lovers for several tempestuous years. But Sunday was more than Nolan's muse. Award-winning biographer Janine Burke argues that she was crucial to his artistic development - preparing his painting materials, inspiring subject matter and perhaps guiding his hand while he painted the Ned Kelly series, executed on Heide's dining room table. Sunday was a demanding and intense woman, known as much for her irascibility as for her generosity. In this compelling biography, Burke draws a rich portrait of this comlex and brilliant woman who fuelled the fire of Australian modernism, and was at its heart.
God loves you! He cares about you, and He wants to help you grow, head to toe. Share The Garden of My Heart with someone you love, and these pages will create a desire for the good things God is growing within their heart. But watch out for those pesky weeds! With the help of three special garden tools and the gentle garden friend, Jesus, you'll learn how to keep those weeds away and enjoy the beautiful "heart garden" God desires for us all. Based on Galatians 5:22-23, this book is a creative way to teach your child about the Fruit of the Spirit. Filled with character-building lessons, your child will enjoy the sweet story while they receive the book's heartfelt message, "You are special. You are loved. You are fearfully and wonderfully made."
The Heart's Garden tells a wondrous, adventure-filled story inspired by Rumi's holistic worldview. It empowers kids by reminding them of their inter-connectedness to all and their ability to transform the world. The Land of Winter has been mired in cold and dark for ages. Its residents (the WinterPeople) set out to seek the Heart's Garden, a place where winter doesn't rule, the sun shines unconditionally, and magnificent flowers grow. The garden is located in the City of Love; but to enter the city the WinterPeople have to let go of what weighs them down, and find their wings. Once in the Heart's Garden, the WinterPeople discover the power that comes from knowing they are one with the entire universe; they vow to bring the light and warmth of love back to the Land of Winter.
“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.
In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.
Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes Kristin Hannah's powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.
