Becoming a Gardener: What Reading and Digging Taught Me About Living

Catie Marron created a garden to make her new house in Connecticut feel like home, but her quest was to identify the core qualities and characteristics that make a person a gardener. In Becoming a Gardener, she chronicles her transformation over eighteen months, gleaning advice from writers as diverse as Eleanor Perényi and Karel Capek. The book explores topics such as the composition of dirt, the agricultural wisdom of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the healing power of digging in the soil, and the beauty of finding solitude in nature. It features specially commissioned illustrations by the Danish team All the Way to Paris and stunning photographs by William Abranowicz.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2022
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

A captivating and visually stunning personal account, "Becoming a Gardener" delves into the profound essence of what it truly means to embrace the art of gardening. Filled with specially commissioned color photography, watercolors, and fine art, this captivating book takes readers on a journey of discovery, offering a deep understanding of the transformative power of cultivating plants and nurturing nature.

Catie Marron, driven by her desire to make her new house in Connecticut feel like a true home, embarked on a remarkable journey to become a gardener. While she had a background in landscape design, she had never ventured into the realm of growing anything. As a passionate reader with a lifelong fascination for literature, Marron turned to her extensive collection of gardening books, seeking guidance from a diverse range of writers who specialized in both grand and small-scale horticultural topics.

However, Marron's quest for gardening went beyond mere knowledge acquisition. She sought to uncover the core qualities and characteristics that define a gardener and to gain a profound understanding of what a garden could mean to her, just as it has to countless gardeners throughout history. In "Becoming a Gardener," Catie Marron chronicles her transformative journey over eighteen months, interweaving her personal experiences with insightful advice from renowned writers such as Eleanor Perényi, Karel Capek, Penelope Lively, and Jamaica Kincaid.

As she delves deeper into her readings and engages in hands-on gardening, Marron not only unravels the secrets of gardening but also discovers the profound connection between the human body and the earth. In the words of Michael Pollan, she explores the "endlessly engrossing ways that cultivating a garden attaches a body to the earth."

"Becoming a Gardener" is a delightful blend of informed opinion, personal reflection, and practical advice. It encompasses a wide range of topics, from the composition of dirt to the agricultural wisdom of avid kitchen gardeners George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The book also delves into the healing power of digging in the soil and the beauty of finding solitude in nature.

Through her captivating storytelling and vivid imagery, Catie Marron invites readers to embark on their own gardening journeys, encouraging them to connect with the natural world and embrace the joys of cultivating plants. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a novice seeking to embark on this fulfilling pursuit, "Becoming a Gardener" is a must-read that will inspire, educate, and delight.

Weight: 1474g
Dimension: 279 x 216 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780062963611