Gardenland: Nature, Fantasy, and Everyday Practice

Garden writing is not just about gardening; it also tells a story about how Americans have invested grand fantasies in the common soil of everyday life. Gardenland explores the hidden landscape of desire in American gardens through literary fiction, horticultural publications, and environmental writing, offering insight into our changing views about the natural world and the future of humanity's place on earth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2020
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Garden writing is a rich tapestry that weaves together the threads of advice on roses and rutabagas, revealing a profound exploration of desire, hope, and frustration. It unveils the untold stories of how Americans have invested their grand fantasies in the ordinary soil of everyday life.

Gardenland, a captivating chronicle, delves into the evolution of this genre across pivotal moments in American literature and history. From the nineteenth-century industrialization and urbanization to the twentieth-century rise of factory farming and environmental advocacy, to the contemporary debates surrounding public space and social justice, Gardenland offers a comprehensive perspective.

Within its pages, Gardenland uncovers the hidden landscapes of desire in American gardens, examining a diverse range of literary fiction, horticultural publications, and environmental writing. It encompasses the works of renowned authors such as Charles Dudley Warner, Henry David Thoreau, Willa Cather, Jamaica Kincaid, John McPhee, and Leslie Marmon Silko, among others.

Through this interdisciplinary exploration, Gardenland poses thought-provoking questions about our current social and ecological moment. It sheds light on our shifting perspectives on the natural world, illuminating realms that may seem distant from the world of leeks and hollyhocks. Garden writing, with its rich tapestry of stories, offers a unique lens through which to understand the complexities of human-nature relationships and the profound impact of our actions on the environment.

Weight: 528g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820358741