My list of books featuring pansies, violets, or violas as part of the story now stands at... Two books. This past week I finished reading and listening to A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor. The story features two poor Irish girls who sell violets and other flowers on the streets of London and then one day, they get separated... Violets feature as both a flower they once sold on the streets and as a scent that weaves in and out of the story. This … [Read more...] about A Memory of Violets
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From the North Pole!
I shall presume you have some knowledge of The Halloween Hare, how he tells secrets about gardeners to the Christmas Cottontail so when the Christmas Cottontail visits with Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he knows whether to plant seeds and bulbs for spring flowers in your garden or sit outside while Santa distributes a few gifts inside. If not, well, of course, it isn't too late to start learning so your spring isn't ruined. That's right your spring. The Christmas Cottontail would never … [Read more...] about From the North Pole!
Listening While Gardening
The old joke—and I mean old—is to be careful what you say in a garden because the corn has ears. But who cares what the corn hears? There's not a kernel of truth in what they might repeat! (Groan) What do you like to hear while tending your garden? Some gardeners like to hear the sounds of nature. Birds singing, crickets chirping, rabbits hopping, etc. Or in my case, the distant, and constant, hum of traffic on an interstate highway. Other gardeners like to listen to books or … [Read more...] about Listening While Gardening
Books with Pansies, Violets, or Violas…
Welcome to my new rabbit hole. By the cover of the book pictured, have you guessed my new rabbit hole? I suspect you haven't, especially if you've never read that book or you focus on that rose. Oh wait, I put it in the title! Anyway... I discovered An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden (1955) while reading Gardening Can Be Murder by Marta McDowell (2023). Marta included An Episode of Sparrows in one of her many lists of mysteries featuring plants and gardeners. An Episode of … [Read more...] about Books with Pansies, Violets, or Violas…
Gardening Books from 1962 – Watch Out For Rabbit Holes
Would you like to follow along to see how one simple search could send me down yet another rabbit hole? It all started early yesterday morning when I read a blog post from Stuck in a Book about their 1962 Club. They are encouraging readers to read and review books from 1962, any genre. (They've also done this for other years.) So, I checked my catalog of books for any gardening books I have from 1962. (Yes, last winter, I cataloged ALL my books, at least those I intend to keep, … [Read more...] about Gardening Books from 1962 – Watch Out For Rabbit Holes
Secrets In Gardens and Books
I keep a notebook nearby to write down random thoughts and ideas and keep notes of stuff I want to remember, or maybe write a blog post about someday. This evening, after a rainy day (thank goodness!), I was flipping through my current notebook and came across a thought on secrets. I gave no one credit for the thought and when I searched for it online, I didn't find anything so I assume I wrote it. If not, apologies! What I wrote originally was about books. "Books hold secrets … [Read more...] about Secrets In Gardens and Books
