A journal in thyme

Abstract

Eric Grissell's first book, Thyme on My Hands, was published by Timber Press in 1987 and was warmly received by dedicated admirers. The many readers who were inspired and delighted by the author's unique perspective on the joys and pitfalls of gardening will welcome his second book of delightful essays. Grissell presents for his readers a series of vignettes documenting a full year's cycle in the life of a gardener and his garden. As the year unfolds, we find that in spite of hail or rain, sickness or pressing obligations, drought or advancing years, or even periodic ineptitude, the garden must be tended. We join the author as he travels through a gardening year that includes floods, drought, and pestilence; trips to nurseries, botanical gardens, and garden shows; new books and inspiration; and the disappearance of garden tools. The animal world is represented as well, from fish-stealing birds to bird-eating cats, from benevolent wasps to malevolent bunnies; nor are humans spared - at least, not those who waste organic matter, wash cars, sow lawns, or plant bamboo, kudzu, and Brussells sprouts. As the author reminds us: For nearly as long as gardens have existed there have also been garden writers and gardening readers. The role of the garden writer has always been to nag... But Eric Grissell, with his delightful sense of humor, is not your typical garden writer. Graceful, elegant linocuts by master artist Henry Evans enhance the sometimes thoughtful, sometimes whimsical text.