Transplanted Gardener

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

American gardeners transplanted to England are in for culture shock, as Elliott discovered when he moved his gardening activities from the Berkshires to England. In this collection of engaging essays from Horticulture magazine, plus some new pieces, he writes about the foibles of English gardeners and their giant-vegetable competition, about mole wars and about building a stone wall. Elliott praises the National Gardens Scheme, whereby private gardens are open to the public (his own garden doesn't qualify yet). He remarks that gardening is the only art form that works in four dimensions-the usual three, plus time. Other topics are gardening books; a history of lawns and lawn mowers; hedges; and ancient woods. This is a worthy companion to Katherine White in the literature of gardening. (Sept.)

Library Journal

Elliott, an American editor living in London, provides a healthy antidote for American gardeners overwhelmed by English gardening books. While his essays on the foibles of English gardeners, from their national debate over ivy to their love of huge vegetables, are the most amusing observations in this collection, there is much more here. Short biographical essays, including an excellent one on A.J. Downing's influence on American gardens, trace major features in gardening history and offer insights into the Victorian love of bedding plants, the design of shovels, and the history of lawn mowers. Most of these essays were previously published in the author's column of the same title in Horticulture magazine, but they suffer only slightly from minor repetition. The only flaw is the absence of an index. Recommended for all gardening collections.-Daniel Starr, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Alice Joyce

As an American living in London but gardening on the Welsh-English border, Elliott is in a fine position to reflect on uniquely British horticultural trends. Although by his own account he is not truly a gardener himself, what these essays make perfectly clear is that Elliott, to a marked degree, is a gifted observer of the gardening phenomenon as it pertains to human nature. Readers of "Horticulture" magazine, where Elliott's column regularly appears, may find many of these informative, vastly entertaining pieces to be familiar. Still, any one of them is worth rereading for a satisfying, thought-provoking encounter. His writing is finely tuned to topics that will appeal to those who take their gardening seriously.

Booknews

Charming essays on gardens and gardening by an American living in England. No scholarly trappings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)