My Garden in Summer (My Garden Series)

Rating:
Summary: Dated, but of interest to garden historians...
Review: E. A. Bowles book, MY GARDEN IN SUMMER, is part of a several part series of books he wrote describing his garden at Myddelton England during his tenure in the early part of the 20th Century.

I bought this book because I enjoyed books written by Beverly Nichols, an English writer who moved to the countryside after WWII and rebuilt the garden surrounding an old house. Nichols has the help of an excentric gardener, and all sorts of adventures with his cats and kooky maiden neighbors. I thought Mr. Bowles would prove to be another Brit gardener with a wry sense of humour but he is not -- at least in this book.

I am also a fan of Elizabeth Lawrence, a horticulturist with the N.C. State government who practiced her craft in the latter part of the 20th Century, beginning in the 1940s. Ms Lawrence referred to Mr. Bowles books in her own books. I love Ms. Lawrence writing because she not only provides the scientific particulars of each plant, she shares the gardening experiences relayed to her via her correspondance -- with Mr. Howdyshel in Ohio and gardeners in other parts of the country. Ms. Lawrence also provides the reader with many anectdotal bits about the plants, as well as the history of the plant. Ms. Lawrence is factual, sometimes amusing though not funny, and I find her books entertaining.

If MY GARDEN IN SUMMER is a fair sample of Mr. Bowles writing, his book will appeal to no one but the avid historical garden enthusiast with an in-depth knowledge of plants and curiostity about another gardener's experiences with various plants at different times in the last century. Or, someone who intends to visit Myddleton Garden in England, or has visited it might enjoy the book. Being able to see the real thing often helps, and the gardens are being restored--probably why the book was republished.

Mr. Bowles book contains a dozen or so black and white photos of mixed quality. For some reason, about half of them appear in the section he wrote on sedums and succulents. One photo in particular is very pretty, showing a long terrace with about 30-40 pots of various succulents. I'd like a blow-up of that photograph for it's aesthetic properties. You won't be able to identify many of the succulents in the pots, however.

An appendix in the back of the book provides the reader with the current names of the plants Mr. Bowles discusses. In spite of this update, I found the sections of greatest interest to me a bit deficient. On my next visit to England, I will visit Myddleton Garden, and then I'll reread the book -- or sections of it. That should help me better appreciate it.