Winter can be depressing, but each season has its joys. For me, winter is the time to catch up on reading, especially gardening books. Old ones and new ones. Some of my favorites are " Tasha Tudor's Garden" by Tovah Martin with photographs by Richard W. Brown. Tudor wrote and illustrated children's books, which are wonderful. The photographs are beautiful examples of her country home in Vermont with many selections of little girls dressed up in white dresses and flowers.
Celia Thaxter's book, "An Island Garden" is a fascinating story of a young mother who grows seedlings in Maine, then takes them to her family bed and breakfast on the island of Appledore where she painstakingly cares for her garden. Visiting artists are the audience for her gardens. She wrote this in the 1890's.
P. Allen Smith's book, "Bringing the Garden Indoors" is full of color and ideas for decorating with plants and flowers. A picture of a watermelon that has been scooped out and filled with zinnias is delightful. A lone apple filled with marigolds--charming. This book can be enjoyed extensively, providing new ideas.
Gardening catalogs are filling my mailbox, but that is another story.
This was inspired by Smith's book, "Bringing The Garden Indoors" I collected flowers and grasses in the fall for this arrangement.
