April-May 2008 Selection. If you enjoyed Two Gardeners, you will want to read this latest collection of Lawrence's columns

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Product Description

Elizabeth Lawrence (1904–85) is recognized as one of America’s most important gardeners and garden writers. In 1957, Lawrence began a weekly column for the Charlotte Observer, blending gardening lore and horticultural expertise gained from her own gardens in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and from her many gardener friends. This book presents 132 of her beloved columns. Never before published in book form, they were chosen from the more than 700 pieces that she wrote for the Observer over fourteen years.

Lawrence exchanged plants and gardening tips with everyone from southern “farm ladies” trading bulbs in garden bulletins to prominent regional gardeners. She corresponded with nursery owners, everyday backyard gardeners, and literary luminaries such as Katharine White and Eudora Welty. Her books, including A Southern Garden, The Little Bulbs, and Gardens in Winter, inspired several generations of gardeners in the South and beyond.

The columns in this volume cover specific plants, such as sweet peas, hellebores, peonies, and the bamboo growing outside her living-room window, as well as broader topics including the usefulness of vines, the importance of daily pruning, and organic gardening. Like all of Lawrence’s writing, these columns are peppered with references to conversations with neighbors and quotations from poetry, mythology, and correspondence. They brim with knowledge gained from a lifetime of experimenting in her gardens, from her visits to other gardens, and from her extensive reading.

Lawrence once wrote, “Dirty fingernails are not the only requirement for growing plants. One must be as willing to study as to dig, for a knowledge of plants is acquired as much from books as from experience.” As inspiring today as when they first appeared in the Charlotte Observer, the columns collected in Beautiful at All Seasons showcase not only Lawrence’s vast knowledge but also her intimate, conversational writing style and her lifelong celebration of gardens and gardening.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #711952 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 238 pages

Review
“Ms. Lawrence's voice is delightful — and not just for its contagious enthusiasm. Often her seemingly incidental asides become small quaint observations.”
--William Scheick, Texas Gardener’s Seeds

“Gardeners will want it for the advice, but those who do not dig in the dirt will enjoy these short, informative and conversational essays.”
--Cliff Bellamy, Durham Herald-Sun

"I knew Lawrence well enough from previous books that, rather than jumping about to read columns of particular interest first, I began at the beginning and went through to the end. It was stopping that was disappointing, for Lawrence's writing is so filled with wit, color, interesting stories of plants and gardeners and Lawrence's own likes and dislikes that I want more. I marked the book in a shameful way, underlining and writing notes in the margins. I want to be able to savor my first pleasure again and again in future readings."
--Tony P. Wrenn, Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)

“[I]nformative and often lyrical.”
--Mae Woods Bell, Rocky Mount Telegram

“[T]he columns constitute an invaluable resource for nature lovers and others who relish literary allusions. . . . As inspiring today as when they were first published, the columns collected in Beautiful at All Seasons showcase not only Lawrence’s vast knowledge but also her intimate, conversational writing style and her lifelong celebration of gardens and gardening.”
--Susan Farrington, The Sanford Herald

"The book is extremely enjoyable and a must for every gardener on the planet as well as for those who simply wish to embark once again on a lovely journey with Elizabeth Lawrence."
--Anita Stone, The Pilot (Southern Pines, NC)

“This collection is possessed of many virtues. Though the columns were written decades ago, they are not dated, offering ideas, descriptions, and tips that are valid both now and in the future. One virtue is that the collection can be used as a reference book for plants that will easily snuggle into Southern gardens, from peonies and hellebores to hydrangeas and smilax. . . . But more—much more—recommends this book than its undoubted value as a reference volume. Lawrence's way with words enchants.”
--Janet Lembke, The News and Observer

“This slender volume, packed with grace, renders it all for you in a marvelous package.”
--Blue Ridge Business Journal

“This book is filled with unusual facts. If you're not even a gardener, you will enjoy reading about these plants and herbs. . . . This book is a real treasure.”
--Mary Rice Patterson, The Salisbury Post

“Lawrence displays the virtues of a dedicated plantswoman: she is generous, patient, watchful and above all curious as she delves into the histories of her favorite plants or consults her favorite experts . . . on the more arcane aspects of plant lore.”
--Jennifer Potter, Times Literary Supplement

“Fifty years after her columns for the Charlotte Observer were first published, Elizabeth Lawrence inspires a new generation of garden enthusiasts. Her vast knowledge of plants delights both novice and experienced gardeners.”
--Southern Accents

“[This] attractive book offers information and advice on a wide range of plants and a myriad of gardening topics. Armstrong and Wilson’s choice to arrange the essays in the book by subject matter provides the reader a valuable resource on plant material to which he/she may return over and over. The book’s exhaustive and helpful index augments its practical usability.”
--Deborah Moore Clark, Carolina Landscape

“Fans of Elizabeth Lawrence will want to get their hands on Beautiful at All Seasons. . . . Those unfamiliar with Lawrence will find themselves enchanted with her thoughtful and conversational writing, akin to a modern day blog.”
--American Gardener

From the Publisher
"All gardeners will welcome this splendidly edited collection of essays by Elizabeth Lawrence. They will delight in her elegant prose and subtle humor and will marvel at her breadth of knowledge of plants and literature. I could hardly put it down."--Nancy Goodwin, author of Montrose: Life in a Garden

"A new book of garden essays by the incomparable Elizabeth Lawrence is a cause for celebration. A page a day will keep the garden--and you--happy."--Emily Herring Wilson, author of No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence

"Southern gardeners and beyond will welcome the availability of a new trove of Elizabeth Lawrence's renowned Charlotte Observer columns. Her writing style is personal and conversational and literary in approach, engaging and warm."--Bobby J. Ward, coeditor of A Garden of One's Own: Writings of Elizabeth Lawrence

From the Back Cover

“All gardeners will welcome this splendidly edited collection of essays by Elizabeth Lawrence. They will delight in her elegant prose and subtle humor and will marvel at her breadth of knowledge of plants and literature. I could hardly put it down.”—Nancy Goodwin, author of Montrose: Life in a Garden

“A new book of garden essays by the incomparable Elizabeth Lawrence is a cause for celebration. A page a day will keep the garden—and you—happy.”—Emily Herring Wilson, author of No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence

“Southern gardeners and beyond will welcome the availability of a new trove of Elizabeth Lawrence’s renowned Charlotte Observer columns. Her writing style is personal and conversational and literary in approach, engaging and warm.”—Bobby J. Ward, coeditor of A Garden of One’s Own: Writings of Elizabeth Lawrence

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Customer Reviews

Beautiful at all Seasons
This book comprises 132 columns that Elizabeth Lawrence wrote for the Charlotte Observer from 1957 to 1971. They were selected by garden lecturer and writer Ann L. Armstrong and Lindie Wilson, who owns Lawrence's former home in Charlotte, North Carolina. A good cross-section was chosen from over 700 columns that Lawrence wrote during her tenure at the Observer. Chapters include "Seasonal Flowers," "Bulbs, Corms & Tubers," "Trees & Shrubs," "Vegetables and Herbs, Climbers & Creepers," "Gardeners & Gardens," "Gods, Legends & Rituals," and "Bits & Pieces." Each piece runs about 2 pages and includes a wealth of horticultural information as well as vivid descriptions and observations that Lawrence was known for. Ten black & white photos of Lawrence and her garden are included. The amazing thing about these pieces are that they are as relevant today as they were over forty years ago when they were written.