A Review of “Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life” The plants and places that inspired the classic children’s tales By Marta McDowell Only rarely in a reader’s life will a book come along a book that is so perfectly suited for the reader’s character that it brings out the schoolgirl in her and perhaps a squeal of delight and a series of silly, wistful sighs. Reader, that is what Marta McDowell’s latest book has done for me. I admit I didn’t exactly love her book on Emily’s Dickinson’s garden but perhaps it was just my lack of enthusiasm for Dickinson herself that underwhelmed me. What a contrast is this treasure before me now. Shall I tell you all the things I love about it? The cover is what delights the eyes at once. Part of the wonder of Beatrix Potter was that she was an amazingly accomplished artist, even from a young age. The cover is beautiful and includes a watercolor of a sweet garden gate, another of a handful of adorable little guinea pigs busy at their vegetable patch (both done by Potter, of course) and a wonderful old black and white photograph of Potter herself looking young and radiant with a posy under her nose. The colors are charming in the way that all her watercolors are. Of course that sent me, with schoolgirl squeals, diving into the book where I was happy to discover a most generous selection of photographs and examples of her art; watercolors, sketches and even maps of the places important in her life. The book is organized into three main parts. The first is about her life in general and all the people and places that influenced her work and her gardening. The photographs of these people and places are the best collection of such that I’ve seen. The second part is about “The Year in Beatrix Potter’s Garden”. Here McDowell explores the day to day gardening life of Potter through each of the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall. She really is gifted writer. Here’s an example of what could have been just a simple intro to the bit about winter. See for yourself how skillfully she takes the reader to Sawrey in winter. “Winter perches on Sawrey like a large black bird. The nights draw out into the darkness of the north, cut by glow of lamplight and the smell of fireplaces burning wood and coal in the village cottages. It is the selvedge of the year.” See what I mean? The book if full of bits like that. So pretty. The third part, “Visiting Beatrix Potter’s Gardens” left me delighted and deeply, deeply envious of McDowell, who has tromped all over England to write this book. One thing I’ve liked about reading since I first picked up the habit is that it can take you anywhere in the world you care to go for the trouble of opening a book. After reading this section, I feel like I, too, have tromped ‘round the lake district and seen the green gate of Hilltop Farm. I have believe I was there in another life or in a dream. Just when you think the charming journey into the life of dear Beatrix Potter is over, you find one final gem at the back of the book. Something those of us who garden and also love our favorite writers like sisters will pounce upon with glee, and perhaps another squeal. It is a lovely list of Potter’s plants. But not just any old list. No! It includes each plant’s common name, botanical name, type of plant (shrub, perennial, etc) and the primary source from where she found it (which exact letter written by or to Potter where it was mentioned). I know. You’re in raptures. But I’m not done. Next there’s a chart/list of plants in her books. It includes what book, date, common and botanical names, and whether the reference was text or artwork. Squeal! I do apologize to non-gardening readers, you probably don’t understand the pleasure to be found when traipsing through ones’ own garden and pointing out to a friend and saying, “Look there. That’s a variegated geranium I planted after reading that Beatrix Potter book. It’s just like the one on page 20 of The Fairy Caravan.” Sigh. The rest of the book is a fancy index and lists of books for further reading. It’s a lovely book, sure to delight the following: children’s literature fans, children’s lit illustrators fans, gardening enthusiasts and Anglophiles. Sigh, I am all of the above. Thanks to Ms McDowell for sending this lovely autographed copy of what has become one of the great treasures of my library.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 14:27:10 +0000
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