Gardening from the couch: Anne Raver
Even if you do not subscribe to the New York Times, if you are a gardener, you might know Anne Raver.
She is a regular on "Maryland Morning" with Tom Hall on WYPR (88.1 FM) on Wednesdays. And she is also a neighbor, of sorts.
Not long ago, she returned to her family's farm in Carroll County to care for her ailing mother. Now she and boyfriend, Rock, (is there a better name for the boyfriend of a gardener? I have this idea that he does all the heavy work) are working the farm and you can read about their exploits, plus Raver's other excellent reporting, in The Times. She is also working on a book about the history of her family's farm.
Raver has been writing about gardening for a long time, and a collection of her essays was published in 1995 under the title Deep in the Green: an Exploration of Country Pleasures.
(The book is also available in paperback and I have a copy autographed by Raver for one of you. I will choose a comment at random from today's posts and mail the book to you. Just provide your e-mail so I can contact you for a mailing address. Don't worry, I won't share it with anyone else.)
Raver's book of garden essays has long been one of my favorites and I return to it often. She has the gift of connecting life in the garden to life outside the garden in ways that are both surprising and comforting.
Raver's essays are practical and informative, but it is when she strays a little way from the garden that they are most provocative.
That is the true strength of the garden writer, I think.
Comments
Exploration of country pleasures - Being a country transplant myself, I would think this book could offer me valuable advice and insight.
Posted by: NotableM | April 12, 2009 7:40 AM
The best garden writing embraces multitudes. I do some of my best thinking when I'm getting muddy!
Posted by: Dahlink | April 12, 2009 11:23 AM
Hello Susan, just wanted to tell you about an urban gardening event on Friday April 17...URB AG GALA...at 2640 St. Paul (St. John's church) with food, music, exhibits, and lots of energy. Suggested donation $5
It's 7-10 pm, and should be a great way to boost local urban gardening!...just like your writings!
Linda
Thanks Linda! And FYI, we will be writing about URB AG GALA here on Garden Variety later this week. Stay tuned!--Susan
Posted by: Linda Franklin | April 12, 2009 10:16 PM
As Master Gardener training coordinator at Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Westchester County,NY, I have mailed a copy of our 2011 Master Gardener calendar to Anne's attention c/o NY Times on Eight Ave. in NYC in the hopes she likes it so well she'll tell everyone to put it on their holiday gift list for gardeners. Hope she'll let me know she's received it and give us a plug.
Posted by: JoAnn DiRico Trautmann | December 6, 2010 10:45 AM
I have always been a fan of Anne Raver's articles in the Times. Her family farm must be a source of inspiration.
Posted by: Leisl | April 20, 2011 1:00 PM
I do some of my best thinking when I'm getting muddy!
Posted by: Technische Übersetzung | July 6, 2011 11:39 AM