The October 2020 Northwest Horticultural Society Symposium, Gardening for the Future: Diversity and Ecology in the Urban Landscape, helped raise my awareness of the complex and wide-ranging network, both human and natural, that foster the creation of our gardens. Several recent books have helped me in that learning process, too.
One such book, about a garden in Morocco, wouldn’t have normally crossed my desk except for a recommendation by a librarian colleague. Books about private gardens can be breathtaking in their beauty, but being a bit jaded, I often find that after one flip-through, I’m done.
Not so with “Eden Revisited: A Garden in Northern Morocco.” Author Umberto Pasti writes novels, non-fiction, and memoirs, typically in his native Italian but his works are widely translated. In some ways, this book is a blend of all three types of writing and is equally engaging for its text as the exquisite photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo.
This garden is very much of its place. It won’t guide you to specific plants for your Pacific Northwest garden, but it is full of design ideas, and may cause you to ponder the purpose of your garden and its place in a bigger world. Even better, this book gives a strong validation of the place of all gardens and gardeners in giving back to their communities by honoring and remembering local traditions and local landscapes.
Here’s the tricky part. Pasti perceives his garden as an extension of his being. He doesn’t hesitate to attribute human or spiritual qualities to his plants. For example, a wild gladiolus is content with its setting, and smiles. While this may sound off-putting, this gentle animism provides an engaging rhythm and insight into an unfamiliar cultural and world view.
Even stronger is the spirit Pasti’s perceives in the people of his small community, all which are welcomed in his garden. “I am proud of the love for plants that grows stronger every day in our young gardeners. In loving those plants, they love their country, its history, its beauty and culture.”
Looking for a different gardening book? This is it, and it’s perfect for wintertime inspiration.
Published in Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society, Winter 2021