Whether you’re a master gardener or your flowers come from the grocery store, our book reviewer Carole Barrowman is here with a list of books that will help you get in the mood for spring!
For more information on Carole and her own books, visit BarrowmanBooks.com.
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur - I don’t read many self-help books, but sometimes a poem can carry as much wisdom. I especially like poetry collections when I travel for those brief moments in lines when instead of looking at social media on my phone I can read a poem. This lovely collection is packed with small gems of wisdom. This is one of my favorites:
“This is the recipe of life
said my mother
as she held me in my arms as I wept
think of those flowers that you plant
in the garden each year
they will teach you
that people too
must wilt
fall
root
rise
in order to bloom”
The Grumpy Gardener by Steve Bender - I am a grumpy gardener. I think gardening is a chore and I leave most of it to my husband. Bender is the garden editor at Southern Living, his mission is to “make gardening uplifting, accessible, and inspirational to all.” Plus, he has a sense of humor that is evident in every page. This is a funny and insightful A-Z glossary of gardening trivia and practical information. I plan to read it again in the summer lounging in my lawn chair while my husband is weeding.
Queen Anne’s Lace by Susan Witting Albert - This smart mystery series has been blooming for 26 novels and Wittig’s writing just keeps getting better. The main character is an herbalist, each title has a reference to herbs, gardens or flowers (first one was called Thyme of Death), and each book bursts with fascinating details about herbs. Albert also has a historical series featuring the Darling Dahlias about a female gardening club in the 1930s.
Digging In by Loretta Nyhan - After the death of her husband, Paige Moresco struggles to keep herself and her family from falling apart. One day she digs up her overgrown weed-infested garden and plants vegetables. She lives in a conservative gated-community. Her neighbors are not happy. But she persists. The more she works the soil, the more she heals and the relationship with her teenage son is strengthened. This is a charming uplifting novel.