Growing Home: Stories of Ethnic Gardening

by Susan Davis Price

A lavishly illustrated look at the extraordinary creations of Minnesota gardeners from around the world.This beautiful book brings together interviews and photographs of more than thirty Minnesotans who have imported the style and tradition of their native or ancestral lands into their gardening. Susan Davis Price relates the fascinating stories of these people’s lives as she explores gardening techniques and plants brought from every part of the globe.We meet Finnish-born Maiju Köntii, who cultivates the beautiful roses of her homeland, and Polish native Danuta Mazurek, who manages to grow the colorful, leafy alpines of the old country in her small urban yard. John Maire moved to Minnesota from the Sudan and has encouraged many fellow Africans to reconnect to communal life through the Immigrant Farmers Coalition and a group farm located near Elk River. Next to their downtown Minneapolis high-rise, a group of Korean Americans grows a Peace Garden, which includes wild sesame and the lovely and edible Chinese bellflower.The profiles in Growing Home also feature American-born citizens who use their gardening as a link to their cultural past. Minnesota native Kevin Oshima yearned for a connection to his Japanese heritage and eventually earned the title "bonsai master" for his success in growing these temperamental trees. Seitu Jones considers his attempt to keep the city green a tribute to "all the marvelous, unsung black folks who’ve been gardening for years."Well over one hundred beautiful color images highlight this unique look at how ordinary people create the extraordinary in their own backyards. Growing Home will delight not only gardeners but also readers of all backgrounds and interests.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

(from her website) A transplanted Southerner, I've lived and gardened in Minnesota for over 25 years. Long winters, short summers make gardening challenging here, I'll admit. Still the sight of ripening cherries and blossoming peonies, the perfume of lilacs and old roses, and the taste of ripe tomatoes and crisp apples are fine compensations. Every spring I make my peace with this cold climate.

British gardens, garden history, in fact, all things horticultural, are dear to my heart. How fortunate that I get to write and lecture about my favorite topics. Because I believe gardens are not only beautiful but therapeutic, I spend as much time outdoors as possible. My own cottage garden is well loved but not always tidy.