Henry Mitchell On Gardening: Witty and Shrewd Horticultural Essays from the Washington Post's Beloved Columnist

by Henry Mitchell, Susan Davis (Illustrator), Allen Lacy (Introduction)

For readers who like gardening (and love the English language), this posthumous collection of Henry Mitchell's Washington Post "Earthman" columns is "equal parts entertainment and shrewd horticultural advice" (Science News). Henry Mitchell is "beloved for his witty, smart, informed, philosophical, wide-ranging and often wickedly humorous columns" (Detroit Free Press).

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Essays, Humor

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

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Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I well know gardeners are not idiots, or at least not because we garden, and no class of folk is more keenly aware how shaky the world is and how quickly the big sun is obscured and storms batter the frail erigerons that would have been strong enough in another two weeks, and so on endlessly."

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Droll wit and infectious passion for garden delights.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing, charming, and delightful to read, particularly when looking up the different plants and flowers mentioned as a rich visual aid. I appreciated the rhythm of the book, with chapters organized chronologically through a given year. My eyes are opened to a world of different species about which I never knew!

[Ruth Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely descriptions of gardens by a crotchety and opinionated gardener.

[Tarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not that I don’t like old white dudes waxing poetic about gardening... it just never felt like more than that to me.

[Ron Mohring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Mitchell's garden essays get me through the winter.

[Jeanette MacNeille]

I didn't read this cover to cover, but even so it was a fun and funny book about gardening. Well worth getting out of the library a second time to finish it, one of these days.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Mitchell on Gardening by Henry Mitchell (Houghton-Miflin 1998)(635.9). These are collected gardening essays by the dean of American male gardeners. These are wonderfully written and wonderful to read any time of year. My rating: 8/10, finished 2005.

[wfj]

lighthearted yet informative, Mitchell excels at describing his garden & his favorite plants, through the year. Opinionated at times, he seems to love roses & but is knowledgeable about vines, etc.

[Melissa Moog · Rating 5 out of 5]

sage

[Royalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love anything by Henry Mitchell

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely lovely book. I'm so glad I found it.