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Zen Gardening: A Down-to-Earth Philosophy
Our relationship with our garden mirrors our relationship with all the world - nourishing, reciprocal, deeply connected.
Taking inspiration from the words of writers, artists, and great Zen thinkers, this book recounts the incomparable satisfaction we can achieve by working in harmony with nature instead of battling against it...and reminds us of the lessons we can learn, and the joy we can reap, through gardening.
Taking inspiration from the words of writers, artists, and great Zen thinkers, this book recounts the incomparable satisfaction we can achieve by working in harmony with nature instead of battling against it...and reminds us of the lessons we can learn, and the joy we can reap, through gardening.
- GenresGardening
183 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 15, 1982
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 24, 2021
I'm already considering a re-read.
This is not a hard read by any means and though not especially quotable (though it does have some excellent quotes at the beginnings of the chapters), it does has some excellent themes and meditations to muse on.
Unlike some other books that shall not be named here, Veronica doesn't seem to be trying to give us a life-story/spiritual teaching mashup. Rather this is a lovely, slow series of musings on the different states of and feelings in a garden. I learned some new things when it comes to gardening in the practical sense (marigolds and nasturtiums, huh?), but more importantly I got a different insight into how to appreciate a garden and how to take that appreciation into other parts of my life.
The Zen part comes up a lot, but it's not preachy. Its very "here is my experience and my thoughts about this subject" in the way a friend would share with you after a long period of self-reflection or therapy.
As I said, I expect to read this again, probably soon, and would recommend it for anyone who is maybe stressed about their new 2020 Gardening Goals.
This is not a hard read by any means and though not especially quotable (though it does have some excellent quotes at the beginnings of the chapters), it does has some excellent themes and meditations to muse on.
Unlike some other books that shall not be named here, Veronica doesn't seem to be trying to give us a life-story/spiritual teaching mashup. Rather this is a lovely, slow series of musings on the different states of and feelings in a garden. I learned some new things when it comes to gardening in the practical sense (marigolds and nasturtiums, huh?), but more importantly I got a different insight into how to appreciate a garden and how to take that appreciation into other parts of my life.
The Zen part comes up a lot, but it's not preachy. Its very "here is my experience and my thoughts about this subject" in the way a friend would share with you after a long period of self-reflection or therapy.
As I said, I expect to read this again, probably soon, and would recommend it for anyone who is maybe stressed about their new 2020 Gardening Goals.
March 13, 2025
Always love reading about gardening.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews