A new book on gardening, Greening the Garden, A Guide to Sustainable Growing, lives up to the promise of its publishers, Christopher and Judith Plant: "It transforms gardening into an act of personal, political significance."
Dan Jason, its author, is inspirational about returning agricul-ture to the graceful and harmonious activity it can be. He makes a staunch defense of (certain) weeds, makes it clear that efforts (virtually any efforts) at composting will succeed, lets you know about nutritious and medicinal plants that require almost no further help from you at all, once introduced, and generally evokes faith in our ability to regain control over our lives.
"If, in our daily actions, each of us takes the environment fully into account, sustainability can become a reality. What this requires is a new way of thinking about our relationship to nature. To be truly nourished by our gardens’ abundance requires circular, rather than linear, movement: an attitude of taking and giving inspired by the delicate balance in which all the planet’s systems and lifeforms coexist… In such a context, one can answer the question, ‘Sustainable for whom?’ with the response, ‘Sustainable for all.’ "
Greening the Garden is available in paperback for $12.95 from New Society Publishers, 4527 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143.
