Duke University Press - Beautiful at All Seasons

Subjects
General Interest > Gardening, NC and Regional U.S.

Elizabeth Lawrence (1904–85) is recognized as one of America’s most important gardeners and garden writers. In 1957, Lawrence began a weekly column for the Charlotte Observer, blending gardening lore and horticultural expertise gained from her own gardens in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and from her many gardener friends. This book presents 132 of her beloved columns. Never before published in book form, they were chosen from the more than 700 pieces that she wrote for the Observer over fourteen years.

Lawrence exchanged plants and gardening tips with everyone from southern “farm ladies” trading bulbs in garden bulletins to prominent regional gardeners. She corresponded with nursery owners, everyday backyard gardeners, and literary luminaries such as Katharine White and Eudora Welty. Her books, including A Southern Garden, The Little Bulbs, and Gardens in Winter, inspired several generations of gardeners in the South and beyond.

The columns in this volume cover specific plants, such as sweet peas, hellebores, peonies, and the bamboo growing outside her living-room window, as well as broader topics including the usefulness of vines, the importance of daily pruning, and organic gardening. Like all of Lawrence’s writing, these columns are peppered with references to conversations with neighbors and quotations from poetry, mythology, and correspondence. They brim with knowledge gained from a lifetime of experimenting in her gardens, from her visits to other gardens, and from her extensive reading.

Lawrence once wrote, “Dirty fingernails are not the only requirement for growing plants. One must be as willing to study as to dig, for a knowledge of plants is acquired as much from books as from experience.” As inspiring today as when they first appeared in the Charlotte Observer, the columns collected in Beautiful at All Seasons showcase not only Lawrence’s vast knowledge but also her intimate, conversational writing style and her lifelong celebration of gardens and gardening.

“Beautiful at All Seasons is to be sipped, as wine; not gulped, as soda pop. One or two pieces an evening will do very well; reading wherever the book falls open yields pleasure. A word of caution: Dirty fingernails may result. Sharing Lawrence’s zest for gardening is sure to stir an urge to stick a spade, and fingers, in the soil." — Bryan Haislip, Winston-Salem Journal

“[I]nformative and often lyrical.” — Mae Woods Bell, Rocky Mount Telegram

“The columns constitute an invaluable resource for nature lovers and others who relish literary allusions. . . . As inspiring today as when they were first published, the columns collected in Beautiful at All Seasons showcase not only Lawrence’s vast knowledge but also her intimate, conversational writing style and her lifelong celebration of gardens and gardening.” — Susan Farrington, Sanford Herald

“[This] attractive book offers information and advice on a wide range of plants and a myriad of gardening topics. Armstrong and Wilson’s choice to arrange the essays in the book by subject matter provides the reader a valuable resource on plant material to which he/she may return over and over. The book’s exhaustive and helpful index augments its practical usability.” — Deborah Moore Clark, Carolina Landscape

“Fans of Elizabeth Lawrence will want to get their hands on Beautiful at All Seasons. . . . Those unfamiliar with Lawrence will find themselves enchanted with her thoughtful and conversational writing, akin to a modern day blog.” — American Gardener

“Fifty years after her columns for the Charlotte Observer were first published, Elizabeth Lawrence inspires a new generation of garden enthusiasts. Her vast knowledge of plants delights both novice and experienced gardeners.” — Southern Accents

“Gardeners will want it for the advice, but those who do not dig in the dirt will enjoy these short, informative and conversational essays.” — Cliff Bellamy, Durham Herald-Sun

“Here are revealed Lawrence’s wide gardening interests—plant culture, lore and literature, flowers of the church calendar, and correspondence with literary luminaries. . . . Elizabeth had a graceful writing style—warm, engaging, and conversation-like.” — Bobby J. Ward, Rock Garden

“It is the clearly personal tone which makes [Lawrence’s] columns worth reading, much as one might talk to a colleague. One can agree or disagree but the chat is never dull.” — Judith Taylor, Garden Gazette

“Lawrence displays the virtues of a dedicated plantswoman: she is generous, patient, watchful and above all curious as she delves into the histories of her favorite plants or consults her favorite experts . . . on the more arcane aspects of plant lore.” — Jennifer Potter, TLS

“Ms. Lawrence's voice is delightful—and not just for its contagious enthusiasm. Often her seemingly incidental asides become small quaint observations.” — William Scheick, Texas Gardener's Seeds

“Reading these essays is like picking through a box of fine chocolates, each one to be savored, carefully nibbled and melted in your mouth. . . . Reading Lawrence reminds us that gardening is a way to connect to our community, our history and traditions and ultimately to the world around us. This is one for the bedside table.” — David Bare, Winston-Salem Journal

“This book is filled with unusual facts. If you're not even a gardener, you will enjoy reading about these plants and herbs. . . . This book is a real treasure.” — Mary Rice Patterson, Salisbury Post

“This collection is possessed of many virtues. Though the columns were written decades ago, they are not dated, offering ideas, descriptions, and tips that are valid both now and in the future. One virtue is that the collection can be used as a reference book for plants that will easily snuggle into Southern gardens, from peonies and hellebores to hydrangeas and smilax. . . . But more—much more—recommends this book than its undoubted value as a reference volume. Lawrence's way with words enchants.” — Janet Lembke, News & Observer

“This slender volume, packed with grace, renders it all for you in a marvelous package.” — Blue Ridge Business Journal

"I knew Lawrence well enough from previous books that, rather than jumping about to read columns of particular interest first, I began at the beginning and went through to the end. It was stopping that was disappointing, for Lawrence's writing is so filled with wit, color, interesting stories of plants and gardeners and Lawrence's own likes and dislikes that I want more. I marked the book in a shameful way, underlining and writing notes in the margins. I want to be able to savor my first pleasure again and again in future readings." — Tony P. Wrenn, Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg VA)

"The book is extremely enjoyable and a must for every gardener on the planet as well as for those who simply wish to embark once again on a lovely journey with Elizabeth Lawrence." — Anita Stone, Pilot (Southern Pines NC)

“A new book of garden essays by the incomparable Elizabeth Lawrence is a cause for celebration. A page a day will keep the garden—and you—happy.” — Emily Herring Wilson, author of No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence

“All gardeners will welcome this splendidly edited collection of essays by Elizabeth Lawrence. They will delight in her elegant prose and subtle humor and will marvel at her breadth of knowledge of plants and literature. I could hardly put it down.” — Nancy Goodwin, author of Montrose: Life in a Garden

“Southern gardeners and beyond will welcome the availability of a new trove of Elizabeth Lawrence’s renowned Charlotte Observer columns. Her writing style is personal and conversational and literary in approach, engaging and warm.” — Bobby J. Ward, coeditor of A Garden of One’s Own: Writings of Elizabeth Lawrence