Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life by Marta McDowell: book review

Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet (2019) is set in America in Amherst, Massachusetts, and in her family home, called the Homestead.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1885), the American poet, was an avid gardener. She studied botany and had a small glass observatory and flower garden in her home in Amherst. She sent fresh, dried, and pressed flowers to her friends. These flowers are mentioned in her many poems.

The Homestead was built in 1813, where she was born, lived, and died. Her older brother William (Austin) and younger sister Lavinia (Vinnie) were both keen gardeners.

This book takes a year, and the four seasons, in the life of a garden and weaves in the Dickinson’s poems, with excerpts from letters, botanical drawings, and photographs.

There are daisies, violets, hollyhocks, lilies-of-the-valley, crocuses, honeysuckles, peonies, roses, clover, hyacinths, daffodils, marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, bluebells, dandelions, and more – there is a comprehensive list at the end of the book. The book not only mentions flowers and trees in Dickinson’s garden, but also the flowers, gardens, and nature trails around her neighbourhood and during her travels.

In addition to Dickinson’s poetry, the author also uses her own poetic sentences to describe the garden’s plants, such as: ‘If summer is the sea, then alyssum is the foam on the waves.’

This is an interesting look at history of Emily Dickinson’s home and garden, and of her friends and associates that also appreciated its colour and grace.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

MARTINA NICOLLS

SUBSCRIBE TO MARTINA NICOLLS FOR NEWS AND UPDATES

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog