The Backyard Parables: Lessons on Gardening, and Life

Popular garden writer Roach (I Shall Have Some Peace There) mingles personal reflections about her gardening life with helpful added sections that render nuts-and-bolts information. For example, she details her thoughts about laying out a bed with slow growers and young woody plants. "Not every woody thing is so happy to be kept on as tight a leash as a yew or privet will tolerate." Such reflections are followed by a new section that addresses how to keep deer at bay. The pattern of personal narrative coupled with practical guidelines carries the book along. Her insights are clever, animated, and expertly drawn. Yet the pacing can be jarring at times. She describes lingering in the garden in a captivating narrative voice, then shifts gears into a segment that compels the reader to grab a pen and notebook. Practical interruptions notwithstanding, the book is an insightful guide and a fun read. (Jan.)