Farther Afield

One of the sad realities of growing older is that you realize what is being lost daily, and that unless we educate younger people they will not miss these things because they will not know they ever existed. For instance, says Allen Lacy in his book FURTHER AFIELD, the wild Cyclamens of Greece and Turkey are systematically dug up and shipped to unsuspecting buyers in the U.K. and the U.S. Lacy's friend Nancy Godwin of Montrose nursery in NC has worked hard over the past few decades to ensure that Cyclamens grown from seed will reach American consumers and hopefully undercut the trade in endangered bulbs. In addition to his Montrose visit, Lacy reports on gardening activities in Costa Rica, Monticello, and many other locations where the dedicated are working hard to preserve our botanical heritage. His travels take him far from New Jersey, but he also includes many essays on shorter excursions, some into his own yard where Hosta and Gloriosa Lilies, Ailanthus, Bouncing Bet, Sedum and Sempervivums bloom. He reports that the Tigridia or Mexican shell flower is photogenic and although the Fritillaries are numerous, he grows the native of Northern Europe known as snake's head lily or guinea-hen flower. Until his retirement, Lacy was a professor of philosophy who wrote a garden column as a sideline. He retired and kept on writing about the subject (and editing lots of good garden books). This book is a little older, but like the timeless tales of other great gardener writers who were also students of life relevant for our current lives. Reading Lacy is an uplifting experience for anyone with the winter blahs. Although he shares his concerns about things that should concern us, he also shares the victories he observes. His writing is reminiscent of Thoreau who made excursions abroad, usually to Waldon Pond, but sometimes further afield.