Every morning I take my old doggie out into the garden first thing, still in my dressing gown, sometimes stopping to admire a rose or a geum, checking my herbs or opening the cold frame.
When I saw the title of this collection of humorous poems I had to take a closer look. And when I took a closer look I had to buy the book!
“Outside in My Dressing Gown”
by Liz Cowley
Liz Cowley has succeeded in touching on so many funny sides of gardening life – what the neighbours think, the frustration of the crowds at the Chelsea Flower Show, snails and slugs, the weather, being tempted at the garden centre, weeds…. There is at least one poem in here for everyone to associate a personal experience with. One that stands out for me is her poem “Ground elder”, a weed I posted about recently. Here’s an excerpt:
Spaghetti roots are everywhere.
You dig them up and bitterly.
You know you’ve got enough out there
to cover half of Italy.
Spaghetti roots – impossible –
and most of them you can’t remove.
So if ground elder’s in your place,
There’s only one solution. Move!
This collection is such fun! With simple verse the writer can sum up precisely how a gardener thinks. I open a few pages every day and find myself smiling and nodding. She understands gardeners so well! In “Here at last” she expresses how the buds of spring can suddenly uplift your spirits. In “Are you named after a flower?” she lists some beautiful names/plants but suggests vegetable names should also be used… fancy being called Maris Piper?! In “Antirrhinums” she has a conversation with a flower. And in “I know I’m not a rarity” she writes:
I know that there are many thousands
of dressing gowners just like me,
outside, and dibbing, snipping, brushing –
I know I’m not a rarity.
The poems are divided into seasons, which is a nice touch. There are a few poignant lines in some of her poems too. This one caught my eye:
Plants can plant a love within you
that sometimes lasts you all life long….
Very true, don’t you think.
To sum up: ideal for gardeners who want a little giggle, some thoughtful moments and a few smiles.
😀
(By the way, I got the hardback here, but it is also available as a Kindle book!)
Oh, this looks so sweet! I can see reading it in the wintertime, too, when the garden is buried under snow…it would be so cheerful and fun!
Good idea and a nice Christmas present for someone I’m sure!
I think this is a very lovely book for gardeners and yes, the lines of the last poem are very true…
Have a nice sunny day in your garden, Cathy!
Enjoy the sunshine today Elisabeth! 😀
Sounds like a book made for you and other Non-rarities I like the way, you presented it 🙂
Thanks Uta – most gardeners seem to confess to being outdoors in the mornings in their nighties even in winter!
Thanks for sharing this book with us, Cathy; even the few lines you included made me smile too. Ilove reading from my kindle but I’m not so sure that leafing though poems would be as nice as leafing though a real book.
I agree Christina. I think poetry is much nicer in book form than Kindle.
Heehee! The book sounds fab! I love the snippets you’ve posted 🙂
There are quite a few treasures in there – it was hard to choose just a few examples of what I liked! 😀
LOVE IT I just came in from doing the same thing before the heat of the day has JT holed up in the AC lol me with my nightgown on not more than a slip I go out early so only the ones in planes may see 🙂 Loved the post! I also took shots of what was happening in the garden and flowers too 🙂
The mornings are the nicest time of day – no traffic noise or lawnmowers, only the birds and bees! 😀 Have a great weekend Eunice!
I love early mornings with coffee and the chatter of critters.
This sounds wonderful, just what I do every morning before doing the breakfast, thank goodness the neighbours can’t see me!
That’s what I often think! Our neighbours are having a new roof put on at the moment, so I’m having to be careful the workers don’t see me! 😉
Nice book choice Cathy. The poignant lines do ring true. susie
There are quite a few true lines in it. I’m still enjoying reading a bit every day. 😀
This sounds lovely. I can think if a couple of people who would love it as a present as well!
I think it’s an ideal gift for anyone who has a garden!