In 'The Nature Of Gardens', ten Australian writers explore what gardens mean, why they are so important, and how, through gardening, we can come to a better understanding of our natural and urban environments.
Marion Halligan sets out to see how many Australians still grow their own fruit and vegetables, while Margaret Scott tells of an extraordinary woman who produced enough for a whole community.
George Seddon explains why garden boundaries are vital to the survival of the environment, and Tim Bonyhady looks at the pioneering efforts of a famous American to preserve our bushland. Morag Fraser examines the natural garden movement through the work of one of its most notable practitioners. Peter Timms argues for an end to nostalgia and for greater understanding of Australian realities.
The idea of the garden as paradise is playfully outlined by Carmel Bird, and by Alan Saunders in his literate history of the garden city movement. Belinda Probert faces up to some of gardening's hard realities, and Warwick Mayne-Wilson pleads for a greater sense of community. Together they tell us much about our place in nature and in history, about changing perceptions of the landscape and the need for greater attention to it. Enlivened by personal reminiscence and passion for the subject, they explain why gardening is one of the most popular, yet one of the least understood, pastimes in Australia today.
