Maybe it was the winter season that piqued my
interest in reading Marta McDowell’s book All the Presidents’
Gardens. With our garden at
rest, it was a lovely time to read about the history of the Presidents’ gardens
at the White House over the last 235 years.
I absolutely loved reading this book. It was a combination of history, gardening,
with a little bit of biographies mixed-together. It was refreshing to see the love of
gardening from our Presidents, their wives, and families, and how they enjoyed
the fruits of the labor of those who executed design plans. What a huge task for the men and women who
designed the gardens over the years. I
found it interesting to learn how everyone’s background, education, and
experience influenced the designs, selection of plants, and the additions of
other elements to make the gardens what they wanted.
As a gardener, I found I connected with the
Presidents and their families that had a love for gardening. I appreciated their desire for seed and plant
preservation. I came away from reading
this book with a new appreciation for how gardening is passed down from one
generation to another.
If you love gardening, history, biographies,
or design, I highly recommend All the Presidents’ Gardens by Marta
McDowell. This was a lovely and refreshing
book to read.
I would like to thank Timber Press and NetGalley
for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of All the Presidents’ Gardens
by Marta McDowell. I was under no
obligation to give a favorable review.
