Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening [Hardcover]

Fran Sorin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2004

For experienced and would-be gardeners alike, this beautiful book leads readers through a process of creative discovery that encourages them to bloom right along with their gardens.

Now more than ever, people are looking for activities that help them to relax and connect with the world--and nothing accomplishes this goal more completely than gardening. By tuning in to the processes of the natural world, millions have discovered that gardening acts as a conduit for experiencing creativity--not just in the garden, but in life. Now, gardening expert Fran Sorin offers this practical, prescriptive, and motivational book to teach readers to use gardening as both a metaphor and a tool for exploring and enhancing creativity in all areas of life. With evocative illustrations and a series of eye-opening, inspirational exercises, DIGGING DEEP encourages gardeners of all levels to enjoy their gardens more deeply and to set their creative selves free.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

For an artist, it's an empty canvas; for a writer, a blank page; but for a homeowner, a barren landscape can be an equally daunting proposition. As with any creative endeavor, filling a space with beauty is a task few approach with any degree of self-confidence, but Sorin maintains such intimidation is unnecessary once we learn how to open ourselves up to sensory and imaginative experiences. Espousing principles that can and, she hopes, will be applied to other aspects of life, Sorin views gardening as the perfect place to begin one's creative reawakening and offers a thought-provoking series of exercises and practices that will help readers produce their perfect garden setting while developing philosophies and habits that will allow them to enjoy the fruits of their labors. From wishing and hoping to weeding and hoeing, Sorin enthusiastically guides gardeners every step of the way, helping them learn how to make choices and sharpen skills, celebrate successes, and embrace changes from a more creative perspective. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Fran Sorin designs gardens throughout the United States. She has been a regular contributor on NBC's Weekend Today and appeared on LIVE with Regis and Kelly, HGTV, The Discovery Channel, Lifetime, and NBC 10 in Philadelphia. The host of a weekly gardening radio show for Infinity Broadcasting, she also writes for USA Weekend and is the gardening expert for iVillage.com. She lives in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446531669
• ISBN-13: 978-0446531665
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,248,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fran Sorin is a nationally known gardening expert, communicator, author, broadcaster, and journalist. Her multi-media exposure reflects her philosophy that gardening is a process that can teach individuals how to live more meaningful, creative, healthy and spiritual lives.

'Digging Deep' takes the reader, step by step, through Fran's 7 stages of creativity, offering tools on how to be more creative in the garden and in life. It is available in Paperback and Kindle and has also been published in German.

Fran is the Gardening Correspondent for CBS Radio News where her features are heard several times a week on CBS stations nationwide. She has been a Regular Contributor on The Weekend Today Show and has made appearances on Live with Regis and Kelly, CNN, HGTV, Discovery, DIY, Comcast and NBC10 in Philadelphia. Fran is the GardenSmart columnist for USA Weekend magazine, reaching close to 50 million readers,writes for Radius Magazine and has hosted a gardening call-in talk radio show on a CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. She was instrumental in creating the Garden Channel on iVillage.com where she was the gardening expert for several years.

Fran is the Co-Creator and Producer of GardeningGoneWild, a group of garden authors, photographers, broadcasters and journalists from the heights of horiculture. It is the only group blog made up of an international roster of gardening professionals.

Fran sits on the Advisory Board of The Healthy House Institute. She graduated with Honors from The University of Chicago. Prior to entering the world of gardening, Fran was a broadcast executive and media consultant.

Learn more about Fran on her website: www.fransorin.com

Contact Fran at: [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars in my kitchen, April 19, 2004

By 

Peter Gaspard (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening (Hardcover)

I thought it was very strange when someone gave me this book as a gift in that I don't even have a yard. Most of the house plants I've had over the years have died from either too little or too much watering. It felt like a gag gift. I'm surprised I ever even started reading it but once I did I couldn't put it down. I realize now that the reason I had so much trouble with plants before is that I never really accepted them as being alive and as a result treated them as if they were a painting or a sculpture. I've re-stocked my kitchen with plants and we're all getting along very well thanks to Ms. Sorin. It has added more than foliage to my life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting in touch, April 18, 2004

By 

Ray Lee (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening (Hardcover)

I never really thought of myself as a gardner but reading Fran Sorin's book made me realize that it's not about a competition and trying to have the "best" garden on the block but about getting in sync with yourself through a connection with the earth. I get so caught up in a mad rush with work and just life in general but there is nothing like the process involved in growing things. I think I am more connected to my environment and my life through this simple but profound exploration of improving your life through gardening.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Inspiring, April 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening (Hardcover)

Ever since I moved to New York City I felt like I just didn't have any time to do things I used to enjoy so much. And I read about this book in USAWeekend and bought it and got so inspired that I bought two fica plants before I even finished the book. It reminded me of the time I used to spend with my Irish grandma out in the garden where I grew up near Peoria, IL. It filled me with life again, and not to get too honest, since reading Fran Sorin's book I have gotten the courage to break off a relationship I should have ended a while back. And I honestly feel I am ready to start and enjoy making my new life grow!