Earth on Her Hands: The American Woman in Her Garden [Hardcover]

Starr Ockenga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1998

Eighteen masters of American gardening open the gates to their beloved gardens--and to their more than 1,000 collective years of horticultural passion, wisdom, and knowledge--in this exquisitely photographed gift book for every gardener to treasure. 250 color photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Earth on Her Hands celebrates the kind of people who have quietly and to minimal acclaim, over two centuries, developed and polished American garden style. These are the avid gardeners--mostly women--who establish and support community horticultural organizations and whose own gardens are examples of personal expression with unique local characteristics.

Starr Ockenga has interviewed 18 women who have worked and shaped their land, often over the course of several decades, into their dream gardens. From Ellie Spingarn's Connecticut stone wall to Georgie Erskine's Southern California citrus allée, each has features that are unique but fit seamlessly into their environment. There are meadows, orchards, a bonsai garden, vegetable gardens carved out of woodland, one walled English-style garden, and one that's intensely French, with topiaries, espaliered bushes, and a copper-roofed teahouse. Each woman is a plant collector of sorts, and each garden description is accompanied by a list of recommended plants. This is a joyous, soulful book that explores the complexity of garden-building and the effect it has on gardeners' lives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517705613
• ISBN-13: 978-0517705612
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderous book full of beauty and wisdom, June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Earth on Her Hands: The American Woman in Her Garden (Hardcover)

Earth on her Hands is a rich and vibrant book depicting the beauty of 18 very special women and the spectacular gardens they have nurtured over their lifetimes. The photography is amazing, capturing the beauty of the gardens as well as the wisdom, love, and beauty of each woman with "earth on her hands." It is more than a picture book and more than a gardening book. It is a revelation of wise, strong, wisdom women and their passion.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring book, November 9, 2001

By 

W. Oliver (Alabama) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Earth on Her Hands: The American Woman in Her Garden (Hardcover)

This is definately one of the most beautifully photographed books I have seen. Eighteen women gardeners from across the U.S. and their stunning gardens are profiled. Most of the women gardeners here are older and have been working on their gardens for decades. Some of them are also active in their local communities in garden clubs, parks and botanical gardens. If you enjoy looking at other people's gardens, you will love this. The photos are mouth watering. Each profile (about 10 pages in length) is wrapped up with a list of the gardener's recommended plants. This would be a good companion to Rosemary Verey's excellent book "The American Man's Garden".

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Won American Horticultural Society's 1999 Annual Book Award, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Earth on Her Hands: The American Woman in Her Garden (Hardcover)

Starr Ockenga's luminary profiles of some of North America's most dedicated women gardeners are inspirational for anyone who gardens. This book is a wonderfully designed blend of fine photography and eloquent writing. A must for the avid gardener.