Customer Reviews

Growing Myself: A Spiritual Journey Through Gardening

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Inner gardening is an interesting and simple concept, but sometimes totally over stated in Growing Myself. The author's strength is in her confessional stories about her life. In what I first thought would be a soft New Agey read about talking to plants and essays about the author coming of age as a spiritual Earth Mother, turned out to be hard hitting with stories about divorce and a difficult abortion. I admire the author's courage in the telling of her personal stories mixed with entertaining garden insights.

I loved this book. She risks it all to explain how she has come through many personal trials and tests in her life. This is not an easy topic for any person to relate, but Judith takes it one step further and finds nurturing messages in the care given to her plants and herself. Well written, not hoaky, but honest. Highly recommend it!

I just ran across a used copy of this book and have heartily enjoyed it. Handelsman's experiences with the remarkable presence and intelligence of plants mirrors my own. Learning to meet plants on their own terms is truly an art and such a rewarding one. Handelsman tells her experieces very simply and honestly. Anyone who has approached plants, trees and gardens as a place to grow both their own spirit and sense of community with the natural world will recognize a kindred spirit in this writer. I particularly enjoyed her focus on interacting and learning from houseplants since that opens the experience up to both urban and rural folks who want to explore interacting with plants in a deeper rather than just decorative manner. I'm thrilled to have found a simple book with simple wisdom that opens another level of love and awareness of life.

People always said I "had a knack" for growing and nurturing sick plants back to health. I have alot of houseplants and enjoy taking care of them, watering, pruning, repotting, etc. I could never understand why other people couldn't "grow" plants (afterall, plants grow themselves!) or even didn't like plants! But when I read Judith Handelsman's book, it became very clear that this "bond" with nature/plants comes naturally to some but it IS something that can be learned. Through this book and her shared experiences, I learned about myself and how I relate to people, plants, and situations. I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand and/or further expand his relationship with nature.

I thought this was going to be some sissy spiritual thing, but i could not put it down!!! I am definately ordering the whole "collection" For any gardener who cannot walk past a neglected plant in a supermarket or so-called "plant store"

I have never read these kind of books, but as a plant lover myself, it sounded interesting. I liked it so much that I've had several friends borrow it and they loved it themselves. I felt like I could relate to everything this author wrote.

Growing Myself is about the author's relationship with the plants in her life and how that bond helped her to cope with difficulties and learn about herself. Handelsman shares deeply personal stories about her marriage and divorce, abortion, her strained relationship with her mother, judgment of others, loss, sorrow, and acceptance.

In her twenties, Handelsman was introduced to the philosophy promoted by the Findhorn Garden and thus began a spiritual journey with plants. She began talking to her plants, letting them know her intentions, and found that the plants responded. Some of the stories are quite mystical, but the common thread is that plants are aware of us and desire the same things we do.

The reader is introduced briefly to various practices such as French intensive digging, Ruth Stout's gardening method, and Rudolf Steiner's Biodynamics. The last chapter summarizes the author's advice on "applying inner gardening." But this is really a love story about a human and her plants, how she helped them reach their full potential and how they helped her release personal baggage, connect to her own humanity, grow, and blossom.

I love this book although sometimes it does veer a bit too much to the left. She's an excellent story teller and I thoroughly enjoyed reading hers.