Friday, June 12, 2009

A British Author Talks of Gardening Obsession



I did manage to tear myself from my garden on a lovely Saturday in order to go to Andrea Wulf's talk on her book The Brother Gardeners. I really enjoyed myself too! In addition to a small reception at the beautiful (and HUGE) Nashville Public Library, all folks in attendance were treated to a warm, witty, entertaining and immensely good talk from one of London's authors and gardeners.

I videotaped a short clip for your entertainment. Here Andrea talks of the five stages of grief people go through when they lose a loved one. It has been shown that gardeners also suffer the five stages when they lose a plant. Ha! But we already knew that. She also talks of the governmental expenses for 'plants' when asking for reimbursement for job related expenses. Gotta love it. Ms. Wulf was even gracious enough to pose for a picture with me and she signed my book. I very much appreciated that. I also would like to thank the nice lady who took three pictures to get one decent one (didn't get her name-sorry).

If Andrea Wulf comes to talk in your area, I promise you won't be sorry if you go and hear her talk and see her slides. For now I'm....

in the garden.....

27 comments:

  1. Tina, you are just the most amazing woman! Visiting bloggers, family and authors! Do you have an album, paper or digital of your photos taken with the people you have met? I so admire your extroverted activities. :-)
    Frances

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  2. So glad you got to share some of her talk. I will investigate more about her.

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  3. BTW, I consider myself a southerner, being born and raised in Oklahoma which was still Indian territory during the Civil War. But my parents' parents came from Tennessee and Missouri. The Tennessee grandmother was most proud of her home state too, maybe that is what influenced us ending up here. I married a PA yankee, however, and all the kids were born in PA. I still love them though. :-)
    Frances

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  4. I'm with Frances here, you are amazing! Thanks for sharing this, it looks like it was a blast!

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  5. Morning All,
    Tina that was fantastic. How do you do it. All that going & gardening. I get tired just reading your activities.
    It sounds as tho you had a wonderful time. She sounds like a lovely lady.

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  6. I've not heard of her at all, but the British (in general) have a sense of humor that very much meshes with my own. :) Sounds like you had fun.

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  7. Isn't that wonderful? Good for you Tina. I think it's so lucky for us, your readers, that you sally forth and get the goods.

    I find there is a grief for lost plants and trees, my cats and dogs, birds I find, squirrels - it's lovely to have that communion with all things. But it's interesting to find someone actually mentions it in a talk.

    Tomorrow is Pink Saturday and I'm featuring a slideshow of lovely flowers from my Dad's gardens around his home on the St. Croix River in Wisconsin.

    Today I have something on Slide, an application that lets you have slideshows on your blog, website whatever.

    Talk to you later, thanks again for stopping by, please come again.

    X J

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  8. I echo the others about your running here and there. What kind of vitamins do you take. LOL I want to know where you get your energy.--Randy

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  9. Let me second, third and forth what admiring blogging friends have said about you...You are amazing! You had a full Saturday Tina! A good presentation and then off to a great garden tour! Have a good weekend...the rain has been welcome here. gail

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  10. She sounds funny, who knew about job related injuries from a dying plant!?

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  11. Good morning all!

    Frances, My blog is my journal in a way. It is a lovely picture album for me and I occasionally look back at it. Not so extroverted-just crazy for gardening and wanting to learn:) Somehow I knew you were a Southerner! And for the kids being born in the North-ha! Too funny!

    Janet, She was fun indeed! Love the book too!

    Darla, It really was! I was so glad I went. The old garden was fine without me.

    Lola, It was actually a big break for me-not in the garden. It's fun to get out and about. Hopefully I'll be able to post on a great garden tour I went on right after this speech. OMG! Gail saw it so she knows but it was something else. A good day indeed!

    Monica, Oh yes on the Brits! They are definitely a different type than Americans. So witty and funny and open! The first time I saw their newspaper headlines I get a big laugh-so-um-how to put it? Straight to the point?

    XJ, Oh yes, sorrow indeed for lost plants. You should've seen me shed a few tears after THE big freeze of 2007. What a mess. Still to this day plants are still dying due to the trauma.

    Jamie and Randy, I just so love gardening and committed myself to go. The bonus was there was also a garden tour in Nashville so it was a double gift that day. I was so glad I went. No vitamins though I could use some.

    Gail, Thanks. I am waiting to hear from Buffy if Mr. Hewitt will let me post his outstanding garden. I tell you and you know, it was something. It was so something it kind of made me feel like my piddly garden is nothing, then when I got home I got happy again. I think I picked about 10 photos and if he says yes-hopefully they'll do it justice. Oh to own a nursery AND be a gardener.

    Dawn, Oh yes, gardening is big business and important to work. Definitely have to deduct our planting expenses and sick days if we are depressed. But honestly, I can think of worse expenses, like prostitutes? Some scandals have broken about that. Much rather have gardening plants.

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  12. Thanks for sharing a clip of her talk with us. What an interesting Lady. Entertaining as well, lol. :)

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  13. Tina, you're just going to have to write a book of your own someday! You could include lots of photos of all the interesting people you've met along the way as well. I don't know about all the stages of plant grief, but I do understand denial. There's a dead hydrangea plant in my shade garden, because I keep hoping one of these days it will miraculously sprout a few leaves:)

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  14. Interesting lady Tina and maybe you need to slow down a little someday. Good Lord girl!!!

    Rose that is funny as I have done the same thing but more with house plants. By golly, many times the plants will come back from the roots so don't give up for a while.

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  15. How funny about the grief that we feel when we lose a plant! It is that way sometimes :)
    If she comes out this way I'll definitely try to see her, otherwise I'll look for her book.

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  16. I'll need to get that book..sounds like it's right up my alley!
    Have a great weekend..in the garden Tina! DD is coming in tonight--she pretty much has my time booked all weekend so no gardening for me! :)

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  17. I know those five stages of grief but I never have thought of them in regards to a plant tho! Although I've certainly felt crushing loss over the demise of something special. Very interesting and thought provoking. Good for you taking time away from your garden to meet the author, listen to her talk. The picture of you is excellent.

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  18. I echo what everyone else is saying. You are amazing! I have felt those 5 stages of grief too... especially when it's plant I love. Sounds like an interesting book and a great talk! -Jackie

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  19. Glad you included that clip of the author talking. The five stages of grief! Ah, haven't we all been there?! I agree with the others about your energy. Wow, can't wait to see what you'll post about tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

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  20. That's pretty funny - and so true! "What??! No that plant couldn't possibly be dead! Is that a new leaf I see there?" Thanks for introducing her to us.

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  21. Oh, how Saturday must have been a great day for you Tina! You do fit a lot into your schedule woman! Does running keep you feeling young? :-)

    Hot in the garden this morning. I transplanted some periwinkle from one planter to another and then mowed the yard. I about melted away in the humidity! Has been in the 90's all week and time for rain. But we hope to get the veggies in the ground first as it has finally dried enough for us! I hope we are not too late for a few crops....

    If only there were a way to right off my plants on taxes. tee hee...
    Everyone have a good weekend!

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  22. looks like you had a wonderful time and it is always fun to get the author to sign your book...good for you.

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  23. Racquel, It was fun!

    Rose, Hang in there-that hydrangea just might resurrect itself!

    Mom, Nah, having too much fun. Saw another garden this morning. That bad part is I MUST write a school paper, I only have until midnight tonight:)

    Catherine, I especially grieve if it is an expensive plant I tell you. They do get to be friends especially the J. Maples and hydrangeas.

    Linda, Have a great visit! And the garden will be there at a later date for sure. It's the attitude I've taken lately.

    Kathleen, Yes, now I have to be careful I take too much time away-the rain sure has made a good crop of weeds but maybe tomorrow I'll get back in it. Grief over a plant is kind of funny!

    Jackie, Too funny huh? Grieving a plant but I bet we all do it!

    Kanak, I know I've been busy lately. Seems the season. Can't wait for winter:) Skeeter posts tomorrow so I can relax a bit:)

    JGH, So we add denial too? Yup, Rose is in denial and I do it too. Hope is a gift we all can adore and helps soften the blows sometimes.

    Skeeter, Ha! Does running keep me feeling young? Nope, naps do that and I'm just up from mine. You sound way busier-it's yucky outside. Broke down and finally turned on the upstairs A/C. Humid here too. But good job on planting! Get those veggies in. I still have to plant mine too-tomorrow we can both be working and finally rest?? Not!

    Marmee, She was fun and it was such a treat to see her and for free too! That public library is good too!

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  24. So funny. Too bad American politicians don't get in trouble for things like garden expenses like the British MPs instead of the usual tawdry messes we always hear about...

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  25. What they said . . .
    How do you do it? I am now exhausted and need to go lay down!

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  26. Tina,
    You are so creative, I love all your stories visiting fellow gardeners.
    Can't wait to read more.
    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  27. Amazing! I had no idea stuff like this happened at the public library! What is with the author's sour face, does she not like pictures?! I'm glad to know another Northern!

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