Never alone in the garden, Paolo Pejrone

I don't think this little book has been translated into any other language; the original Italian title is "in giardino non si è mai soli". Pejrone is a garden architect, Russell Page was his teacher and mentor.

This may seem to be only a collection of "reviews" about gardens, garden centres and gardeners; it does require a certain level of knowledge and -sure enough- passion for the subject.
But as the title shows, it is also a powerful metaphor of the author's love for plants and, finally, life. The reader walks through trees and seasons contemplating nature's mechanisms of selection, reproduction, protection. Some gardens are prey to urban mistreatment, others are like hidden jewels.
Every good gardener knows: life is but a whim, and there's nothing more intimate than growing strawberries, putting bulbs to sleep in the summer, and getting to know someone by the plants they chose for their garden.