January 2023
Allan had found me an obscure old book as a Christmas gift. The first time he looked for it several years ago (after I read about it in one of Marion Cran’s memoirs), the only copies were over $100 each. This winter he had found one for a reasonable price.
It dates back so far that I doubt any of you would ever be able to see any copy but mine own. Since it is in the public domain, I will share snippets of some of the essays.
The Pleasure of an Orchard by William Lawson
The Gardener’s Philosophy by anonymous
on composting in winter
Old Fashioned Gardening by Margaret A. Paul
Landscape Gardening by Sir W. Scott
…….
I like my garden better than…
The following essay hints at having destroyed a walled garden of “rooms” to make a more Capability Brown style open landscape.
……..
………
………
……..
Then, you wander to the wild end of ….
(Except for the stream, that’s just what my Bogsy Wood and willow grove are like on campfire nights now…)
Tangly Cottage Gardening 
Wow! Those pictures!
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What a beauty of a book. Wowsah!
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I love this collection and the beautiful binding, but I cannot keep from gently scoffing at William Lawson’s phrase, “Nature corrected by Art.” Man can be so exceedingly self-important!
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There was a great deal of that sort of thing in the book. 🙂
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Do you know about abebooks (American Book Exchange). It is a world-wide site for selling old books. I searched “Margaret Waterfield” and found a number of other books illlustrated by her, with some at a very reasonable price. The link is https://www.abebooks.com/
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Yes, thank you, that’s where Allan got me almost all of the Marion Cran series.
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What a lovely book. Amazed at all the gardening you’ve been doing this winter! I just manage to get out in my own garden to have a look about but don’t accomplish much. You are an inspiration to get out there a little more than I have been.
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The weather has been pretty nice here, probably warmer than yours.
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Allan found a treasure of a book for you! I love the dreamy, colorful garden pictures.
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