Discuss The Rambunctious Garden with Washington Gardener Book Club

For our Garden Book Club Winter Meeting we will be discussing The Rambunctious Garden:  Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris. Please join us on Thursday, April 7 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop.

A paradigm shift is roiling the environmental world. For decades people have unquestioningly accepted the idea that our goal is to preserve nature in its pristine, pre-human state. But many scientists have come to see this as an outdated dream that thwarts bold new plans to save the environment and prevents us from having a fuller relationship with nature. Humans have changed the landscapes they inhabit since prehistory, and climate change means even the remotest places now bear the fingerprints of humanity. Emma Marris argues convincingly that it is time to look forward and create the "rambunctious garden," a hybrid of wild nature and human management.

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine by April 5, so we know how many chairs to hold for our group.

Here are the rest of our 2016 selections for the Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club:

SUMMER- Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West

FALL - Paradise Under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Discuss "The Invention of Nature" at our Garden Book Club Winter Meeting

For our Garden Book Club Winter Meeting we will be discussing The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf. Please join us on Thursday, February 11 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop.

The acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world and in the process created modern environmentalism.

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine by February 9, so we know how many chairs to hold for our group.

Here are the rest of our 2016 selections for the Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club:

SPRING- The Rambunctious Garden:  Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris

SUMMER- Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West

FALL - Paradise Under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Win Heaven is a Garden in October 2015 Washington Gardener Magazine's Reader Contest

For our October 2015 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving a signed copy of Heaven is a Garden: Designing Serene Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection by Jan Johnsen (a prize value of $18.00).  
   Why do some gardens make us feel so wonderful, relaxed, and refreshed? Using ideas based on ancient and modern practices, this book shows how you can uplift yourself and others in a serene setting designed for “unplugging” and relaxing. Whether you are intending to create a lovely garden or just thinking about a future outdoor haven, Heaven is a Garden will help you see your backyard in a whole new light and reawaken an awareness of the wonders of Nature. “Simplicity, Sanctuary, and Delight” is the guideline that noted landscape designer Jan Johnsen recommends in this elegantly written book. She draws on her 40 years in the profession and offers stunning visuals and specific ways to make a garden look glorious and feel harmonious at the same time. She reveals how to highlight a power spot, explores the lure of the sheltered corner, explains why a gate facing east is considered auspicious, and suggests which trees you can use to impart a special atmosphere. Gardeners will also enjoy the chapters on the mysteries of color, a rock’s resonance, and the magic of water.
   To enter to win a signed copy of Heaven is a Garden, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5pm on Friday, October 30, with “Heaven” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us which was your favorite article in the October 2015 issue of the magazine and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on November 1.

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner Karen Bishop Wood of Hollywood, MD! Her entry was chosen at random from among the submitted entries.