First Garden: An Illustrated Garden Primer

by C.Z. Guest, Cecil Beaton (Illustrator), Truman Capote (Introduction)

Combines basic instruction with personal reminiscence and advice in a guide to the essentials of planning and maintaining flower and vegetable gardens of modest but satisfying yield.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is excellent in that it seems to have been written by a batty socialite with the attention span of an affable dalmation and some time on her hands to dabble in the literary arts, while singing the praises of her other big hobby- gardening. With a forward by Truman Capote and illustrations by Cecil Beaton, this feels like a relic of another time and place (and class?) C.Z.'s bubbling enthusiasm for the gentle art of gardening is just about contagious, and her constant affirmations of the reader's green-thumb ability almost convince you to get off the couch and pick up a spade. Until you remember that your "garden" is a cement slab ending in a driveway, and... But nevermind. Prepare to be inspired to tear up whatever sort of yard you have in the hopes of making it bloom.