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Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again
“ Uprooted reveals how a late-life uprooting changed Dickey as a gardener.” —The Wall Street Journal
When Page Dickey moved away from her celebrated garden at Duck Hill, she left a landscape she had spent thirty-four years making, nurturing, and loving. She found her next chapter in northwestern Connecticut, on 17 acres of rolling fields and woodland around a former Methodist church. In Uprooted , Dickey reflects on this transition and on what it means for a gardener to start again.
In these pages, follow her searching for a new home, discovering the ins and outs of the landscape surrounding her new garden, establishing the garden, and learning how to be a different kind of gardener. The surprise at the heart of the book? Although Dickey was sad to leave her beloved garden, she found herself thrilled to begin a new garden in a wilder, larger landscape.
Written with humor and elegance, Uprooted is an endearing story about transitions—and the satisfaction and joy that new horizons can bring.
When Page Dickey moved away from her celebrated garden at Duck Hill, she left a landscape she had spent thirty-four years making, nurturing, and loving. She found her next chapter in northwestern Connecticut, on 17 acres of rolling fields and woodland around a former Methodist church. In Uprooted , Dickey reflects on this transition and on what it means for a gardener to start again.
In these pages, follow her searching for a new home, discovering the ins and outs of the landscape surrounding her new garden, establishing the garden, and learning how to be a different kind of gardener. The surprise at the heart of the book? Although Dickey was sad to leave her beloved garden, she found herself thrilled to begin a new garden in a wilder, larger landscape.
Written with humor and elegance, Uprooted is an endearing story about transitions—and the satisfaction and joy that new horizons can bring.
243 pages, Hardcover
Published September 22, 2020
64 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 10, 2020
An apt metaphor for life in the COVID lane. We’ve been “uprooted” from life as we’ve known it, while the author’s uprooting comes from her own choice: To leave her home and beloved self-planted garden of 34 years.
Dickey captures the double-edged face of change. We mourn what we’ve lost, yet can be excited by what we gain. The writer finds herself ecstatic as she plans, plants and tends her wilder new garden. She learns to garden differently, and thus inhabit her world in a fresh way.
I only wish for a more vibrant cover. I’m afraid this lovely memoir will be lost among more colorful texts in a library or bookstore. Elegant, wise, funny, and poignant, UPROOTED is highly recommended for readers with or without green thumbs.
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 29 Sep 2020
Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#Uprooted #NetGalley
Dickey captures the double-edged face of change. We mourn what we’ve lost, yet can be excited by what we gain. The writer finds herself ecstatic as she plans, plants and tends her wilder new garden. She learns to garden differently, and thus inhabit her world in a fresh way.
I only wish for a more vibrant cover. I’m afraid this lovely memoir will be lost among more colorful texts in a library or bookstore. Elegant, wise, funny, and poignant, UPROOTED is highly recommended for readers with or without green thumbs.
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 29 Sep 2020
Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#Uprooted #NetGalley
October 15, 2020
3.5/5
Page Dickey knows a ton about plants, shrubs, and trees, and that comes out in the detail of this beautiful gardening memoir. This book is a detailed look at how Ms. Dickey plans and transforms the landscape and gardens at her new home at Church House in Connecticut after moving from her beloved home at Duck Hill in Upstate New York.
This book is filled with really lovely photography, showing different places in and around Church House. All of the photos are really stunning and, honestly, they make me want to spend a lot more time outside.
I will say that I had hoped for a little more of the emotional aspect of starting over in a new home after leaving one you had lived in for many years. I wanted to feel some of what Ms. Dickey and her husband felt in making their big decision to relocate and then in making their new home comfortable for them. Ms. Dickey didn't really write that sort of thing in this book. Rather, this book is mostly the author sharing details about her new garden: thoughts about what she planted, where she planted it, and why. I would say that the folks that will love this the most are the probably the ones that have a pretty good base of knowledge about horticultural things and landscape design.
Many thanks to Timber Press for providing a digital copy of this book via NetGalley for my review. These thoughts are my own!
Page Dickey knows a ton about plants, shrubs, and trees, and that comes out in the detail of this beautiful gardening memoir. This book is a detailed look at how Ms. Dickey plans and transforms the landscape and gardens at her new home at Church House in Connecticut after moving from her beloved home at Duck Hill in Upstate New York.
This book is filled with really lovely photography, showing different places in and around Church House. All of the photos are really stunning and, honestly, they make me want to spend a lot more time outside.
I will say that I had hoped for a little more of the emotional aspect of starting over in a new home after leaving one you had lived in for many years. I wanted to feel some of what Ms. Dickey and her husband felt in making their big decision to relocate and then in making their new home comfortable for them. Ms. Dickey didn't really write that sort of thing in this book. Rather, this book is mostly the author sharing details about her new garden: thoughts about what she planted, where she planted it, and why. I would say that the folks that will love this the most are the probably the ones that have a pretty good base of knowledge about horticultural things and landscape design.
Many thanks to Timber Press for providing a digital copy of this book via NetGalley for my review. These thoughts are my own!
June 24, 2020
Please note this is a 3.5.
Gardening means a lot of things to different people, and if it happens to be your niche, then this book will absolutely resonate with you in a lot of ways. It follows the story of the author, who was incredibly attached to her long-time property and garden, and her choice to move (and, in doing so, start anew in respect to the grounds). To lose so much in terms of work, years of effort, and developing plants from the day you planted them is a scary thought, and a terrifying thing to take on! I very much appreciated how much this book took the focus that new doesn't have to mean bad or lacking in beauty, it just means that you have a clean slate to work with, and to sometimes try things that you never had the chance to do before. Even though it was a book about gardening, it hits home in a lot of other ways, and that makes it something special.
The photographs in this book were gorgeous and absolutely stand-outs in the whole of the narrative. This is the perfect book for the person in your life who loves their garden and pours their heart into it- the author of this book is someone who absolutely understands just how much a garden can make a life.
Gardening means a lot of things to different people, and if it happens to be your niche, then this book will absolutely resonate with you in a lot of ways. It follows the story of the author, who was incredibly attached to her long-time property and garden, and her choice to move (and, in doing so, start anew in respect to the grounds). To lose so much in terms of work, years of effort, and developing plants from the day you planted them is a scary thought, and a terrifying thing to take on! I very much appreciated how much this book took the focus that new doesn't have to mean bad or lacking in beauty, it just means that you have a clean slate to work with, and to sometimes try things that you never had the chance to do before. Even though it was a book about gardening, it hits home in a lot of other ways, and that makes it something special.
The photographs in this book were gorgeous and absolutely stand-outs in the whole of the narrative. This is the perfect book for the person in your life who loves their garden and pours their heart into it- the author of this book is someone who absolutely understands just how much a garden can make a life.
February 2, 2022
Beautiful photographs and great details about designing gardens at a new house. It walks a fine line between practical advice and memoir.
August 14, 2023
Moving from a meticulously cultivated garden to one left to be itself is a transformative experience we get to share as new plants are discovered in the 17 acre homestead. Wooded, rocky, open, wet, all are allowed to be mostly natural (invasives are removed) and thoroughly enjoyed. I would love to spend time in her wooded area with all the wildflowers and crags.
Full page photos, tho mostly of plants, give visuals as her transition and discoveries are noted.
Full page photos, tho mostly of plants, give visuals as her transition and discoveries are noted.
October 7, 2020
Page Dickey has written pretty much the perfect garden book. For 34 years she gardened intensively on three acres in New York's Westchester County, her renowned garden becoming increasingly crowded with carefully curated, and often rare annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. In her 70s-and with her husband even older--she decided to find a new place that acknowledged their aging knees and financial necessity. But instead of trading down in space, she traded up--to 17 acres in rural Connecticut. There is something in her book for every gardener, particularly those of us who toil to make their yards more beautiful in hardiness zones 4 to 7.
Her new garden exhibits the biggest trend that I see in the gardens that I visit: not just mixing perennials and shrubs, or edibles with ornamentals, but natives and non natives. Along with adding native plants, these gardeners are carefully accepting new "improved" cultivars of old plants, and those from other countries, but they are paying attention to the habit of each, mindful of invasive plants like buckthorn and Japanese honeysuckle, that have been loosed from our landscapes into our wilderness, crowding out wildflowers and plants needed by insects that support all of the other wildlife.
Each chapter, although written as a whole, could standalone as an essay. There's a useful index filled with great plants (e.g. 4 solidagos and 5 Sanguisorbas), inspirational photos of both her old place and her new, and cautionary advice on greenhouses, new garden beds, the elusive meadow, and keeping unspoiled native plant areas. Winter is coming:
"I, for one, am more than ready to take a break from gardening in winter, relieved to be forced by frozen soil and single-digit temperatures to call it quits. What a pleasure it is to read books without the weeds calling, to bake cakes and slow cook stews, to daydream about flowers. I have time to scheme about gardens, to change my mind multiple times on how to improve their design, to plot what plants to add next spring, what seeds to order."
Buy (or gift) this now for scheming and dreaming.
Her new garden exhibits the biggest trend that I see in the gardens that I visit: not just mixing perennials and shrubs, or edibles with ornamentals, but natives and non natives. Along with adding native plants, these gardeners are carefully accepting new "improved" cultivars of old plants, and those from other countries, but they are paying attention to the habit of each, mindful of invasive plants like buckthorn and Japanese honeysuckle, that have been loosed from our landscapes into our wilderness, crowding out wildflowers and plants needed by insects that support all of the other wildlife.
Each chapter, although written as a whole, could standalone as an essay. There's a useful index filled with great plants (e.g. 4 solidagos and 5 Sanguisorbas), inspirational photos of both her old place and her new, and cautionary advice on greenhouses, new garden beds, the elusive meadow, and keeping unspoiled native plant areas. Winter is coming:
"I, for one, am more than ready to take a break from gardening in winter, relieved to be forced by frozen soil and single-digit temperatures to call it quits. What a pleasure it is to read books without the weeds calling, to bake cakes and slow cook stews, to daydream about flowers. I have time to scheme about gardens, to change my mind multiple times on how to improve their design, to plot what plants to add next spring, what seeds to order."
Buy (or gift) this now for scheming and dreaming.
September 27, 2021
This is my starting rating, based on a possibly foolish decision to listen to this as an audiobook. I'm planning to re-read it in paper, in hopes of pictures. Many types of plants listed, many garden areas described, all of them would benefit from images, and I strongly suspect those exist. ** yes, I’m fact they do, and they add a lot to the book. I wish there were even more, but I recommend the physical book over the audio, despite the good reader.**
Things I loved:
Strong New England nostalgia hitting me, and I was excited to hear about gardens in the Berkshires -- love that region, and want to know more about the plants.
It's an interesting transition that they are experiencing, and book is well written and well paced.
There's a refreshing honesty -- no shying away from discussion of finances or the limitations of age. I liked that Page acknowledges her privileged position, too.
Things I found uncomfortable at times:
This is a memoir by a clearly wealthy woman, part of a wealthy couple. It's very white. It's very East Coast old money. Sometimes it's really hard to connect to, because I have no experience with the scale of wealth that Page and Bosco enjoy. Page's hatred for kidney shaped pools; the economy of foregoing a greenhouse, but not considering scaling back on purchasing 700 bulbs every year... downsizing to 17 acres and having the money for significant construction on their new house... I just can't imagine what that would be like. Also being able to pay 2 people to garden and help with tasks, even part time, is pretty unimaginable to me. They are also elderly and retired, so the luxury of time is something I can't quite imagine either.
That said, they aren't in the category of the super rich -- it's just kind of interesting to see how the well-off live. It's also easy to understand the rich appreciation of nature the Page so eloquently conveys, and imagining the beauty that they create with what they have is a delight in its own right.
Things I loved:
Strong New England nostalgia hitting me, and I was excited to hear about gardens in the Berkshires -- love that region, and want to know more about the plants.
It's an interesting transition that they are experiencing, and book is well written and well paced.
There's a refreshing honesty -- no shying away from discussion of finances or the limitations of age. I liked that Page acknowledges her privileged position, too.
Things I found uncomfortable at times:
This is a memoir by a clearly wealthy woman, part of a wealthy couple. It's very white. It's very East Coast old money. Sometimes it's really hard to connect to, because I have no experience with the scale of wealth that Page and Bosco enjoy. Page's hatred for kidney shaped pools; the economy of foregoing a greenhouse, but not considering scaling back on purchasing 700 bulbs every year... downsizing to 17 acres and having the money for significant construction on their new house... I just can't imagine what that would be like. Also being able to pay 2 people to garden and help with tasks, even part time, is pretty unimaginable to me. They are also elderly and retired, so the luxury of time is something I can't quite imagine either.
That said, they aren't in the category of the super rich -- it's just kind of interesting to see how the well-off live. It's also easy to understand the rich appreciation of nature the Page so eloquently conveys, and imagining the beauty that they create with what they have is a delight in its own right.
March 16, 2021
Page Dickey was known for her ultra-manicured 3 acre garden Duck Hill in New York. When she and her husband decided that the property was too expensive and too much to maintain as they got older, they started looking for something else. Ironically (to me), they went with a 17 acre property in Connecticut. I thought the book would be more about how hard it was for the author to leave the property and gardens she had put so much time into, but it was more about all the stuff they have done and plan to do on their new property. To me it doesn't sound like the new property will be less work - just less manicured. This book focuses more on the difference between the two properties and what Dickey wants to do differently. Parts of it were interesting and parts of it were redundant with the author going on and on listing dozens of varieties of plants I don't know and why and where she's planted them on either property. I was more on her side until she added a random chapter about how awful cats are - why?! I know you are typically a dog person or a cat person, but that one chapter really turned me off of the whole book. I bumped it back up to 3 stars because there are tons of beautiful photos throughout the book and it is a quick, relatively easy read. Overall though it was not what I was expecting and I wouldn't really recommend this one.
May 17, 2021
I read this book for the nonfiction Herb Society book club. There was not much mention, if any, of the plants we usually mean when we use the label “herb.” However, the book was replete with lists of plants, usually with both Latin and common names.
Dickey wrote the book to detail the gardens at a home she moved to (called Church House) after many years at her Duck Hill home. Because Church House is in Connecticut, many of the plants Dickey discussed are not ones I have in my Texas gardens. She made use of botanical terms, which made the book something of a learning experience.
In my opinion, too much of the book consisted of plant lists, albeit not in list format. The strength of the book was in the many full-page photographs of gardens and plants at Duck Hill and Church House.
Dickey wrote the book to detail the gardens at a home she moved to (called Church House) after many years at her Duck Hill home. Because Church House is in Connecticut, many of the plants Dickey discussed are not ones I have in my Texas gardens. She made use of botanical terms, which made the book something of a learning experience.
In my opinion, too much of the book consisted of plant lists, albeit not in list format. The strength of the book was in the many full-page photographs of gardens and plants at Duck Hill and Church House.
May 6, 2021
The gorgeous, full page photographs of flowering plants and rolling fields in this book make it a good candidate for a book to keep handy to leaf through. The text is full of horticultural terms - "catkins," "tuteurs," "drupes," "stolons," which required me to stop and look up definitions. Definitely a learning curve. The setting is Connecticut with a view of the Berkshire Hills and I live in central Texas, so many of the plants were unfamiliar. For example., "shadblows" are North American trees with showy white flowers. The name probably originated from "shad" + "blow" because its flowering is associated with the presence of spawning shad in the rivers. Similarly, references to the landscape included terms like "the fen," "hummocks," and "hornbeams." All interesting and new to me.
The author is a well known garden designer and author of multiple books and articles. I learned a great deal. I wish her transition from cultured gardens to a more natural/native plants garden had occurred earlier in the book.
The author is a well known garden designer and author of multiple books and articles. I learned a great deal. I wish her transition from cultured gardens to a more natural/native plants garden had occurred earlier in the book.
July 7, 2021
First, I must start off by saying this is one of the most beautiful gardening books I have ever picked up. Absolutely every element is beautiful: the cover design, the paper, the binding, the typeface, the photographs. (And, oh! The photographs!) Really . . . this is a book I am pleased to have in my gardening library collection.
I enjoyed reading about Page Dickey’s experience in leaving her lovely Duck Hill home and gardens for a more manageable (?) 17-acre property that she ultimately names Church House. Page’s writing style is accessible and engaging, and it was interesting to me - as a gardener - to read about her process in bringing her new gardens to life. (And, really. The photos.) (Sigh.)
I’ll admit that I was slightly disappointed in the book, though, as I was hoping for more of a deep dive into her experience of leaving a beloved garden . . . to begin again. After all, she was in her 70s (and her husband even older) when they began searching for a new home. They were looking to “downsize,” to bring more ease to their gardening . . . and they ended up with a larger property that, although more “wild” than her previous high-maintenance garden, still needs significant amounts of tending. Page spent most of the book describing the work they did to shape the new gardens, rather than the emotional process of leaving and beginning again. So . . . it wasn’t quite the book or the story I was hoping for.
(But those photos! Magnificent!)
I enjoyed reading about Page Dickey’s experience in leaving her lovely Duck Hill home and gardens for a more manageable (?) 17-acre property that she ultimately names Church House. Page’s writing style is accessible and engaging, and it was interesting to me - as a gardener - to read about her process in bringing her new gardens to life. (And, really. The photos.) (Sigh.)
I’ll admit that I was slightly disappointed in the book, though, as I was hoping for more of a deep dive into her experience of leaving a beloved garden . . . to begin again. After all, she was in her 70s (and her husband even older) when they began searching for a new home. They were looking to “downsize,” to bring more ease to their gardening . . . and they ended up with a larger property that, although more “wild” than her previous high-maintenance garden, still needs significant amounts of tending. Page spent most of the book describing the work they did to shape the new gardens, rather than the emotional process of leaving and beginning again. So . . . it wasn’t quite the book or the story I was hoping for.
(But those photos! Magnificent!)
February 28, 2023
After almost thirty four years, the author left her celebrated garden "Duck Hill" and moved with her husband to Falls Village, Connecticut. At "Church House", the name they gave their new property, they inherited a garden that had been designed by Nancy McCabe twenty years earlier. The author eloquently relates the pains of leaving a cherished garden and the adventures of discovering a new one. At Church House, the main bones of the garden weres kept intact. After some renovations on their house, their focus shifted to the garden. They added a small greenhouse, built cold frames and created gardens around the pool, planted an orchard and added a cutting garden. They also discovered a woodland bluff where native plants were added and invasive plants fought. Dickey brings to life the rustic nature of the garden, describing favorite plants like viburnum, old shrub roses and hydrangea and the local wildlife and particularly the bird inhabitants. The photographs by Ngoc Minh Ngo and Marion Brenner are beautiful.
August 28, 2020
I find hard to express how much I loved this book. Gorgeous pictures and the interesting story of a garden.
It kept me hooked and I wish I could be in the places I saw.
A must read for gardeners, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It kept me hooked and I wish I could be in the places I saw.
A must read for gardeners, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 31, 2020
I am not a gardener, I am a killer of plants.
I don't do it on purpose. It just happens.
During quarantine I did manage to sprout some tiny potatoes, keep my tomato plant alive, and grow a few delightfully tiny sunflowers. But I am not a gardener.
With that said, I still found this memoir to be a quiet, gentle delight, comfortable with it is, a love story to gardening, natural places, and with sacred, personal pockets of history confided throughout. There were many, many moments in reading this where it felt like I was having a conversation with my sweet, detail oriented, gardening mother in law.
As much a photography book as it is a memoir, Uprooted (which I hope will be released as a coffee table book) tells the story of 74 year old Page and her husband, 80 year old Bosco, who have decided to leave their homestead of 34 years to live a simpler life in their old age. Starting with memories of childhood in the garden with the housekeeper, Page details her love for natural things on every page. I felt the intense love she and her husband felt for their old home and the heartbreak they experienced in leaving behind all of the physical reminders of memories and hard work as they moved on.
There is so much detail in this book. Detail about gardening of course, but also about the processes of the day-to-day work the couple do inside and out. I took reading it slowly, and in the moments where I started to feel a bit bogged down by details of things, things I know nothing about, I turned to the the gorgeous pictures. The photographer did a beautiful job showing me the landscapes that Page so loved, and they drew me gently back in when I needed it.
I might not know much about gardening, but I was able to appreciate the thought put into every description and the care that was detailed in growing into the space. The author clearly has a deep reverence for nature, not just within her garden but in the wild spaces surrounding the property. She recognizes the need for each space to have its own voice, and the power of allowing nature to take itself back should the future owners of their home not be able to provide upkeep.
I'll be recommending this book to gardeners, but also to patrons who are looking for books to help slow them down (I get requests for this quite often, actually), and lovers of photography. I don't think it was written for me, but I did truly like it and am glad to have gotten my hands on a copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don't do it on purpose. It just happens.
During quarantine I did manage to sprout some tiny potatoes, keep my tomato plant alive, and grow a few delightfully tiny sunflowers. But I am not a gardener.
With that said, I still found this memoir to be a quiet, gentle delight, comfortable with it is, a love story to gardening, natural places, and with sacred, personal pockets of history confided throughout. There were many, many moments in reading this where it felt like I was having a conversation with my sweet, detail oriented, gardening mother in law.
As much a photography book as it is a memoir, Uprooted (which I hope will be released as a coffee table book) tells the story of 74 year old Page and her husband, 80 year old Bosco, who have decided to leave their homestead of 34 years to live a simpler life in their old age. Starting with memories of childhood in the garden with the housekeeper, Page details her love for natural things on every page. I felt the intense love she and her husband felt for their old home and the heartbreak they experienced in leaving behind all of the physical reminders of memories and hard work as they moved on.
There is so much detail in this book. Detail about gardening of course, but also about the processes of the day-to-day work the couple do inside and out. I took reading it slowly, and in the moments where I started to feel a bit bogged down by details of things, things I know nothing about, I turned to the the gorgeous pictures. The photographer did a beautiful job showing me the landscapes that Page so loved, and they drew me gently back in when I needed it.
I might not know much about gardening, but I was able to appreciate the thought put into every description and the care that was detailed in growing into the space. The author clearly has a deep reverence for nature, not just within her garden but in the wild spaces surrounding the property. She recognizes the need for each space to have its own voice, and the power of allowing nature to take itself back should the future owners of their home not be able to provide upkeep.
I'll be recommending this book to gardeners, but also to patrons who are looking for books to help slow them down (I get requests for this quite often, actually), and lovers of photography. I don't think it was written for me, but I did truly like it and am glad to have gotten my hands on a copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Uprooted is a compassionate and intelligent look at the process of leaving behind one home and garden built up over 34 years and moving to another place and making it home. Due out 29th Sept 2020 from Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 244 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a plainly and honestly told account of the author and her husband deciding in their 7th and 8th decades to downsize their house and gardens and start over in a new place. She briefly describes their search for a house and the language she used really resonated with me. She spoke of wanting to find a new place so badly "It is amazing how sometimes you try to talk yourself into a house because you desperately want to latch onto a home.". I can definitely relate to that sentiment, having gone through a similar process in the recent past.
She relates their subsequent discovery and purchase of "Church House", their renovations, their relocation, and takover and regeneration of their new gardens. The rest of the book is given over to a discussion of the different areas of their new property, woodland, fen, and meadow, planting an orchard, and siting and building a "small" greenhouse attached to their garage. It's ultimately a story of faith and hope in the future despite setbacks, and as such, it struck me as a powerfully apt metaphor to our current situation with the unrest and pandemic.
Throughout the book are gorgeous, clear, abundant, and well annotated photos of the gardens, features, and varieties they have acquired. It's a warm and engaging story, well told, and I enjoyed it very much. This would make a superlative selection for gardeners, library, makers groups, garden clubs, and the like.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Uprooted is a compassionate and intelligent look at the process of leaving behind one home and garden built up over 34 years and moving to another place and making it home. Due out 29th Sept 2020 from Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 244 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a plainly and honestly told account of the author and her husband deciding in their 7th and 8th decades to downsize their house and gardens and start over in a new place. She briefly describes their search for a house and the language she used really resonated with me. She spoke of wanting to find a new place so badly "It is amazing how sometimes you try to talk yourself into a house because you desperately want to latch onto a home.". I can definitely relate to that sentiment, having gone through a similar process in the recent past.
She relates their subsequent discovery and purchase of "Church House", their renovations, their relocation, and takover and regeneration of their new gardens. The rest of the book is given over to a discussion of the different areas of their new property, woodland, fen, and meadow, planting an orchard, and siting and building a "small" greenhouse attached to their garage. It's ultimately a story of faith and hope in the future despite setbacks, and as such, it struck me as a powerfully apt metaphor to our current situation with the unrest and pandemic.
Throughout the book are gorgeous, clear, abundant, and well annotated photos of the gardens, features, and varieties they have acquired. It's a warm and engaging story, well told, and I enjoyed it very much. This would make a superlative selection for gardeners, library, makers groups, garden clubs, and the like.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
November 2, 2021
I found this to be an exceptional book that deals with two topics that aren't generally discussed in most gardening guides: the aging gardener, and how to respect wild natural areas on your property (woods, meadows, fens). My property, unfortunately, doesn't have those environments, but those parts of the book still made for an informative read.
The author, while in her 70s, moved from a 3-acre high-maintenance property that had been intensively landscaped to a much larger rural property. Although she still created a number of gardens at the new location, she made the choice—partly due to age, partly due to aesthetic—to landscape much more minimally and with as much forethought as possible. Although she is currently gardening actively (with a bit of additional help), there is some discussion near the end of the book on how she might downsize and replace labor-intensive plantings as she becomes less able to manage her current gardens.
The book might appeal to those who love photos of gardens as well as those who enjoy stories about change—in this case, searching for the right property, moving out of state from a longtime home, and resettling in a new location and making it one's own. On the whole, I found this to be an exceptionally interesting gardening guide with a touch of memoir and a welcome dose of environmental awareness.
The author, while in her 70s, moved from a 3-acre high-maintenance property that had been intensively landscaped to a much larger rural property. Although she still created a number of gardens at the new location, she made the choice—partly due to age, partly due to aesthetic—to landscape much more minimally and with as much forethought as possible. Although she is currently gardening actively (with a bit of additional help), there is some discussion near the end of the book on how she might downsize and replace labor-intensive plantings as she becomes less able to manage her current gardens.
The book might appeal to those who love photos of gardens as well as those who enjoy stories about change—in this case, searching for the right property, moving out of state from a longtime home, and resettling in a new location and making it one's own. On the whole, I found this to be an exceptionally interesting gardening guide with a touch of memoir and a welcome dose of environmental awareness.
October 24, 2020
This beautifully written gardening memoir has undoubtedly struck a chord with me because several years ago I, like Page Dickey, left a garden which I created and tended for over thirty years. It was wrenching. Again, like Ms Dickey, I exchanged it for a much larger property only to begin creating a new garden where previously there was none. In my case, however, this transition involved a move from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to an island in the Puget Sound. Despite the many differences in plant and animal life, soil, and climate, I have identified with the author’s experiences.
As she so ably describes, starting over is more than just a learning experience; it’s rejuvenating. I have reason every day to reflect on her chapter entitled “Change” where she says “We shed attachments. In that uprooting, I’ve also slowly shed a way of thinking as a gardener - partly because of my age, partly because of the magic of this place.” Her book is, of course, about gardening. In actuality though it is about much more and for that I will think about for a long time to come.
As she so ably describes, starting over is more than just a learning experience; it’s rejuvenating. I have reason every day to reflect on her chapter entitled “Change” where she says “We shed attachments. In that uprooting, I’ve also slowly shed a way of thinking as a gardener - partly because of my age, partly because of the magic of this place.” Her book is, of course, about gardening. In actuality though it is about much more and for that I will think about for a long time to come.
December 22, 2020
This is a wonderful book about Page Dickey and her garden journey. She and her husband uprooted themselves from their high maintenance garden, Duck Hill, hoping to find a new home and a garden less demanding. I don't think a 17 acre piece of property with a beautiful old house could be "less demanding," though that's just me because I live on less than a quarter of an acre with a very small garden. Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this book. I grew up in Falls Village, not far from Church Hill, and know the area well which made for all the more pleasant reading.
There is a lot to absorb in this book, so when reading, take it slow. Have a pen and paper nearby as there are lots of garden hints given that you will want to remember. Page writes about the many, many plants on her property, what has worked for her and what hasn't. I look forward to trying to find some of these plants either at my local shops or by mail order come spring so I can add them to my own garden. There are plenty of pictures throughout the book highlighting her beautiful flowers and picturesque views.
There is a lot to absorb in this book, so when reading, take it slow. Have a pen and paper nearby as there are lots of garden hints given that you will want to remember. Page writes about the many, many plants on her property, what has worked for her and what hasn't. I look forward to trying to find some of these plants either at my local shops or by mail order come spring so I can add them to my own garden. There are plenty of pictures throughout the book highlighting her beautiful flowers and picturesque views.
June 22, 2020
This was a beautiful book that I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy. I would give this 3.5 stars. If you love gardening this will be right up your alley. I would recommend a hard copy of this book, since the photos are absolutely beautiful. It was beautifully written and was very captivating in the beginning. I could relate to her new house search as I am going through the same process. "It is amazing how sometimes you try to talk yourself into a house because you desperately want to latch onto a home." That was exactly what I needed to hear. You have to find the perfect house for you, nit just any house. This is what she did with Church House. Once they left Duck Hill, they needed to find a perfect house & they did that with Church House. Great story, the hard copy of this book, I'm sure, would be magnificent.
December 28, 2021
Overall, I loved this book, a gift. Page Dickey writes with ease, beauty, and energy. As a gardener in my senior years, I was personally astounded at what she, someone older, was able to accomplish at the new location in a relatively short time.
Some publishing aspects would have improved this wonderful memoir: diagrams of the properties, with directional N marked, showing the garden areas and many more photos of the flowers, shrubs, and trees mentioned.
At the start of the book, the author mentioned specific goals attached to leaving their beloved Westchester, NY location and moving to Connecticut. I wished she had revisited this aspect at the memoir’s conclusion and shared to what degree the goals had been achieved.
Some publishing aspects would have improved this wonderful memoir: diagrams of the properties, with directional N marked, showing the garden areas and many more photos of the flowers, shrubs, and trees mentioned.
At the start of the book, the author mentioned specific goals attached to leaving their beloved Westchester, NY location and moving to Connecticut. I wished she had revisited this aspect at the memoir’s conclusion and shared to what degree the goals had been achieved.
December 20, 2020
Inspiration to continue my native wildflower meadow
Uprooted has been a delight to read and learn about adjusting to a new way of gardening after many years in the same, comfortable place. I relocated 6 years ago, anticipating retirement, to northeast Arizona at 6000’ elevation after 35 years in the foothills of inland Southern California where anything I planted flourished. Paige, as well as Margaret Roach, reinforce my belief that leaving our properties attractive to local and migrating wildlife is every bit as enjoyable as more formal gardening. This book, along with beautiful photographs, was just what I needed as winter settles in to my region.
Uprooted has been a delight to read and learn about adjusting to a new way of gardening after many years in the same, comfortable place. I relocated 6 years ago, anticipating retirement, to northeast Arizona at 6000’ elevation after 35 years in the foothills of inland Southern California where anything I planted flourished. Paige, as well as Margaret Roach, reinforce my belief that leaving our properties attractive to local and migrating wildlife is every bit as enjoyable as more formal gardening. This book, along with beautiful photographs, was just what I needed as winter settles in to my region.
April 16, 2021
A lovely story of starting to garden in a new (to the author) place -- Dickey takes her readers along as she discovers new ways of approaching the land, and the book includes beautiful photos -- some are really breathtaking.
Also, this book is physically one of the nicest I have ever held in my hands. The paper is smooth, of good weight, and each page opens flat with ease. The signatures are sewn, and the endpapers are a soft green that is perfect for this book.
Dickey's prose is engaging and yet somehow so calming. I wanted to keep reading while still feeling as though I could pick up or put the book down at any time.
Also, this book is physically one of the nicest I have ever held in my hands. The paper is smooth, of good weight, and each page opens flat with ease. The signatures are sewn, and the endpapers are a soft green that is perfect for this book.
Dickey's prose is engaging and yet somehow so calming. I wanted to keep reading while still feeling as though I could pick up or put the book down at any time.
January 26, 2025
The photos are beautiful. I originally picked up this book because I'm starting a garden fresh as well, so I was looking forward to learning about her strategies and insights. The home she moved into had so much charm already, in addition to it already professionally landscaped by a previous homeowner. This is nothing against her journey; it simply didn't relate to mine so I was bummed.
I'm also very into flowers and while I am familiar with many of the plants she listed, I was actually hoping for more of an emotional journey. I wanted to hear about the challenges, strategies, and all the nitty-gritty. She's an amazing gardener, I was hoping to really get to know her!
I'm also very into flowers and while I am familiar with many of the plants she listed, I was actually hoping for more of an emotional journey. I wanted to hear about the challenges, strategies, and all the nitty-gritty. She's an amazing gardener, I was hoping to really get to know her!
November 23, 2020
Page Dickey leaves her beloved garden and home at Duck Hill in upstate New York, and moves to a new property in northwestern Connecticut. Interesting to read her thoughts on leaving her garden and how she starts a new one, what she brings from the old and what she does differently. She leaves a lot of the formality behind and becomes more interested in native plants and natural plantings. Her thoughts on the environment and gardening as you age are also good. Good read for winter garden reading--or during a pandemic!
April 30, 2021
As someone who enjoys gardening, it was a fairly decent read. I’m not as into aesthetic gardening as Dickey is—I prefer it for its self-sufficiency—but her thoughts on the maintenance and preservation of the wild areas of her property were some of my favorite bits: they hinted at the philosophy of stewardship and reciprocity that I’m researching. But Dickey is so passionate about landscape, both of the mind and in the real world, and that was wonderful to learn about. If you’re an avid gardener, read it.
November 18, 2020
Loved this book and as an avid gardener, I loved the pictures and had to write down some plants that I need to investigate for my own garden. When I first started this book, I somehow got the impression they would be downsizing but as it happens this was not the case. Page and her husband landed on 17 acres with woods, rocks, trees, native plants and vernal pools. What a find! Her descriptions were amazing and I couldn't stop reading.
June 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book on beginning again from a gardener perscpective. Atlhough I am not versed in the latin names of plants and it felt that more words in this book were latin than not. I felt despite the fact that most of this book went well over my head - it is always fun to read something that is about a very specific topic in a level of detail that is deeper than you know. My gardening knowledge is very basic but i love the idea of a life centered around growing things.
July 7, 2021
“This is as close as I’ll be in my lifetime to stewarding a piece of land in its wild state. And it has changed me as a gardener. I have a new hunger to learn. About wildflowers, about calcareous habitats, about ecosystems, and birds and pollinators. It is humbling and at the same time exciting to know that education never ends when your passion is working out of doors. We are always learning.”
A beautiful piece about going from the strictly cultivated garden to letting nature take hold
A beautiful piece about going from the strictly cultivated garden to letting nature take hold
August 29, 2020
This memoir is a bounty for any gardener but especially those in colder climates. Page details her uprooting from her home of many years to be transplanted in upstate CT. I took notes throughout as she detailed her choices of what to plant at the new home to make a restful and beautiful palate of colors that were native and non-invasive.
June 28, 2022
A absolutely beautiful book with gorgeous picturrs of her gardens. For the garden layman all the plant detail is probably a little too much so one just wnjoys her lovely writing style and beautiful scenes. That saod this book is also really for the serious getdener who i think would get a lot of advice from a real expert.
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