A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed

by James Fenton

"An engaging mix of the serious and the playful, and Fenton writes with a lightness of touch perfectly suited to the subject." --Alexander Urquhart, T he Times Literary Supplement

Forget structure. Forget trees, shrubs, and perennials. As James Fenton writes, "This is not a book about huge projects. It is about thinking your way toward the essential flower garden, by the most traditional of planting some seeds and seeing how they grow."

In this light hearted, instructive, original "game of lists," Fenton selects one hundred plants he would choose to grow from seed. Flowers for color, size, and exotic interest; herbs and meadow flowers; climbing vines, tropical species--Fenton describes readily available varieties, and tells how to acquire and grow them.

Here is a happy, stylish, unpretentious, and thought-provoking gardening book that will beguile and inspire both novice and expert alike.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

125 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

James Fenton was born in Lincoln in 1949 and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford where he won the Newdigate Prize for poetry. He has worked as political journalist, drama critic, book reviewer, war correspondent, foreign correspondent and columnist. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was Oxford Professor of Poetry for the period 1994-99. In 2007, Fenton was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light fun read that takes maybe two hours to absorb. I was intrigued by his 100 seed choices and one I seriously question-his pick of the deadly Monkshood. I would never have that in my garden but maybe he has no pets or grandchildren. I enjoyed his comments about each plant choice and certainly agree with his idea that gardeners have been stuck with " structure rules" for way to long.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gardening is quite unlike painting, but there are things one can learn from the painter nevertheless. John Gage, the great historian of colour theory, tells a story of Turner and Constable exhibiting their paintings side by side in 1832 in the crowded conditions of Somerset House. Painters in these exhibitions (and Turner in particular) specialized in last-minute tricks to ensure that their works looked well.

On this occasion Constable found ‘the red robes of the dignitaries in his picture of the Opening of Waterloo Bridge (London, National Gallery) cast into obscurity by the wafer of red sealing-wax which Turner applied to the water of his cool green sea-piece next to it, Helvoetsluys, and later painted into the form of a buoy. "He has been here," said Constable when he saw it, "and fired a gun."’ [11]

[VT Dorchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected (I was thinking poetry or short stories) but I enjoyed reading this little ramble through a garden last night to celebrate the summer solstice.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Fenton is an English poet and a gardener. His delightful book A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed offers advice on gardening from just seeds and gives a list of his 100 favorite types of plants to grow from seeds.

I fell in love with the book before I even started reading it. The very first illustration in the book is one of a California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Then in Chapter One: Flowers and their Colors, Fenton includes the California state flower among his favorite flowers that "fire a gun" for their bright colors. Apparently bright colors (oranges and reds) are frowned upon in British gardens. Here in California, the brighter the better: orange, red, yellow, you name it. Of course the poppy grows just about everywhere: along the highways, in sidewalk cracks, in rubble and anywhere else were there is a little dirt, sunshine and a little water.

Fenton clearly loves gardening. He isn't a garden snob, except about soil and the importance of good top soil and lots of it. He thinks anyone and everyone should try gardening even if it's just letting a vine of morning glory climb up a fire escape (as he saw in New York City).

With a limited budget, Sean and I do most of our gardening from seeds. A number of Fenton's suggestions are in our tiny patio garden. We have nasturtiums, sweet peas, California poppies, various sunflowers, basil (though not grown from seed), dill and parsley (which reseeds itself every six months or so).

Fenton's final advice is have fun but follow the planting instructions on the seed packets for best results.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

My perfect idea for starting a garden.

I’ve always been passionate about gardening. I had so much pleasure landscaping gardens in South Africa where there were so many indigenous plants to choose from.

When I moved to England I discovered not only a new kaleidoscope of colours but also new plants to brighten up the dullest corners. One I fell instantly in love with was the peony.

It’s since moving into an apartment that I discovered another way of gardening – experimenting with seeds to find out what would survive indoors. Nothing gives me as much pleasure than taking a packet of seeds and watching them grow. Thanks to this inspiring little book, I’ve gone out and purchased all sorts of seeds and hopefully, in a few months’ time, my windowsills will be filled with amazing colours.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful little book is written by a poet & avid gardenere. Which is to say that I really understood only every third sentence but I really liked how it made me feel! A great book to read when it is still cold and you are dreaming of the gardens to be.

[Jenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty British humor mixed with serious growing and landscaping advice. Great references at the end with sporty british comedy.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

A low-key, charming, and economical approach to gardening, but don't bother reading it unless you have a Google image search handy or an encyclopedic knowledge of plants already. There are only a few pen & ink drawings, and they're not even labelled, which really puts a damper on a gardening book.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book written by a poet about gardening this book is neither poetical nor particularly informative about gardening.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one truly.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I completely misunderstood this book when I fell in love with the slender volume with a sweet cover and adorable title. I anticipated a conversational story a la Amy Stewart, in which a recognizable protagonist sets out to plant a garden from 100 packets of seeds. I fully expected to enjoy fond stories of some of my favorite plants, and to discover new plants to try in next year's garden. Instead, I flew through a pleasantly quippy conversational list of plants with hints of the story behind the protagonist's "real" gardens, of which he has many. The 100 varieties of seed-grown plants that he describes for us are preexisting in these gardens, growing among his others. It felt quite a lot like reading a well-written plant catalogue, and would have benefitted greatly from photographs since I found I could not take away one plant image of anything I had not already grown. I think I would have enjoyed this more if each chapter were an audio commentary on NPR, or perhaps an article featured in a weekly gardening magazine. There were many nice turns of phrase that would have lingered with me had I experienced them in another format. For example:

"Of the many seeds spread by birds, not all are welcome, but some get left for amusement's sake. There are one or two bird-sown asparagus plants allowed to grow in the rose garden, on the grounds that, if asparagus fern looks right in a bridegroom's buttonhole, the thing itself can hardly look wrong among rosebushes. But I wouldn't defend this reasoning to the death."

Now, as an audio, I would be enchanted by that image. I can just hear the gentle laughter in his voice as pokes a bit of fun at the whimsy in his garden. It's the sort of thing I would in fact do, and defend, although also not to the death. But in written form, I am left disappointed. I want more story, less snippet-of-musing. And if there is not to be more story, let there be more usefulness! There are tips and tricks mentioned throughout the book, but they include things like borrowing a neighbor's cattle to graze down the field you'd like to make into a meadow. Not practical for me! Also, unfortunately for me, the climate of this gardener is far removed from my brutal New England winters. All of this delightful self sowing that I would love so much is struck down and decimated each year when you live where I do! He is lucky to have such extravagence.

This was a very quick read and it was a pleasant enough one. I just wish I had loved it unreservedly.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

He goes on to define a flower garden and various logistical and practical issues of growing a flower garden. He makes suggestions and gives helpful hints about starting a basic flower garden. Finally, at the end of the introduction, he writes his thesis: “This is not a book about huge projects. It is about thinking your way towards an essential flower garden, by the most traditional of routes: planting some seeds and seeing how they grow.” (12)

Read the rest of my review at Suite101: http://gardening-products.suite101.co...

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed by James Fenton (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux)(635.9) is a lighthearted approach to gardening whereby the author recommends a hundred varieties of plant that he deems essential to fulfilling some purpose in the garden. My rating: 7/10, finished 2008.

[Ursulawt Willaredt]

Beautifully written, great ideas for a flower garden - if one only had time. Love the book, though.

[Cecelia]

A bit technical and I don't really do any gardening so it was hard for me to follow most of the time.

[romney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, informative and opinionated. Only a few illustrations. Short book. A pleasure to read.