Dear Mr. Jefferson: Letters from a Nantucket Gardener

by Laura Simon

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culure of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden."
--Thomas Jefferson

An 18th-century statesman, a thoroughly modern gardener, a slightly one-sided correspondence on seeds, soil and the art of living...

For years, novelist Laura Simon had been building a garden around her Nantucket home, nurturing onions from wispy, pungent seedlings, spreading manure in early spring, harvesting in fall.  And with the passage of time, she longed for a correspondent with whom to exchange reflections on seeds and soil, to share her stories and her passion for gardening.  Unable to find such a person, Ms. Simon turned to the works of the eighteenth-century statesman and avid horticulturist Thomas Jefferson.  Thus began an only slightly one-sided correspondence between Ms. Simon and the Monticello gardener himself.  Interweaving her own observations about past and present with selected passages from Jefferson's writings, Simon has crafted a true epistolary adventure, filled with history and humor, a literate guide to gardening--and living a well-cultivated life.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 1998

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought the pemise a little strange, writing letters to a man long dead. That soon passed as the author shared her passion with a kindred spirit, so to speak. The writing was beautiful and it was impossible not to enjoy an account that so enthusiastically conveyed a love of life - the big moments, the tiny details, every day, every season. This had nothing to to do with the "how to's" of gardening and everything to do with the "why." Pure joy.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Mr. Jefferson: letters from a Nantucket gardener by Laura Simon
Really enjoyed listeining to how the gardener wrote notes to the president after he left the White House.
Every month there was something related, reminds me of the Farmer's Almanac and a lot of clues to how things were done back then.
Sad to learn of the Monticello estate and it became run down, especially the gardens-I remember my mom visited and there was nothing there at all in the 90's.
Not only vegetables in the garden but flower gardens as well.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Courtney Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It made me want to garden more, and better, and start more seeds, and seek out more heirloom varieties, and indulge my love of bright annuals. It’s wonderful to read a gardener who knows that gardening is always experimental, passionate about how and why she plants but doesn’t try to impose her rules on her readers, and who has a sense of humor. And also I learned a lot.

“A garden is both timeless and changing… it’s history on the move, the past and the future combining.” Laura Simons

[Peggy Gerovac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely for a gardener. I am not a sophisticated nor studied gardener, but I enjoy it and have been doing it most of my adult life. I come from an extended family of farmers and my parents had gardens as well. I enjoyed the history of American gardening that came into the letters. It included things like the history of seed appropriation. I don't give it a higher rating because you really need to love gardening to enjoy this deep dive into one woman's extensive garden.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love gardening this is very educational and fun.

[Amanda Del Brocco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read. I learned a bunch about plants, gardening, and Thomas Jefferson. What more could I want from a book? It was definitely outdated technology-wise as this was written before the Internet became what it was so I found myself wanting an updated book from the author. I’d like to know if she switched from paper catalogues to online catalogues and how she tracks her garden growth these days.

[Naturegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every gardener gets to live their fantasy and overindulge in their nerdy, horticultural side when reading this book. Laura Simon is a passionate gardener who wanted to write about her gardening experiences, so decides to use the format of letters...to Thomas Jefferson, one of the most well-known gardeners of our country, the man who introduced us to tomatoes.

Every page of this book drips with gardening indulgence! She talks about soil, tomatoes, specific varieties of flowers and veggies, the history of the seed catalog, planting seeds, harvesting, organic farming, fertilizing...the list goes on. Anyone who enjoys getting dirt under their fingernails, who always wondered about the history of random gardening facts, will love this book.

[Jennifer Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply amazing. I am only on page 36 and felt compelled to get online and shout it's praises! I've underlined quotes, dogeared varieties of different plants and flowers that I intend to hunt for and intend to purchase this book as a gift for all my gardener pals. As an avid gardener, with a lot still to learn, I found myself similarly alone as the narrator suggests and wanting to compare notes. This book will peek the curiosity of even the most experienced of gardeners! A smart book. I'm a true fan.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fits in well with my sudden fascination with gardening this summer and my constant passion with history. The book (so far) is as advertised... letters to a deceased president about Growing Things, which sounds odd, but Simon makes it work by relying extensively on Jefferson's frequent mention of gardening and his correspondences and on general garden history. Light, inspiring read.

[Lanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't love this one. It sat on my nightstand and I dutifully read one or two chapters a night before bed. It didn't at all keep me up reading til all hours because I was so engrossed... rather, I was more than happy to put it back down and turn off the light. It wasn't BAD, it just wasn't what I'd hoped.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative idea for a novel. Laura writes several letters to Thomas Jefferson, sharing her insights about her own garden and comparing it to his gardening techniques. A bit repetitious, but I did learn about some new plants.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love garden biographies and this was an interesting one.

[Anna George · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a pretentious concept, but I learned some Jeffersonia from this book and it made me ready for gardening this spring. Sooo ready to eat tomatoes, instead of reading about them.

[Shelley Cramm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking of you, Ms. Simon, my first asparagus has come to table!

I loved reading your book!