Green Thoughts

****“Unlike any other gardening book I know, with its Old World charm, its down-to-earth practicality, its whimsy and sophistication.”—Brooke Astor,* The New York Times Book Review***** A classic in the literature of the garden, *Green Thoughts* is a beautifully written and highly original collection of seventy-two essays, alphabetically arranged, on topics ranging from “Annuals” and “Artichokes” to “Weeds” and “Wildflowers.” An amateur gardener for over thirty years, Eleanor Perényi draws upon her wide-ranging knowledge of gardening lore to create a delightful, witty blend of how-to advice, informed opinion, historical insight, and philosophical musing. There are entries in praise of earthworms and in protest of rock gardens, a treatise on the sexual politics of tending plants, and a paean to the salubrious effect of gardening (see “Longevity” ). Twenty years after its initial publication, *Green Thoughts* remains as much a joy to read as ever. This Modern Library edition is published with a new Introduction by Allen Lacy, former gardening columnist for *The Wall Street Journal* and *The New York Times* and the author of numerous gardening books. **“You do not have to be a good gardener to fall in love with *Green Thoughts. *It reads with the intrepid assurance of a classic.”—Mary McCarthy,* The New York Review of Books*** * * * “One of those dangerous reference works that you reach for at a moment of horticultural crisis or indecision only to find yourself an hour later browsing far beyond the page where you began.”— *** * **The New Yorker*** ***