Books & Gardens

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Currently Reading


I am currently reading “The Solitary Summer” by Elizabeth Von Arnim. The idea of this book is so enticing for me. It is about spending an entire summer away from people and just spending it with ones self. The main character retreats to her garden for the summer.
Here is the first paragraph from the book:

May 2nd. – Last night after dinner, when we were in the garden, I said “I want to be alone for a whole summer, and get to the very dregs of life. I want to be as idle as I can, so that my soul may have time to grow. Nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one calls they will be told that I am out, or away, or sick. I shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain, and in the forests. I shall watch the things that happen in the garden, and see where I have made mistakes. On wet days I will go into the thickest parts of the forests, where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when the sun shines I’ll lie on the heath and see how the broom flares against the clouds. I shall be perpetually happy, because there will be no one to worry me. Out there on the plain there is silence, and where there is silence I have discovered there is peace.”

This book is a short read at only 131 pages. If you like artsy poetic descriptive books than this is a must read. Although the book is only 131 pages it is hard not to go back and reread entire pages not because you missed what was going on but because the reading was so deliciously written you have to read it again. One of my favorite quotes from chapter one is: “I might long ago have discovered, that the less a person knows, the more certain he is that he is right, and that no weapons yet invented are of any use in a struggle with stupidity.” 8)

I personally have added the idea of spending one summer alone to my list of things I want to do in my life time. What a wonderful idea, perhaps one summer after I have retired and maybe rent a summer cottage someplace in a warm climate and spend my days gardening, reading, knitting & most importantly spend my days with my thoughts. If you get a chance to read “The Solitary Summer” let me know what you think of it.

Featured Garden

As you know if you read my blog, my husband and I are big Disney Fans. I thought it would be a good idea for me to mention that Disney’s Epcot Center has an annual Garden Festival. The event lasts about 7 weeks. This year it is from April 15th through June 5th. All the Disney World Parks are always beautifully landscaped but during this festival they go above and beyond. They really take out the big guns and do up there gardens to spectacular results. Here are a couple of pictures I found off their website of this years gardens.


This is Lady and the Tramp with the infamous spaghetti noodle they are sharing.


This puts all chia pets to shame. There is Mickey on the very top.


Here is the lovely Snow White facing the Large ball at the entrance of Epcot Center.

If you are in the Orlando, Florida Area from now until June 5th you might want to spend a day at Epcot looking over the lovely gardens. Of course there is a ton more things to do at Epcot but it is a wonderful bonus of the theme park.