It is also an insightful portrait of Santa Cruz. As any green thumb will attest, there are many stages to gardening, and From the Ground Up features several chapters that function as separate narratives within the larger story of how a garden comes into being and is sustained. But invariably the world of her garden has its own agenda, and many chapters end with a gentler understanding of things.
Several chapters detail the human interactions that gardening affords.
Family, friends, tourists, neighbors, all pass through her garden and seem to be better for it. Stewart organizes her book so that readers can learn from her mistakes. There are many useful sections here for both the novice and the experienced gardener, including several recipes. Yet Stewart, who usually ignores the advice contained in the gardening books she consults, also shows us the value of figuring things out for ourselves, of making it up as we go along. Each garden reflects the personality of its gardener, and Stewart's is no exception.