Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden
In the event a visit to coastal South Carolina is not possible, the next best thing is an introduction to Mrs. Whaley by way of William Baldwin's engaging conversation with this grande dame of Charleston's gardening world. Mrs. Whaley, who has reached her eighty-fifth year, is happy to share details of a rich, full life, and her thoughts meander through an extensive range of topics. Baldwin's approach is to let Mrs. Whaley do all the talking, so the narrative is her's alone--and a delightful, rather breathless account it is, incorporating the evolution of her own renowned garden with reminiscences of childhood and a personal history of southern life lived most graciously. Gardens cultivated by other generations of her family feature prominently in Mrs. Whaley's tales, and as she reveals how the gardening tradition fostered her own avid dedication, it is apparent how tending one's plants can enrich the spirit and forge admirable connections with friends and acquaintances.Alice Joyce--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.