On the perimeter of Israel’s Jezreel Valley, with the Carmel mountains rising up in the west, Meir Shalev has a beloved garden. The author extolls the virtues of the lemon tree, rescues a precious variety of purple snapdragon from the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway, and does battle with a saboteur mole-rat. He even gives us his superior private recipe for curing olives.
A nurturer of plants who is careful not to waste even a single seed and mourns the death of a tree, Shalev is a lyrical stylist and philosopher who writes with passion and humor. Drawings by Shir enhance the text ... A beautiful love letter to gardens that is sure to appeal to anyone who has cultivated one of their own.
An agreeable set of essays in which gardening teaches perspective and the rewards of hard work ... The book rests on solid botanical knowledge but is never heavy-handed. Rather, Shalev sometimes indulges in whimsy ... He persuasively likens gardening to writing in that both necessitate time, dedication, and back pain but ultimately produce beauty ... Charming musings on the 'moments of bliss' found in the garden.
Shalev endears in this delightful memoir cum gardening guide ... He generously references the Bible and elaborates on the virtues of the pomegranate, blood orange, and lemon tree ... Punctuated with charming botanical drawings, Shalev’s musings flow effortlessly from start to finish. His lyrical prose, generous pacing, and passion will please any reader with a green thumb.
