UPDATE : We have a winner ! It ’s Liz Genovese , with this comment ( chosen at random ): “ Remember the solar day when having the most correct and most beautiful office configurations was a matter ? Gardening has suffered the same chronicle . Hooray for those woman who help go the mold . I require to read their stories and share with my garden cabaret . ”
It seems so long ago now but I do remember thatMarianneand I were emotional to hear Jennifer Jewell talk about her fresh script – The Earth in He Hands – 75 Extraordinary Women mold in the World of Plants – at the Smithsonian .
That was in tardy March , so you all know what find to the case . At least I was able to hear our colleagueTom Christopher ’s first-class interview with Jennifer about the book – the interview that convinced me Ireally should record the bookbecause it feature such an interesting and divers categorisation of woman and career path .
Photo by Rob Woolmington
How do these charwoman “ bring in the world of plants ? ” By possess nurseries and garden marrow , pull together and sell seeds , point up public garden , advocate for urban gardens or farming , shoot and writing about gardens , designing garden , and run as horticultural therapist , scientist , garden educator or historiographer .
Regionally , the 75 cleaning lady are from across North America and the U.K. , Australia , Japan and India , where Jennifer found Dr. Vandana Shiva . She ’s “ a celebrated outside leader in environmentalism , ecofeminism , and agroecology . ” Despite my lifelong feminism , I was ignorant of any “ eco ” rendering , and demand Jennifer to enlighten me by electronic mail . She wrote :
“ As for ecofemisim , it is a philosophic feeler to seeing the demeaning / degrading of women and the feminine principles / energy / body in the world as being hand in hand with the demeaning / degrading / extractive mindset humans tend to have to the worldly concern – and that both set of job are bear of the patriarchal mindset . That if you change that outlook and its consequent ability and ill-usage of power , both the world / environment AND the state of / quality of life of and obedience for woman the world over improve dramatically . This is a pillar of the piece of work of Vandana Shiva . ” So now we know !
The 75 cleaning woman also be a wide range of ages , though the record does n’t reveal their literal ages . I applaud that editorial decision .
Photo by Rob Woolmington
Now it ’s time for some serious name - dropping ! I fuck let on in the Holy Scripture all these women Iactually have it away , start out with the ones in my area : Susan Pell , Beth Tuttle , Ira Wallace , Claudia West and Cindy Brown . Then there are the ace from elsewhere whom I fuck or have at least met : Lorene Forkner , Mia Lehrer , Marta McDowell , Debra Prinzing , Margaret Roach , Rene Shepherd , Flora Grubb , Annie Hayes and , of course , GardenRant co - founder Amy Stewart .
Photo by Rob Woolmington
A writer I ’ve never met but would dear jazz to is Jamaica Kincaid , who to my surprise is put on a “ I ca n’t breathe ” T - shirt in the book . I had n’t realise that the phrasal idiom became a meme back in 2014 after the killing of Eric Garner .
But back to Amy Stewart , one of the 75 “ over-the-top women . ” Amy ’s visibility deal her biographical journey and her many book but also quite a bit about GardenRant :
“ Beyond her book , she has aid catalyse modification in the horticultural creation through the energetically irreverentGardenRantblog platform , which injected the field with some much needed ( often female ) irony and deep critique of its valued and often - elitist posture . ”
“ In 2006 Amy cofoundedGardenRantwith garden writer Susan Harris and Michele Owens , and later , Elizabeth Licata . For its 10th anniversary Amy name the new labor as ‘ a modest little idea we had to present as a horticultural rebellion . We were tired of what the mainstream horticulture media had to offer — warmed - over garden confidential information , repurposed pressure release about the ten thousandth novel flame nettle on the market , dull little essay about the wonders of spring — and we were win over that blogger could overthrow the gardening establishment . Like all good revolutionary , we began by writing a manifesto .
“ The manifesto began ‘ We are convinced that horticulture subject . ’ To Amy , it was decisive that for garden to matter , gardeners had to “ get out of the lifestyle section and as far away from family decorating as potential . We ’re talking about how we interact with the plant land , not how to choose a cam stroke pillow . This dump is significant ! We ’re flabbergast at the idea of ‘ no alimony ’ gardens . horticulture is something you do . It ’s not something you purchase and arrange around the exterior of your base in between blow the aforesaid cam stroke pillows . ’
“ GardenRantwas a compelling turn in gardening conversation that leverage the new powers of the socially connected digital world to interrupt the horticulture - as - consumerism model . Amy describes the showtime , recalling,’You could not say matter critical of a companionship , or any - thing like “ I f * * * ing hate nandinas and they should be banned . ” It was so tedious . ’GardenRantopened doors in garden communication and direct a blind spot for plantspeople that needed attention . ' ”
Thanks , Jennifer , for that nice admonisher of our origin and for finding so many other women for us put on our radar and be inspired by .
Just brand a input here ( or on ourFacebook Sir Frederick Handley Page ) about why you need the book , and we ’ll opt one at random . The deadline is a week from Monday – July 13 .
In the meantime , check out Jennifer ’s award - winning podcastCultivating piazza : conversation on natural history & the human impulse to garden . It ’s sooooo good . And learnabout Jennifer here .
