James Golden has been guided by a more nuanced version of that idea in creating a much-praised garden, a wildish, unexpected landscape in New Jersey called Federal Twist. It was even featured on Monty Don’s “American Gardens” series for BBC Two. I’ve been reading James’s new book about Federal Twist, and just like that old garden adage, a lot of his philosophy of garden making is about acceptance, about letting the place tell you what it wants to be.
James Golden came to garden making later in life, when he was preparing to retire from a writing job in the corporate world. His new book is “The View from Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature, and Ourselves” (affiliate link).
Plus: Enter to win a copy of his book by commenting in the box farther down the page.
Read along as you listen to the February 14, 2022 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
matching the garden to the site, with james goldenMargaret Roach: Hi, James, How are you? Winter: It’s winter [laughter].
James Golden: Winter. I just went out to see if my Hamamelis ‘Jelena’ was blooming yesterday morning.
Margaret: Oh, you have that one, too? That’s the first one to always bloom for me.
James: Yeah, it’s my only one because they hate my soil conditions. So I have to grow it at the top of a stone wall.
Margaret: So, before we get started, to celebrate the book, I know you’re going to be doing some virtual lectures in the coming weeks for Wave Hill public garden in New York City, and for
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