
The View From Federal Twist
A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves
Filbert Press · Print & ebook · March 1, 2022
Federal Twist is set on a ridge above the Delaware River in western New Jersey.
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- Who it’s for
- James Golden charts a garden shaped by clay, light, chance, and ecology.
- Themes
- Sustainable gardening, Garden, nature, and self, Mood and sense of place
- Genres
- Gardening Essays, Landscaping, Ecology
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Federal Twist is set on a ridge above the Delaware River in western New Jersey. It is a naturalistic garden that has no utilitarian or leisure uses and the site is not an obvious choice for a garden (heavy clay soil, poorly drained: quick death for any plants not ecologically suited to it).
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The physical garden, its plants and its features, is of course an appealing and pleasant place to be but Federal Twist's real charm and significance lie in its intangible aspects: its changing qualities and views, the moods and emotions it evokes, and its distinctive character and sense of place. This book charts the author's journey in making such a garden. How he made a conscious decision not to improve the land, planted competitive plants into rough grass, experimented with sustainable plant communities. And how he worked with light to provoke certain moods and allowed the energy of the place, chance, and randomness to have its say. Part experimental horticulturist and part philosopher, James Golden has written an important book for ecological gardeners and anyone interested in exploring the relationship between gardens, nature, and ourselves.
Federal Twist’s Clay Soil
James Golden charts a garden shaped by clay, light, chance, and ecology.
Come here for
- A garden on a ridge above New Jersey’s Delaware River
- Experiments with sustainable plant communities
Expect
- A deliberate choice not to improve the land
- Attention to light, chance, and the garden’s changing qualities
Where it sits
| Gardening Essays | 49% |
|---|---|
| Landscaping | 42% |
| Ecology | 40% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Mid-Atlantic Gardening
- Wilderness & Wild Places
- Authors
- James Golden
- Publisher
- Filbert Press
- Published
- March 1, 2022
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Sustainable gardening · Garden, nature, and self · Mood and sense of place
- Reading lane
- Mid-Atlantic Gardening