Peter Dale: The Green Fuse: Essays in Making Sense of Gardens. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2025.
In the introduction of the book the author expresses his interest in “other, and more neglected, ways of looking for answers to the question ‘What do gardens mean.” This comes in the form of independent essays often looking at gardening through the lens of its associations with the arts, philosophy, or religion.
I came in very excited to set aside my usual gardening books of plant information or design theory and instead have a place to think through my relationship with gardening. However as I worked my way through the first few chapters I found myself fighting against the book. I grew restless and frustrated as the author jumped from one digression to another, oftentimes going a few pages without any concrete mention of gardening.
But eventually I started to let go of whatever preconceived notions I had of what the book would be and got more comfortable with its own unique rhythms. It does not feel like a strong central thesis being meticulously expanded on, instead it feels like a winding and rambling conversation with a very smart friend - still very much a worthwhile way to spend some time.
The strongest parts of the book for me actually ended up being the interludes that are sprinkled between the essays. Here instead of covering broader topics, Dale walks us through garden spaces. The large concepts and associative flow of ideas are still there, but now are balanced by the focus of being grounded in specific places and the shorter length. The descriptions of the gardens really give you a sense of place. Their character shines through much more than what you would get from a simple description of the plantings.
Overall this book is overflowing with ideas and directions for thoughts of your own. It may be hard to get your footing at times, but now it feels like a book I will want to return to as I take its ideas into my own garden and think on it some more.
Johnathon Olsen gardens at his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife. They belong to NARGS, The American Conifer Society, and The Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society.