Gardening - Philosophy for Everyone

Intriguing ideas combined with a philosophical method of inquiry bring the benefits of gardening into the 21st century. Gardening Philosophy for Everyone: Cultivating Wisdomproduces what the title suggests it cultivates and grows the body of knowledge about gardening, exploring the value of gardening past and present for multiple disciplines. (Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 1 November 2012) "So pull up a chair, relax under a shady canopy and delve into the fascinating garden-related philosophies contained in this most interesting read." (Australian Horticulture, 1 March 2011)"A good mix of topics, ideas and arguments - a very good and meaty read." (Gardensandpeople.co.uk, 1 March 2011) "Reading this book has been an experience so enchanting, that I am eager to revisit each of the essays, to re submerge myself in their expertise. If one is a gardener, this is a publication reserved for cold winter nights or long plane rides; for the non-gardener, it is an engaging private symposium. One might also call it "variations on a theme of gardening", enriched by diverse intellectual disciplines and unexpected perspectives of the contributing authors." (Gardenguru, 29 March 2011) "Reading this book has been an experience so enchanting, that I am eager to revisit each of the essays, to re submerge myself in their expertise. If one is a gardener, this is a publication reserved for cold winter nights or long plane rides; for the non-gardener, it is an engaging private symposium. One might also call it "variations on a theme of gardening", enriched by diverse intellectual disciplines and unexpected perspectives of the contributing writers." (Bookpleasures.com, 26 March 2011) "There's nothing too 'difficult' philosophically in this book, so definitely one for any thoughtful gardeners, philosophers or not." (Wittgenstein's Watering Can, 21 April 2011) "Finally, we have a book which celebrates and examines the topic of gardens and gardening in a way that involves more than simply helping pick the perfect plant for your shady nook." (A Garden of Possibilities, 18 April 2011) "The book is comprised of numerous essays by different authors, each with their own unique angle. I am very impressed that Permaculture is mentioned at least once by name, and hunter-gatherers, foragers, and horticulturalists, are discussed in many of the essays. Also, each author brings their own definition of gardening, and some of them are broad enough to include the most cutting edge forest gardens as well as many primitive peoples' land management techniques. Even the essays with a more narrow view of what a garden is had interesting thoughts of our interaction with plants and how that impacts us philosophically." (Nathan Carlos Rupley, 15 April 2011) "Editor Dan O'Brien has assembled a collection of essays, among which are Mara Miller's reflections upon the many layers of time and change inherent in gardens, and the ways in which they affect persona experiences, which illuminate how these may play into design considerations". (Garden Design Journal, 1 April 2011) "Gardening is not absent from philosophy; after all, Voltaire's Candide ends with the admonition to cultivate our garden.' This book examines how gardening is like philosophy and vice versa. Much space is also given to political philosophy and some fascinating explorations into the political and philosophical ramifications of historical gardening in London and Aztec Mexico. The series is likely to appeal to armchair philosophers and undergraduates alike, and this volume will give gardeners of an intellectual bent a philosophical justification for their hobby." (Library Journal, March 2011) "A new book on the philosophy of gardening - edited by Dan O'Brien and Fritz Allhoff - has been written by and for the g

Editors DAN O'BRIEN is a Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Birmingham University, and an Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Series Editor FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.

Foreword viii David E. Cooper Acknowledgments xi Dan OBrien Planting the Seed: An Introduction to Gardening Philosophy for Everyone 1 Dan OBrien Part I The Good Life 11 1 The Virtues of Gardening 13 Isis Brook 2 Cultivating the Soul: The Ethics of Gardening in Ancient Greece and Rome 26 Meghan T. Ray 3 Escaping Eden: Plant Ethics in a Gardeners World 38 Matthew Hall 4 Food Glorious Food 48 Helene Gammack Part II Flower Power 63 5 Plants, Prayers, and Power: The Story of the First Mediterranean Gardens 65 Jo Day 6 Brussels Sprouts and Empire: Putting Down Roots 79 Michael Moss 7 Transplanting Liberty: Lafayettes American Garden 93 Laura Auricchio 8 Cockney Plots: Allotments and Grassroots Political Activism 106 Elizabeth A. Scott Part III The Flower Show 119 9 Hortus Incantans: Gardening as an Art of Enchantment 121 Eric MacDonald 10 Gardens, Music, and Time 135 Ismay Barwell and John Powell 11 The Pragmatic Picturesque: The Philosophy of Central Park 148 Gary Shapiro Part IV The Cosmic Garden 161 12 Illusions of Grandeur: A Harmonious Garden for the Sun King 163 Robert Neuman 13 Time and Temporality in the Garden 178 Mara Miller 14 Cultivating Our Garden: David Hume and Gardening as Therapy 192 Dan OBrien Part V Philosophers Gardens 205 15 The Garden of the Aztec Philosopher-King 207 Susan Toby Evans 16 Epicurus, the Garden, and the Golden Age 220 Gordon Campbell 17 Gardener of Souls: Philosophical Education in Platos Phaedrus 232 Anne Cotton Notes on Contributors 245