Dig into some garden mysteries—March 9, 2012
It is that most frustrating time of year for gardeners in Nebraska – the weather offers a few beautiful days in a row and suddenly everyone wants to be outside digging in the dirt, even though it is still weeks before the experts recommend any such behavior! So move your reading chair into a sunbeam and crack open one of these novels about gardening until you can actually get out in the yard.
Perdita envisions herself getting along quite well in the world, growing and selling organic vegetables to local restaurants. Then her ex-husband shows up on the scene as a television chef to challenge her patience, skills and her ability to stay out of his way. Try “Second Thyme Around” by Katie Fforde for a sensual read about cooking, relationships and gardening.
Lynne Hinton has written a gentler tale of close friends dealing with the obstacles life throws in the way in “Garden of Faith.” Each chapter starts with a selection from the Hope Springs Garden Club Newsletter titled “Bea’s Botanical Bits”, rich in gardening and general wisdom.
Susan Wittig Albert is best known for her herbalist/detective China Bayles, but she has created a whole new set of stand-out characters in “The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree.” Set in depression-era Darling, Alabama, the ladies of the local garden club are determined to keep their town beautiful and free from murderers despite the hard times everyone is experiencing.
If you like gardening murder mysteries, you might also try Janis Harrison’s “Roots of Murder.” Florist Bretta Solomon must solve the murder of her friend and flower supplier Isaac before his beautiful garden is destroyed. This is the first in a run of six novels that form the “Gardening Mysteries” series.
Another series also found under the name “Gardening Mystery” is by Ann Ripley and features titles like “Death at the Spring Plant Sale.” Louis Eldridge hosts a public television show called “Gardening with Nature” and is always on the lookout for events she can cover for her show. She finds more than a human interest story when she journeys to the Bethesda Garden Club’s plant sale just as the club president is murdered.
Let your gardening bug rest a little longer while you enjoy one of these fun novels from the Hastings Public Library.
