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Planting a garden? What's your rush?

By Barbara Mahany, Chicago Tribune, Source: MCT News Service

"Slow Gardening: A No-Stress Philosophy for All Senses and Seasons" By Felder Rushing (Chelsea Green)

What it is: "Slow Gardening: A No-Stress Philosophy for All Senses and Seasons" is iconoclast gardener-author Felder Rushing's slow-paced, all-purpose guide to living the slow life in the garden. In Rushing's world view, to garden slowly is to garden richly, mining for depth of meaning and whatever brings you _ not your neighbor across the picket fence _ the purest, most exhilarating joy. While he's plenty philosophical, Rushing generously throws in plenty of how-to's: from how to slow down to how to get the most oomph out of your backyard waterfall.

What makes it armchair-worthy: This is not a book that leaps out and shakes you by the lapels. It works its thought-provoking ways without drumroll or cymbal crash. But as you read along, you begin to survey your own gardening style with an eye toward savoring the labors, the delights, the time it takes to watch a sapling grow into a tree that shades your afternoon lemonade. He invites contemplation, for mulling over such revolutionary ideas as ditching noisy garden tools, or sitting in your garden even when it's raining or dark outside. "Get personal with your weather," Rushing implores. And, above all else, he encourages you to share your garden with a child _ your own or someone else's.

One fine line: "Slow Gardening has deep roots, because gardening has always been a process, a collaboration between humans and nature, and not something you can go out and buy. The passage of time is central: Planting a little tree is just a beginning."

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      PHOTO (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): SLOW-GARDENING