The Tao of Gardening

Book excerpt: Most books on gardening are read for information. Those books provide important details on the "do’s" and "don’ts" of growing things. This book, The Tao of Gardening, is to be read for inspiration. Using English translations of the classic Tao Te Ching by the Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, the author has adapted the words and concepts to the universal human activities of gardening. Rod MacIver, in Heron Dance, writes "The Tao Te Ching is a poem, a book, set of guideposts, leading to a way of being that is simple, and that is harmonious. It celebrates the workings of nature and of the universe, the cycles of life, the cycles of water. Taoism grew out of pre-dynastic China, a time when people lived close to the land. It is a philosophy more than a religion - rather than attempting to define the Great Mystery, it espouses humble acceptance, gentleness and non-interference. The Tao is about a harmony that can be more often sensed than described or understood." The Tao of Gardening then, is a way of gardening that is a journey and a way of living. It recognizes the inner and outer spiritual dimensions of the many parts that make up the whole of gardening.