Sunday, February 28, 2016

Vivian Swift: Author, Blogger and All Around Cool Person



Books, gardens, art, blogs, London, Morocco, witty people, friends...
How everything is wonderfully combined inVivian Swift's new book coming out on March 1st. 
Mine arrived in the mail last week because I'm mentioned in the acknowledgements (so is Buster!).
Lucky me! 



Kirkus review thinks the book is wonderful - as I do. I've known about the book for a while as Vivian has been working on it for ages. She is so very funny - and so very knowledgeable. So the book is a compendium of delights.




The two gardens mentioned in the book that I know very well and have blogged about are The Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh with its splendid blue walls and the Chelsea Physic Garden in London.


How I miss living in Morocco.  That aside


Vivian is obsessed with the same door I was years ago



Look how they have tweaked the colors.



Fish in the pond there.

Then the Chelsea Physic Garden in London.



How different the light is!


Vivian is very funny about the updated lunch room - and how it has changed. I exactly agree. It was wonderful years ago - but then so many things were. I'm getting ancient.


What an enviable gig - traveling and looking at gardens and writing about them too!  Not to mention the hard work of painting them then editing text and so forth.


I think this book would be a lovely present for anyone who likes any of the things mentioned in my first sentence.

Maybe spring will eventually get to New York - meanwhile I'm reading!



8 comments:

  1. Wonderful.
    I love the photos of the gardens but also the beautiful watercolors.
    And Buster gets to be in the acknowledgements ! Of course he is. He is a star !

    cheers, parsnip

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  2. I'm a fan of Vivian's, too! I think I found her through you. Can't wait to get the book.
    Barbara

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    1. I do think you will enjoy it - she makes such funny remarks - but is most knowledgeable too.

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  3. Oh how I loved Chelsea Physic Garden! I discovered it in 2004 and visited it again in 2008. Thanks for the reminder to peruse my photos again. And thanks for the heads up about the book.

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    1. Willow,
      I'm sure you would love the book!
      Written by a very keen traveller and acute observer!

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  4. I like this book, the illustrations are beautiful.

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  5. Hi Elizabeth, and a happy soon-to-be-Spring to you over there in NYC! Thank you for the alert about this book. I adore the illustrations and would buy it for those alone if I were buying books at the moment. I am adding it to my list! Hope all is well with you and yours. It has been a tad warmer in NYC lately than here in San Diego if you can believe that!

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I look forward to hearing from you!