The writer and gardener Des Kennedy discusses his new collection of gardening essays, Heart and Soil: The Revolutionary Good of Gardens (Harbour Publishing, 2014), his garden on Denman Island, and more, with Joseph Planta.

Heart and Soil: The Revolutionary Good of Gardens by Des Kennedy (Harbour Publishing, 2014). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Heart and Soil

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

I’m not a gardener, but there’s a book out now that just might turn you onto gardening, and that’s the new collection of essays from the writer, environmentalist and gardener, Des Kennedy. It’s called Heart and Soil: The Revolutionary Good of Gardens. A lot of these pieces have been ones that have appeared in GardenWise, and they’re just delightful, elegantly written, humorous and contemplative pieces. I’ll get Mr. Kennedy, who joins me from his home on Denman Island, to tell us about some of the wisdom he’s derived from years of cultivating a garden. The garden he has on Denman Island with his partner Sandy, that they began some forty years ago is one of the more notable gardens in the province. The photos in this book show what a beautiful garden it is. You see from the photographs alone just how lovingly maintained it is. I’ll ask Mr. Kennedy about gardening and more. Des Kennedy is an award winning writer who has been a nominee for the Stephen Leacock Award for humour, three times. He’s written five books of essays and three novels, including a memoir, The Way of a Gardener. He has been a columnist for the Globe and Mail and for CBC Television, best remembered perhaps for his years on Midday. Mr. Kennedy will be making appearances on Tuesday, 08 July 2014 at the Bolen Books in Victoria; and at the Book Warehouse on West Broadway here in Vancouver, on Thursday 10 July 2014. This book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Des Kennedy; Mr. Kennedy, good morning.

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