Soil : the story of a Black mother's garden

Soil: the story of a Black mother's garden
By Camille T Dungy 
Simone & Schuster Paperbacks, 2024. 325 pages. Nonfiction

Poet and scholar Camille T. Dungy shares her seven-year journey to diversify her garden in the mostly white community of Fort Collins, Colorado. After moving there in 2013 with her family, she faced strict rules about what could be planted. To challenge these uniform policies, Dungy uses the diverse plants in her garden as a metaphor to show how a lack of diversity can harm our planet. She argues that promoting varied and inclusive language in environmental discussions is crucial for protecting the future of our world. 

"Soil" resonated with me on multiple levels. Whether I was gardening alongside Camille's narrative or reflecting on her experiences as a mother and community member, her words felt intimate and instructive. Camille's storytelling enriched my understanding of the need for diversity in a garden and our community while deepening my love for gardening.

"Soil" reminds me of storytelling's power to inspire change and growth. While this is a great read it's also a great listen with Camille as the narrator. 

If you like Soil: the story of a Black mother's garden, you might also like:

Braiding Sweetgrass

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Through her experiences as an Indigenous scientist and woman, Kimmerer reveals how plants and animals—like asters, strawberries, salamanders, and sweetgrass—provide valuable lessons and gifts. She explores topics from the creation of Turtle Island to modern threats against it, arguing that to awaken ecological awareness, we must recognize and honor our reciprocal relationship with all living things. By learning to understand the languages of other beings, we can better appreciate the earth's generosity and respond with our own gifts.

The Hidden Life of Trees
By Peter Wohlleben
Greystone books, 2016. 288 pages. Nonfiction

In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben argues that trees are indeed social beings, creating a complex network similar to human families. He uses recent scientific discoveries to show how trees interact with each other in forests: they communicate, support their offspring, share nutrients, and even alert one another to dangers. Wohlleben combines this scientific insight with his personal passion for forests, offering a detailed look at the processes of life, death, and renewal he has witnessed in the woods.

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