Comments on Ecological Gardening: The Earth Day Reading Project: A Blog Meme

Hi Mary Jo, Thanks for the good words. Happy read...

2011-05-11T09:48:12.220-07:00

Hi Mary Jo,

Thanks for the good words. Happy reading!

Adrian, I reflect on my ecological minded friends ...

2011-05-11T08:53:18.578-07:00

Adrian, I reflect on my ecological minded friends and relatives as I read your choice of books.
The Secret Garden: I read it this winter, upon learning it is my sister's favorite.
The Lord of the Rings: My husband read the entire trilogy to my sons when they were young.
A Sand County Almanac: My friend Mary read aloud to me as I rested in the hospital.
Walden and Noah&

Yes--Miyazaki films are worth watching. They are s...

2011-04-28T14:38:03.177-07:00

Yes--Miyazaki films are worth watching. They are stunning visually. Good recommendations, Kelly.

Adrian--I haven't seen "The Economics of Happiness" and am not famiilar with it.

Hi Garden Girl, I love southwestern Wisconsin, my...

2011-04-28T13:06:32.248-07:00

Hi Garden Girl,

I love southwestern Wisconsin, myself, and have imagined living there, too. Your mom sounds like an inspiring person.

I hope you enjoy the books, and feel that you will.

Kelly, How could I forget earth-sheltered houses?...

2011-04-28T13:03:02.142-07:00

Kelly,

How could I forget earth-sheltered houses? Though not familiar with Malcom Wells, I know about that kind of building and used to think I might live in one someday. There are several companies in the Midwest that do that kind of work.

Helsinki sounds like an interesting place to visit. Thanks for the movie recommendations. I'll let you know when I've watched

Vera, Thanks for your comments. I see your point...

2011-04-28T07:22:47.581-07:00

Vera, Thanks for your comments.

I see your point about humans being no more flawed than animals. Where I disagree is with the one bad culture idea--I believe human traits are fairly constant and only express themselves differently in different cultures.

Plenty of non-western cultures have been aggressive, warlike, and caused ecological disruption as well as having

Inspiring reading about inspiring reading Adrian! ...

2011-04-27T04:49:53.434-07:00

Inspiring reading about inspiring reading Adrian!

I'm inspired now to read Sand County Almanac and Noah's Garden. My mom lives in rural southwest WI. While I was sad she moved away from us when she retired, I now know she wasn't really moving away, but rather towards something. Years ago I fell in love with her beautiful place and lifestyle, and kind of wish I could

Adrian, I'm pretty convinced that Malcolm Wel...

2011-04-26T13:20:39.140-07:00

Adrian,

I'm pretty convinced that Malcolm Wells (http://www.malcolmwells.com/) must have be inspired by the Shire from Lord of the Rings when he started creating his earth-sheltered buildings. I think he's a good example that really does model after the Shire, intentionally or not.

Another aspect of integrating the built environment into the landscape I found in

:-) A fine response. Ishmael has much to say about...

2011-04-26T12:47:23.139-07:00

:-)
A fine response. Ishmael has much to say about this very thing, and it is a very enjoyable novel.

What Ishmael would say is... humans are no more flawed than gorillas, or hyenas, or rattlesnakes. The problem we are all trying like mad to solve, is not caused by faulty human nature. It is caused by the behavior of people of one culture.

Which of course does not

Hi Vera, Thanks for visiting. I haven't read...

2011-04-26T09:49:47.157-07:00

Hi Vera,

Thanks for visiting. I haven't read Ishmael, though it looks like an interesting novel, judging by the Wikipedia write-up.

What I mean by my statement at JMG that "humans are flawed"? The short answer is that I mean just what it says.

A longer answer? My conclusion is based on a grounding of experience, observation, education,

hi Kelly, Thanks for participating. Your books re...

2011-04-26T07:48:43.526-07:00

hi Kelly,

Thanks for participating. Your books really expanded the diversity of the recommendations.

The design factors you mention in Lord of the Rings are interesting--how do we integrate buildings into the landscape both visually and functionally? I wonder if living buildings start to answer this question.

Haven't seen any Miyazaki films. I just

Adrian, I just saw your comment on JMG. Humans are...

2011-04-26T06:47:19.517-07:00

Adrian, I just saw your comment on JMG. Humans are flawed? How do you mean? And have you read Ishmael?

Ah I thought of Lord of the Rings too! It really d...

2011-04-25T14:15:04.839-07:00

Ah I thought of Lord of the Rings too! It really does paint a beautiful picture, I was enthralled with Rivendell and the other elf cities. I love the trees as buildings and the idea of building seamlessly right into the landscape. There are certainly design ideas to draw from there. I love the subtle messages throughout the books as Don pointed out.

I'm a huge fan of the films of

Hi EE, That sounds like a beautiful setting; perha...

2011-04-25T07:40:09.024-07:00

Hi EE, That sounds like a beautiful setting; perhaps not unlike California. Does one's childhood landscape influence one's responses to books? Of course. How so? A more mysterious, complex process. Where does imagination meet reality and how do they influence each other?

Jean,thanks, I've learned a few things from you, too. Oh yeah, reading in the garden--a most favorite

Adrian, Tolkien has been one of the foundations of...

2011-04-24T10:50:23.501-07:00

Adrian, Tolkien has been one of the foundations of my own world view as well. I've read TLoTL many, many times, including out loud to the kids when they were younger. That has instilled in them a love of Middle Earth as well; my son has the words of the dying Thorin from The Hobbit on his Facebook list of favorite quotes: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above

Adrian, I knew that your choices and your explanat...

2011-04-23T13:07:09.996-07:00

Adrian, I knew that your choices and your explanation of why you chose them would be inspired; I was right. Sand County Almanac is definitely going on my list, as is Noah's Garden. I have heard of both of these; I don't know how I missed reading them. (Happily, summer's coming, with all that time free of teaching responsibilities to sit in the garden and read. :-)) -Jean

This child grew up in Cape Town, on the slopes of ...

2011-04-23T11:40:34.043-07:00

This child grew up in Cape Town, on the slopes of Table Mountain in a mediterranean climate. Sunny, but near the sea.

Thanks, this was a really good project you started...

2011-04-23T07:22:16.407-07:00

Thanks, this was a really good project you started.

Like you, Walden was one of my favorites since col...

2011-04-22T19:27:31.674-07:00

Like you, Walden was one of my favorites since college. Thoreau really understood our connection to the earth. I am very interested in reading some of your selections. And I am glad you even offered more to consider. Thank you for participating in The Earth Day Reading Project and happy Earth Day.