The earth knows my name

the long version

We are a democracy of gardeners yet, with few exceptions, the garden is presented as the province of the privileged. Garden writing tends to exclude the stories of the ethnic peoples who have shaped our landscape for centuries--the idea of the garden has been stripped of its cultural weight. Gardener and writing teacher Klindienst speaks directly to this gap in our understanding, exploring the deeper implications of what it means to cultivate a garden and to grow one's own food. The fifteen gardens she presents have all been fashioned by people usually thought of as other Americans: Native Americans, immigrants, and ethnic peoples who were here long before our national boundaries were drawn. All of these gardeners straddle two cultures--mainstream America and their culture of origin. Their stewardship of the land is an expression of the desire to preserve their heritage against all that threatens it.--From publisher description.