Official Review: The Accidental Gardener by Farzana Prior

Drianie · Post by **Drianie** » 10 Jan 2021, 19:04

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Accidental Gardener" by Farzana Prior.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Accidental Gardener by Farzana Prior is a book brought to life by an individual who turned a simple activity into a hobby that provided her with a sense of peace and purpose. With her knowledge acquired from years of trial and error, she shares her expertise to help others experience the same sense of accomplishment by tending to their gardens.

Her book consists of 80 pages, with vibrant pictures taken from her garden to help communicate her words. In the first section, she discusses the beauty of gardening and includes information on various flowers and plants from her garden. She shares her tips on the best possible methods to help these flowers and plants thrive to the best of their ability. In the section that follows, she elaborates on the structure of gardening with information on grass, decorating her driveway, bringing a dark corner of her garden to life, hiding imperfections, pruning, and much more. In the last section, she covers everything you need to know about gardening with nature. Readers can learn how to attract birds and bees, how to deal with pets in your garden, helping your garden through climate change, and more.

Firstly, readers should not expect an in-depth look into every aspect of gardening. This book only covers a few topics based on the author's own personal experience. Apart from that, the author resides in South-Africa, and some of the information might not apply to other locations or climates. However, prospective gardeners can take away valuable lessons from this book, no matter where they live. Personally, I enjoyed every second of reading this book. My own garden requires some much-needed love and attention since my gardening skills are limited. That was my initial reason for choosing to review this book. I found the advice extremely helpful since many of the flowers and plants mentioned are the very ones I'm struggling to keep alive.

Furthermore, I think the length of the book was perfect. It was just long enough to include sufficient information that would warrant purchasing this book without overloading the reader with too much information at once. The colorful pictures included made me envious of the author's garden. I am now officially motivated to start the daunting task of getting my garden back into shape. I am positive that other readers will find similar inspiration from these pages.

My favorite part of this book was learning about the Phalaenopsis orchid, having received one as a gift. I am grateful for now knowing how to care for it. I also appreciated the personal revelations the author included, where she draws parallels between life and gardening. In her example, she compares parents to a parent orchid. The orchid bends backward to make room for a new orchid shoot, and likewise, parents bend backward to provide their children with the safe space they need to grow.

I only found a few errors while reading, and these weren’t enough for me to deduct a star from my rating. There was also nothing I disliked about the book. Hence, I am happy to rate The Accidental Gardener 4 out of 4 stars. This book is perfect for providing beginner gardeners with entry-level information to set them on their way. Experts, on the other hand, might not learn anything new from this book. However, I believe it is well-written and serves as an excellent source of inspiration to start a new hobby.

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The Accidental Gardener
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Sararob06 · Post by **Sararob06** » 16 Jan 2021, 20:25

I’ve had an interest in gardening for a long time but live somewhere that makes gardening difficult. It seems like such an enjoyable passion. Thank you for your detailed review!

Goodness C N · Post by **Goodness C N** » 18 Jan 2021, 06:13

Although this book explores the basic topics of gardening, I think it will be better suited for those who love gardening. Great review.

Drianie · Post by **Drianie** » 19 Jan 2021, 17:57

Sararob06 wrote: ↑16 Jan 2021, 20:25 I’ve had an interest in gardening for a long time but live somewhere that makes gardening difficult. It seems like such an enjoyable passion. Thank you for your detailed review!

I was also interested in gardening but never had enough knowledge to do it successfully and basically gave up. Since reading this book, I've slowly but surely started making progress, and it's lovely to see the results. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Drianie · Post by **Drianie** » 19 Jan 2021, 17:59

Godspraise Precious wrote: ↑18 Jan 2021, 06:13 Although this book explores the basic topics of gardening, I think it will be better suited for those who love gardening. Great review.

I agree that a love for gardening is key. I appreciate you commenting. Thanks!