From Publishers Weekly
Gardening seems a solitary endeavor, perfect for those who like to be alone with nature without leaving their own yard. But this biography of renowned Southern gardening expert Lawrence tells of a time when getting your hands on an Algerian iris was not as easy as opening a nursery catalogue. Lawrence (1904—1985), author of A Southern Garden, Two Gardeners and numerous articles in House & Garden magazine and the Charlotte Observer, spent her life collecting different bulbs and clippings from the "friendly society" of gardeners across the country. Her love for gardens stretched beyond her own, and she often incorporated tips and accomplishments from the giant, informal association of green thumbs in her columns. According to Lawrence, "Gardening, reading about gardening, and writing about gardening are all one. No one can garden alone." Admired by writers such as Joseph Mitchell and Eudora Welty, Lawrence's writing was often about people and philosophy as well as planting. North Carolina writer Wilson's account is clear and unembellished, and her work provides a complete portrait of an independent, private and multifaceted woman. Photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
On the 100th anniversary of her birth, Lawrence's life is celebrated with joy, reverence, and clarity in this captivating biography of the quintessential horticulturist whose columns and books about her private Southern garden inspired gardeners throughout the country. Wilson, the editor of Two Gardeners: Katherine S. White and Elizabeth Lawrence, A Friendship in Letters (2002), vibrantly traces Lawrence's development from a shy, devoted daughter to a pioneering landscape architect and prolific garden writer, exploring in detail the paradoxes that were to define Lawrence's personal and professional lives. Raised in the genteel South, where devotion to family and community represented the highest ideals of young womanhood, Lawrence defied expectations by attending college in New York City. Although her exposure to urban sophistication profoundly affected her, it could not surpass the uncommon satisfaction she derived from working in her own backyard. Her writings about the practical and philosophical rewards of tending one's own garden won her legions of fans, from the notable to the ordinary. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
The first biography of the renowned Southern gardening writer by the editor of the acclaimed book Two GardenersElizabeth Lawrence (1904–1985) lived a singular, contradictory life. She was a true Southerner; a successful, independent gardening writer with her own newspaper column and numerous books to her credit; a dutiful daughter who cared for her elders and always lived with her mother; a landscape architect; an accomplished poet; a friend of literary figures like Eudora Welty and Joseph Mitchell; and a woman people called "St. Elizabeth" behind her back. Lawrence earned many fans during her lifetime and gained even more after her death with the reissue of many of her classic books. When Emily Herring Wilson edited a collection of letters between Lawrence and famed New Yorker editor Katherine S. White in Two Gardeners, she found legions of readers, in the South and elsewhere, who were eager to know more about the legendary Lawrence.Now, one hundred years after her birth, No One Gardens Alone tells for the first time the story of this fascinating woman. Like classic biographies of literary figures such as Emily Dickinson or Edna St. Vincent Millay, this book reveals Lawrence in all her complexity and establishes her, at last, as one of the premier gardeners and writers of the twentieth century.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Elizabeth Lawrence (1904-1985) lived a singular, often contradictory life. She was a traditional southerner; a successful, independent garden writer with her own newspaper column and numerous books to her credit; a dutiful daughter who cared for her elders and lived with her mother; a landscape architect; a passionate poet; a friend of literary figures like Eudora Welty and Joseph Mitchell; and a very private woman whose recently discovered letters illuminate aspects of her mystery. Lawrence earned many fans during her lifetime and gained even more after her death with the reissue of many of her classic books." Now, one hundred years after her birth, No One Gardens Alone tells for the first time the story of this fascinating woman. Like classic biographies of literary figures such as Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay, this book reveals Lawrence in all her complexity and establishes her, at last, as one of the premier gardeners and garden writers of the twentieth century.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Gardening seems a solitary endeavor, perfect for those who like to be alone with nature without leaving their own yard. But this biography of renowned Southern gardening expert Lawrence tells of a time when getting your hands on an Algerian iris was not as easy as opening a nursery catalogue. Lawrence (1904 1985), author of A Southern Garden, Two Gardeners and numerous articles in House & Garden magazine and the Charlotte Observer, spent her life collecting different bulbs and clippings from the "friendly society" of gardeners across the country. Her love for gardens stretched beyond her own, and she often incorporated tips and accomplishments from the giant, informal association of green thumbs in her columns. According to Lawrence, "Gardening, reading about gardening, and writing about gardening are all one. No one can garden alone." Admired by writers such as Joseph Mitchell and Eudora Welty, Lawrence's writing was often about people and philosophy as well as planting. North Carolina writer Wilson's account is clear and unembellished, and her work provides a complete portrait of an independent, private and multifaceted woman. Photos. (Oct.) Forecast: With a national publicity campaign, ads in Carolina Gardener and events throughout the South, this biography of a legendary female gardener could gain traction among women green thumbs. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

As evidenced by this respectful biography of noted gardening scribe Elizabeth Lawrence (1904-85), a great writer does not necessarily lead an interesting life; Lawrence's consisted mainly of being a dutiful daughter and loving sister. Lawrence spent most of her life in North Carolina, where she created two gardens that served as laboratories for her work and informed her writing. Her combination of objective reporting with lively portraits of other gardeners whom she knew through her extensive correspondence and reading gave her classic works, A Southern Garden, The Little Bulbs, and Gardens in Winter, broader appeal. Unfortunately, the most exciting parts of Wilson's biography focus on Lawrence's relationships with other gardeners and authors, and since most of these were carried out through correspondence, one wishes that Wilson had instead compiled another collection of letters (she previously edited Two Gardeners: Katharine S. White and Elizabeth Lawrence; A Friendship in Letters). Still, given Lawrence's importance, this worthwhile endeavor is recommended for large gardening collections and gardening collections in the Southeast.-Daniel Starr, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews