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"In dark times, creating and experiencing a tree-and-flower-garden provides so much — inspration, exercise, spritual growth, CO2 uptake, a biodiverse sanctuary, sense of place, hope, link to nature and earth, belief in the future, a statement of resistance, even the context of history. Join the author in his labyrinth of paths and sitting quietly, with birds singing, flowers blooming, butterflies fluttering, winds howling, and, yes, the surroundings changing. Many before us have gotten through tough times in a garden."
Richard T. T. Forman, author of Towns, Ecology, and the Land
"How do environmental anxiety, Voltaire, Candide, religion, and gardens as ecological and spritual sanctuaries intersect with climate change and world decay? John Hanson Mitchell reflects on this and much more in the The Garden at the End of Time, an entertaining read unlike anything else in this field."
Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
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The Garden at the End of Time: Getting By in the Age of Climate Change
In 2022, the United Nations and others started reporting the true severity of the climate crisis as the Earth passed a point of no return. It was the worst year on record for climate-related disasters, including deadly floods, massive fires, and dramatic droughts, all of which have worsened since that year. John Hanson Mitchell, like so many, felt overwhelmed. he looked to the story of Volatire's Candide, and settled on its famous aphorism: "We must cultivate our garden".
The Garden at the End of Time features Mitchell's trademark blend of science, literature, and anecdote as he processes both the information he is reading and what it prompts him to do in his own corner of the world. The story that unfolds sees Mitchell diversifying his plantings, observing changes in the wild lands nearby, and meditating on other moments when people sought refuge as they tried to improve stressful situations. With gravitas, kindness, and wit, Mitchell offers a model for maintaining a connection to nature even as it reels from manmade threats. |
John Hanson Mitchell
