Soil: The Story of A Black Mother’ Garden, by author and poet Camille T. Dungy, is a memoir of the author’s 7 year effort to establish a pollinator garden in her yard in the predominately white community of Fort Collins, Colorado. As Dungy struggles with the landscape restrictions of her neighborhood she explores the relationship of people and the land and makes her garden a metaphor for her bigger concerns regarding the problems of homogeneity in the world around her. Dungy shares her joy as her garden springs to life and reflects on the reactions of her neighbors to the diversity she has brought them.
As the story of her garden unfolds, Dungy relates the the actual steps in establishing the garden, the reactions of her family and neighbors, and history of wilderness movement. She weaves her thoughts on the environment, motherhood, racial issues, and social justice into her narrative and shows the limitations of homogeneity and benefits of diversity. We learn about the work of painter Mary Cassatt, the late 19th century garden of black poet, Anne Spencer, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the the injustices committed against minorities and ethnic groups in regard to maintaining the fantasy of the American wilderness. No, this is not your usual garden book on soil but rather a heartfelt expression of a person who is deeply concerned about the land she lives on.
The book is written in a gracious elegant style and is very attractively presented. The beautiful cover shows some of the bright colored flowers of native plants used in a pollinator garden while the end papers show plans of the author’s lot in both black and white, and in color. The black and white photographs of plants within the book are disappointing but may complement the heady message of the author and spur readers to deeper thought and contemplation.
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