The Flower Show them was Brilliant — featuring English style, complete with Big Ben recreated in the center.
It was the perfect venue for a talk about my book about Rosemary Verey, the legendary English garden writer-designer who had such close and affectionate ties to America. In fact, in preparing for my talk, I got out my copy of her book, The American Woman’s Garden and saw that she signed it on March 3, the very same date as my Sunday talk in Philadelphia this week! But it was in 1985, not 2013. I remember being there with her for the opening night benefit party. Every woman mentioned in that book had been invited and most came. Then she presided, the star of the evening and we all signed each other’s books on the page where our names appeared, just like a High School yearbook. A memorable evening and a special pleasure to be talking about her in the same event almost 30 years later.
I was delighted to have the company of two special friends, David Farber and Beth Bailey, both accomplished authors and biographers themselves as well as distinguished Professors at nearby Temple University. David’s biography of Charlie’s grandfather, John Jacob Raskob is just about to appear. They live near the Convention Center where the Flower Show is held but David had never been to this amazing event sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the oldest ongoing Flower Show in America. Here we are together and also a picture of me with Charlie. We had an appreciative, enthusaistic audience and I signed a lot of books.
