Notes from Madoo: Making a Garden in the Hamptons

Amazon.com Review:
In 1976, artist, writer, and gardener Robert Dash bought 1.98 acres in the Hamptons, on the far Eastern end of Long Island. Intending a private hideaway where he could paint in peace, he created Madoo (Scottish for "my dove"), a unique and intriguing garden which after decades of his thoughtful and loving attention has now become a conservancy. Inspired by time spent in his garden, Dash began writing a biweekly gardening column in the East Hampton Star. Dash reflects on the seasons, the gardeners he has known, interesting or frustrating plants, the naming of roses, and the existence of fairies, to name only a few of the essays sparked by life at Madoo and now gathered in this collection. Dash infuses his essays with a gentle wistfulness, but he also doesn't pretend to love every growing thing. Forsythia, he states in the like-titled essay, is "an absolute ass of a color" whose "high-colored blooms annoy as much as hyperactive children and little yapping dogs." Dash's irreverence is a fine balance to his passion. An advocate of not just working in your garden, but truly enjoying it, Dash says, "Doing nothing but hanging about and musing and letting one's feeling roam is also what a gardener is all about." One gets the idea that Dash has done quite a bit of loitering and lolling at Madoo, and we, the recipients of his thoughtful and witty musings, are the better for it. --Dana Van Nest

A Winter's Tale:
It's winter and I can't work in my garden, and I've already ordered seeds and plants for Spring. I miss gardening! Well, I discovered a really great book about gardening. It's Notes from Madoo by Robert Dash. He is a painter,author and gardener who has had a garden in eastern Long Island NY since 1967. His book is all about his experiences, what plants survived, which ones didn't, his tips and techniques. For example, he uses hand tools and no chemicals. It's not a reference book or highly technical. No pictures and no index. Mr. Dash is not preachy (he's no Martha Stewart, if you catch my drift). But it is a beautifully written, almost poetic collection of articles from a man who clearly loves gardening. And I love this book!