ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603250138
SECTION: BOOKS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BOOK REVIEW
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY PEGGY DAVIS
CAROLINA EDENS. Text by Cindy Spicer. Photographs by Al Spicer. Blair. $26.95.
Out my window are shrubs broken by winter snows, scattered leaves that dodged the rake and an overcast sky promising more days of uncertain March weather.
In the pages of "Carolina Edens" are elegant color photographs of Cleome and a split rail fence; Pegasus and the wrought-iron gate at Brookgreen Gardens; Japanese wisteria, azaleas and dogwoods at the bridge over the Rice Mill Pond. Cats, praying mantis, birds and even swans are reminders that spring can't be too far away.
This handy-sized book can serve as a guide in the car, as armchair reading by the fire or as important resource for serious gardeners. For the many who vacation at Carolina beaches, this book offers a variety of stops along the way or rewarding out-of-the-sun day destinations.
Starting at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., the garden tour will lead you across the state through college arboretums and bird sanctuaries to the beach area and back to the gardens at Old Salem and Reynolda in Winston-Salem.
The South Carolina section starts at the coast with chapters on Charleston-area gardens and then moves west to Spartanburg with many interesting stops along the way.
The Spicers' book provides history, travel tips and elegant gardens. Whether from the armchair or the front seat in the travel vehicle, "Carolina Edens" is a trip well worth taking.
Peggy Davis lives in Fincastle and reviews a variety of books for this page.
LENGTH: Short : 41 linesby CNB