Description
“A visitor from down south stared at my apple tree
and said: ‘Those don’t grow here you know. It’s too cold.’
If the apricot tree in Highlands knew it couldn’t live here,
it might stop scattering white blossoms over three lawns.” – Bert Almon
Edmonton has a rich and diverse horticultural history. Vacant lot gardeners, rose gardeners, and horticultural societies have all contributed to the beautification of the capital city of Alberta, and through the enthusiasm of florists, seedsmen, and plant breeders the city has developed a distinct horticultural character. In this collection of nine essays, each with a different theme, Kathryn Chase Merrett depicts the development of Edmonton’s social, cultural, and physical landscape as it has been shaped by champions of both nature and the garden. Edmontonians and all urbanites interested in gardening and local history, as well as professors and students of history, cultural studies, and urban design, will delight in the colourful storytelling of Why Grow Here.
Awards
- Short-listed, Trade Non Fiction, Alberta Book Awards, Book Publishers Association of Alberta 2016
- Winner, INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards / Foreword Reviews 2016
- Winner, Independent Publisher Book Awards, Gold in Canada West - Best Regional Non-Fiction 2016
Reviews
"For most Edmontonians and those with an interest in gardening, this book is a must."
- Alberta History
#10 on the Edmonton Journal's Bestsellers list (Edmonton Nonfiction) for the week of August 14, 2015
- The Edmonton Journal
#8 on the Edmonton Journal's Bestsellers list (Edmonton Nonfiction) for the week of August 07, 2015
- Edmonton Journal
"Why Grow Here [is a] lovely read that's full of details that anyone will enjoy."
- Mark Stumpf-Allen
“…well-written, meticulously researched stand-alone essays that illustrate the long history of what [Kathryn Chase Merrett] calls horticultural optimism in Edmonton, Alberta, on the Great Plains’ northern edge. She interweaves major horticultural activities and the people who made Edmonton a garden city… Merrett traces a common North American horticultural story: a new settlement concentrates on survival and subsistence first, then slowly on beautification…. What makes Edmonton’s story a bit different? I think it is the passionate plant breeders (almost a who’s who of northern hybridists) who made it their life’s mission to create hardy roses to make Edmonton the “city of roses.”
- Edwinna von Baeyer