It’s me!  I’m the new librarian.  Janet Woody reporting for duty.

I’ve worked in many kinds of libraries over the years, but not a special one.  And Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is very special.  I don’t know how people get any work done here, surrounded by beautiful and fascinating plants.  But I will do my best.

I’m honored to follow Maggie Southwick, whose accomplishments are numerous, not the least of which is her research on the artist Alexandre Descubes and the very fine collection of his botanical prints that we have here at Lewis Ginter.

If you haven’t been in the library before, come in and see the beautiful Frabel glass on display; and watch the Frabel video which runs continuously throughout the day (you can also view it on YouTube). The library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on weekends.  We have lots of books and videos and some great magazines, such as Hosta Journal and Boxwood Bulletin.  I love it that certain plants have their own journal, all to themselves.  And we have a fine collection of children’s books too.

We’re located in the Education and Library Complex building.  We have comfortable chairs, great books, and fabulous air conditioning.  We’ve got it going on in the library, just for you.

Summer seems to have moved into the Garden, but it is June after all. There are many shady spots to get out of the sun, but if you need to cool off come see us in the Garden’s  Library where it is cool, quite, and lovely. You can enjoy the glass sculpture, rest your feet and learn something, too.

Gardens take a lot of work but give back so much. Each garden has its own personality and each gardener has an individual take on how to create and preserve that personality.  Amidst the books in the Library about plants, garden design, and pests, I’ve found some gems about living with our gardens. These books are available to members for checkout.

The Invisible Garden by Dorothy Sucher: about the healing that can come from the frustrations and triumphs of having a garden.

Crazy About Gardening: Humorous Reflections on the Sweet Seductions of a Garden by Des Kennedy: sometimes it can seem that nature is out to get you, but with a little help from neighbors and local lore you can learn something.  A laugh-out-loud book you are sure to enjoy.

Poisons in Our Path: Plants That Harm and Heal by Anne Ophelia Dowden: a lovely little book, with color illustrations, about the toxicity and/or healing properties of some of our favorite plants.

Eat More Dirt: Diverting and Instructive Tips for Growing and Tending an Organic Garden by Ellen Sandbeck: a series of essays about  producing a paradise garden whose whole purpose is to create bliss. Includes practical suggestions for tools, planting, and exercises for the gardener.

Speaking of dirt, join us in the Library this Friday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to Noon, for the Botanical Book Club. Our selection for this meeting is Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations by David R. Montgomery. The book club is free and open to the public. Being a Garden member is encouraged, but not required.

If you’re like me and enjoy being in the Garden on over-cast, misty days, the Library also provides a dry respite from traversing the damp paths. And don’t forget, there are always the Cafe and Tea House to enjoy too… and the Gift Shop! There are lots of things to enjoy in the Garden on days when the weather is less than perfect. Come, join us in the Garden.

My husband came home from work the other day, telling me I had to listen to this story on NPR — about trees. NPR was interviewing Diana Wells, author of the new book, Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History, exploring people’s relationship with trees and the stories behind their names.  My husband knew this would interest me because, well,  I love trees.  But also because,  part of our vision  here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is to reveal the unity and integration of human and plant life, and to celebrate the fundamental significance of the natural world in enriching our community, and this is exactly what Diana Wells does in her book.

So, if you too are a tree lover, you may enjoy this 6-minute interview. By far, the most interesting thing I learned was about the Japanese Cedar and the tradition that surrounds it, forest bathing. Apparently, today in Japan it is still common for Japanese businessmen to enjoy this ritual.

“You go into the forest and soak yourself in the trees,” she says. “I live where there are woods and I will [do that] quite often and let the trees feel as if I’m part of the forest. It’s very, very soothing — it’s beautiful.”

“It would help us if we were more familiar with trees,” Wells says. “I think if we did that, it would cement the bond, and it would help all of us. We need the trees and they need us.”