Federal Twist is set on a ridge above the Delaware River in western New Jersey.
Part experimental horticulturist and part philosopher, James Golden has written an important book for ecological gardeners and anyone interested in exploring the relationship between gardens, nature, and ourselves..
And how he worked with light to provoke certain moods and allowed the energy of the place, chance, and randomness to have its say.
How he made a conscious decision not to improve the land, planted competitive plants into rough grass, experimented with sustainable plant communities.
This book charts the author\'s journey in making such a garden.
The physical garden, its plants and its features, is of course an appealing and pleasant place to be but Federal Twist\'s real charm and significance lie in its intangible aspects: its changing qualities and views, the moods and emotions it evokes, and its distinctive character and sense of place.
It is a naturalistic garden that has no utilitarian or leisure uses and the site is not an obvious choice for a garden (heavy clay soil, poorly drained: quick death for any plants not ecologically suited to it).
Federal Twist is set on a ridge above the Delaware River in western New Jersey
