Author: Jennifer Jewell

Published by Timber Press, Inc.

Jennifer Jewell is a garden writer and has her own show “Cultivating Place” on National Public Radio in Northern California. She has a vast knowledge of gardening and her thoughts on seeds and their signficance extend to deep thoughts on their role in ecology and its significance within cultures.

“What We Sow” is divided into five catagories: Seeding: The End and the Beginning, Seed Beds, Seed Reading, Seed Saving, and Seed Futures. As she writes these topics, they run a calendar order beginning in October as seed heads begin to form and their end is actually the beginning of a new process. The book ends in October of the following year as seeds complete their cyclical nature.

Jewell keeps a journal that reflects both her thoughts on gardening and within her environs. These life events are found intertwining with the chapter topics she discusses. It is an intriguing way of writing, of recognizing that life does not exist in its own plane, but within a cyclical pattern and within nature. In this way, nature is never separated from her or her thoughts.

However, this makes reading a little difficult for me. As someone who has attention issues in later life, this jumping back and forth between topics and subjects required me to be focused and alert. This book is not a relaxing read.

There are also certain subjects that she brings up but doesn’t explain such as insect apocalypse, the Green Revolution, and California Floristic Province. She does not take the time to provide a small paragraph description of any of these topics. I am only familiar with them through previous readings. I also came across new vocabulary words. This book can be a bit of a challenge and I don’t recommend it for beginners.

That said, I have read several books on seeds and it is refreshing to see Jewell’s different approach. My favorite parts of this book is when she discusses non-profits and organizations that have formed to help save seeds such as Seed Savers Exchange, Native Seeds/SEARCH, and Theodore Payne. Her findings, through interviews, reveal their mission and the goals they are trying to accomplish. These organizations are usually trying to solve a current issue such as seeding after wildfires or providing access of heirloom seeds.

Jewell highlights the need for to preserve seeds from different cultures as they are part of the cultural identity. As a means in which people can take much from nature, she sees that people could also help seeds. People can save seeds, distribute to their community, and participate in the act of growing. “What We Sow” challenges readers to think deeper the significance of seeds.