By Emily Williams
Lida Inge Hill of Mountain Brook combined her love of Southern foliage and watercolor painting to create “Journal of a Cottage Garden.”
In the book, Hill adds her own personal commentary as she identifies and describes 30 kinds of plants that fill the garden surrounding her cottage.
“There is a difference in what the native plants do for our environment,” Hill said.
She has taken various courses on native plants through the Audubon Mountain Workshop and the Botanical Gardens, honing her knowledge of the plants. With the help of BBG Director of Education Henry Hughes, Hill was able to correctly identify each of the plants. Hughes, in turn, composed a forward for the Journal.
Hill said the original plan was to write the Journal and simply show it to people and gauge their interest in native plants and converse about the native environment. When she did not receive the result she hoped for, she took a few friends’ advice and had the book published – on recyclable paper.
“I’ve been interested in environmental concerns for a very long time,” Hill said. “I am a fanatical recycler. I even recycle the papers that hold the coffee grinds.”
As a means of promoting her book and public knowledge of native plant life, Hill has made herself available to give talks regarding her book at smaller venues, such as garden clubs, churches and homeowners’ associations.
“I would like for people to just kind of stop and see something that they think is lovely,” Hill said. “And then, as they look further and read – especially what Henry Hughes has said – then they would like for other people to start to think about what they should do and how we all can help a little bit.”
Hill plans to present her book with a celebration at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m. Following refreshments, Hill will give a presentation titled “Passion for Native Plants – a Journey and a Journal,” during which she will discuss her experiences with plants that led her to publish her first book. Books will be sold at the event.
Signed copies of “Journal of a Cottage Garden” can be purchased at The Dandelion, Crestline Pharmacy, Leaf and Petal at the BBG, Little Professor, Little Hardware and the Birmingham Museum of Art.
