Very nicely put.
There is no doubt in my mind that even garden books can be written to convey the writers passion with wit and I dare say it could also be poetic. I wonder sometimes why we settle for less.
There are garden writers who carry us along with their enthusiasm; I wouldn't say that Ken Druse is a great writer, yet somehow his books are compelling. In "The Education of a Gardener" Russell Page's schoolboy like enthusiasm makes the words jump off the page but once again I wouldn't call it literature. Karel Capek and Henry Mitchell add a humourous scene that we can easily see ourselves in, even playing a starring role! There is more to gardening and garden writing than the nice 'thank you for sharing' attitude that made Martha the moneyto play with.
Yes, I think about this a lot.

In 'Paradise By Design' I was captivated by landscape architecture, someone of college age could be lured into the professsion by such writing.
In 'The Lost Garden' the gardens and knowledge of them are used to develope character and the story very successfully.
Interests steer me in the direction of gardening,habit takes me to reading,writers make this a joy. An easier way of finding each other should be on the agenda.

Understanding what attracts readers is of great interest and it starts with the book title which must be enticing. Can information be delivered with prose and poetry? Witness this line by Hal Massie of Macon Georgia: "where the brown stalks of annuals and tender perennials stand testament to the power of frost." To me that is prose. For a touch of self-deprecating wit how about these lines I wrote: Just be careful not to overdo it. I know I certainly wonÂt be overdoing it because at my age Âafternoon delight means taking a nap. Glad to have your input to this forum apprehend.

Maybe it starts with a title, but I haven't noticed that titles draw me to a book.Most titles tell you little and would need to be awful to turn me away from writing I have been taken to by another source. Where I become aware of them is what seems to spur interest.
Was it in a magazine like 'Chicago Wilderness'?
Did another writer quote from it?
Did a gardener whose work I admire mention being spured to action by an author?

I'm not sure if poetry does it for me when information is the goal but a good story really helps to move information in a dramatic way ... certainly there is a great elegance in the botanical world that should lend itself to prose and poetry ..... by the way Hello to all ... I'm new here .... hope to pick up a few tips !

Good Day ....