The Camino de Santiago has been a journey for pilgrims for more than 1,000 years, testing―to varying degrees―their spirit, faith, and physical endurance. Lyndon Penner’s attention lies elsewhere. A renowned gardener and lover of literature, he revels in the plants, trees, and flowers that tell the history of the people and ecology of northern Spain.

Brimming with wry observations―of nature, himself, and other pilgrims on the road―The Way of the Gardener reveals the beauty and the darkness of the human condition while underscoring the deeply fascinating nature of nature itself. This textured work makes for perfect armchair―or garden―reading.