A Conversation with Ruth Kassinger

Ruth Kassinger looks quite sane, by which I mean she looks as if she keeps her life in balance: Time for work, family, play... You would never guess that beneath her calm exterior lurks the heart of an obsessed artiste, a woman who would let nothing, not even a complete lack of knowledge, stop her from building an old-fashioned conservatory.

We either must redefine "quite sane," then, or be glad that Kassinger is not so, since her recounting of her obsession, "Paradise under Glass: An Amateur Builds a Conservatory Garden" is pure delight. She walks us through her conservatory's development by telling us about conservatories through history, including tales of exotic plant hunters and quirky greenhouses. 

However, in this interview, Kassinger also reveals that her quest to build her own conservatory had some personal motivations beyond becoming an amateur botanist/horticulturist/contractor. Those motivations, as she discusses in the book, make Kassinger's simple story about a hobby truly come to (I can't help it!) verdant life. I hope you'll enjoy!