Backyard - by Norman Draper (Paperback)

About the Book

When a local supplier announces its sponsorship of a garden contest, determined couple George and Nan Fremont resolve to turn their backyard into a suburban paradise to win first prize against the formidable forces of their community's gardening elite. --

Book Synopsis

Livia is a nice little suburb in the upper Midwest--but behind the manicured lawns and pristine hedges seethes a ruthless desire to be the greatest green thumb of all. . .

George and Nan Fremont have created a paradise in their backyard, complete with semi-hallucinogenic exotics and a comfy spot for drinking their favorite merlot. Marta Poppendauber's garden is as pleasantly haphazard as she is. And Dr. Phyllis Sproot, Livia's self-styled and cantankerous gardening expert, has determined the exact formula for the only correct garden possible.

But once Burdick's Plant World announces the garden contest to end them all, none of the gardeners of Livia can afford to live and let live. The Fremonts have almost gardened themselves into bankruptcy. Marta is the victim of black tea blackmail. And Dr. Sproot is turning into a horticultural megalomaniac of the worst kind.

The gardeners of Livia are digging up trouble with every turn of the spade, but if they can make it through the summer, who knows what might bloom?

"Draper has bottled the spirits of competitive gardeners, added sugar and fizz and let them go, leaving the reader with many hilarious madcap adventures." --Suzy Bales, author of Garden Bouquets and Beyond

"Fast-paced, fun and full of flowers." --Amanda Thomsen, author of Kiss My Aster

About the Author

Norman Draper spent 35 years as a newspaper reporter before leaving journalism in 2011. An avid gardener in thought, if not in deed, he is always up to the task of uncorking a bottle of Sagelands 2007 merlot and checking in on his beloved Minnesota Twins. Draper lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his wife, Jennifer, and has two grown sons, Sam and Ed. Visit him on the web at normandraper.com.