Henry Mitchell wrote for the Washington Post from the early 1970s to 1991. He was best known for his gardening columns, some of which have been gathered in two beloved books, The Essential Earthman and One Man's Garden. In addition to his horticultural writing, Mitchell also wrote feature stories and for years had a general interest column that appeared on Fridays under the title "Any Day." This new book collects the most enduring of those popular columns as well as some of the most memorable features.

Henry Mitchell had an eye for cant and an even sharper eye for the truths that matter. Never pompous, his columns were frequently hilarious. He could make you cry or see afresh or feel good about being a flawed human. He could even make you think that mortality isn't so bad. He was, that is, a great writer.