This is one of those gardening books that should be on any discerning garden book collectors, keen gardener, professional gardener or some one who just likes to read about gardening's shelf. It's like being on a walk around the garden with Christopher Lloyd as he passes on little snippets of knowledge and information gathered over decades of gardening.
You could dip in and out as you please or read it from cover to cover on a few winter evenings, when we can't get anywhere near the garden. From his witty asides, in depth plant and garden knowledge to harking back to his own child hood and memories of gardening, this is a book that draws you in and keeps you turning the pages and learning, always learning.
One of my favourite quotes from the book which I quite agree with:
“Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for their next novel or to perfect the brilliant repartee with which they should have encountered a relative's latest example of unreasonableness.”
The book is loosely divided up into subjects, but quite often as we do in conversation, Christopher Lloyd goes off on a tangent, but always bringing us back by another plant or garden snippet to the original topic of discussion. These vary from methods of propagation, to planting combinations, pruning, varieties of plants he approves of (or doesn't) and every other garden subject in between.
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| Christopher Lloyd fitting in nicely between Beth Chatto and Gertrude Jekyll where he belongs |
I didn't go looking for this book but came across it in a second hand book shop and I'm glad I did buy it, it was a great read and a good addition to my book collection. I will definitely be going in search of more of his books. Interestingly he quite often references Scotland and just how different / difficult growing conditions ca be up here, which makes a refreshing change.
Available through online book sellers, or if like me you frequent second hand book shops, you may be lucky as I was and come across one in perfect condition.
Previous book review - Gardens in Time and Space by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury
If you are interested to see what else is on my garden book shelves have a look at this blog
My Gardening book shelves. Happy reading!
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