This is such a lovely post that I really want to reply to it, even though I don't have much to say!
I'm sure I had that edition of The Secret Garden, though, or at least that dust jacket. It was my favourite, and Rosie's, too: she taught herself to read because at one chapter a night, I wasn't reading it fast enough :-)
Sir Richard Burton wrote The Scented Garden. Does that count? No, thought not ....
Hello! I don't know that one. I'm wondering if gardens are more important in children's books than in adult ones? I might have mentioned Tom's Midnight Garden, though I suppose it doesn't meet my criteria of horticultural interest.
Gardens in books
anonymous
April 29 2008, 18:32:52 UTC
I'm biased, I'm afraid. Katie Fforde is an emailing friend of mine, as is her sister, the writer Jane Gordon-Cumming (she's had a novel published by Transita, A Proper Family Christmas and is an ideal book for Christmas reading.) Katie's books might be considered by some as a little formulaic, and you read knowing full well that the hero and herone will get it together - in a manner of speaking - by the end, but as Angela Thirkell is reported to have once said, one's readers really want the same book over and over again! I really enjoy Katie's novels even though I know it will be a happy every after ending. And if you enjoy Katie's novels then I would suggest you also try Marcia Willett and Sarah Challis
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Gardems in books
anonymous
April 29 2008, 18:53:23 UTC
I just attempted to leave a comment but obviously I did something wrong, as it's not been posted. But all I would like to say is that I enjoy Katie Fford's books and those of her sister, Jane Gordon-Cumming (Jane has written a novel called A Proper Family Christmas and it's an ideal Christmas read.) My favourite book with a garden theme is In the Heart of the Garden by Helene Wiggin. This features a garden through the ages, with the various families who have cared for it. Also, novels with a gardening theme are Prue Leigh's The Gardener and Diana Saville's Capability's Eden. If you want mystery novels with a horticultural theme, then try those by Anthony Eglin (www.anthonyeglin.com) which are The Blue Rose, The Lost Gardens and, most recently, The Water Lily Cross (which only arrived yesterday and which I'm now looking forward to reading.) (from Margaret Powling)
Re: Gardems in bookscallmemadamApril 29 2008, 20:19:43 UTC
Margaret, you did leave a comment but as I said before, because you are a visitor LJ screens your comment and it can only be seen if I reply to it. This protects users from random flaming and spam. Since your comments are neither, they do eventually appear! PS I didn't include Beverley Nichols, although I have all his gardening titles, because his books are (loosely!) based on fact and I'm looking for novels.
Re: Gardems in books
anonymous
April 30 2008, 11:48:42 UTC
Yes, I should've realized about the delay in posting my comments. I just wanted to say now that I spelt Prue Leith's name incorrectly re her book The Gardener. It's not great literature, but fun. But Helene Wiggin's In the Heart of the Garden is a lovely read. Yes, I now realize why you didn't include Beverly Nicols. I don't have all his books but I have enjoyed the ones I have. (from Margaret P)
I was thinking Barbara how I love the old Puffins like your Secret Garden one with the oover and front making a whole picture. Miranda didn't have many like that, but the Fell farm series (I think) had the same look. They felt less shiny than the later ones.
Back to gardening I think one of the reasons I love many American classics (Wilder, Brink etc) is the way there's descriptions of them growing what they ate: in one of the Alcott's don't the children garden and it shows their characters? All that homesteading and canning stuff seemed to involve nice descriptions of gardening too, and (tho not really what you wanted) do you remember the bush with big white flowers in Emily of Deep Valley they wore for Veteran's day? Would like to know what that bush looks like! Donna
I do agree about the Puffins. I also have my original copy of Ballet Shoes and one or two others. I've since acquired many more, including the Fell Farm books.
You've got me puzzling now over which Alcott that is! L M Montgomery is very good on flowers but because she uses the common names used on PEI I have to look up what they are. Are June Lilies really Narcissi? And Farewell Summers: Michaelmas daisies or Golden Rod? I have some links to helpful sites which I'll give you if I can find them.
I think it might be near the beginning of Good Wives. Meg grows marguerite daisies in her patch. I forget what the others have but they're all character-appropriate flowers.
I had to look this up, of course. Not Good Wives. I got sidetracked on the very first page by the description of Mr March: 'poverty and the strict integrity which shut him out from more worldly successes...' Strict integrity? Monstrous, selfish old fraud! Mr Alcott, I mean. Couldn't she see it?
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I'm sure I had that edition of The Secret Garden, though, or at least that dust jacket. It was my favourite, and Rosie's, too: she taught herself to read because at one chapter a night, I wasn't reading it fast enough :-)
Sir Richard Burton wrote The Scented Garden. Does that count? No, thought not ....
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That is a 2/6 Puffin and my original copy, almost read to bits.
You are right, I am not counting Burton!
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PS I didn't include Beverley Nichols, although I have all his gardening titles, because his books are (loosely!) based on fact and I'm looking for novels.
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(from Margaret P)
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Another Diana Saville 'garden' book is The Marriage Bed. Have you read that one? I think it was her first novel.
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Back to gardening I think one of the reasons I love many American classics (Wilder, Brink etc) is the way there's descriptions of them growing what they ate: in one of the Alcott's don't the children garden and it shows their characters? All that homesteading and canning stuff seemed to involve nice descriptions of gardening too, and (tho not really what you wanted) do you remember the bush with big white flowers in Emily of Deep Valley they wore for Veteran's day? Would like to know what that bush looks like! Donna
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You've got me puzzling now over which Alcott that is! L M Montgomery is very good on flowers but because she uses the common names used on PEI I have to look up what they are. Are June Lilies really Narcissi? And Farewell Summers: Michaelmas daisies or Golden Rod? I have some links to helpful sites which I'll give you if I can find them.
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'poverty and the strict integrity which shut him out from more worldly successes...'
Strict integrity? Monstrous, selfish old fraud! Mr Alcott, I mean. Couldn't she see it?
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