The Writer's Garden

Great things happen in gardens. No one can doubt the importance of the garden in Roald Dahl's life as it was here where he worked, and here that he created James and the Giant Peach. And where would Jane Austen have been if she had never seen a ‘ walk’ , an ornamental lake, or a wilderness?

Gardens hold a special place in many author’ s lives. For Beatrix Potter, Hill Top house was made possible by the new found freedom and wealth that a literary career can bring; for Sir Walter Scott, laying out his garden at Abbotsford was a way of distracting himself from mounting debts.

In this book of 18 gardens and 20 writers, the author examines how the poet, writer, novelist derived a creative spirit from their private garden, how they tended and enjoyed their gardens, and how they managed their outdoor space.

Jane Austen at Godmersham and ChawtonRupert Brooke at GrantchesterJohn Ruskin at BrantwoodAgatha Christie at GreenwayBeatrix Potter at Hill TopRoald Dahl at Gipsy HouseCharles Dickens at Gad’ s Hill PlaceVirginia Woolf at Monk’ s HouseWinston Churchill at ChartwellLaurence Sterne at Shandy HallGeorge Bernard Shaw at Shaw’ s CornerTed Hughes at Lumb BankHenry James followed by E.F. Benson at Lamb HouseJohn Clare at HelpstonThomas Hardy at Hardy’ s Cottage and Max Gate  Robert Burns at EllislandWilliam Wordsworth at Cockermouth and GrasmereWalter Scott at AbbotsfordRudyard Kipling at Bateman’ s