A couple of year ago my gardening friend Liz lent me a lovely book. It was The Book of Hours by Katherine Swift. I was going to order myself a copy, but ended up buying her other book: The Morville Year. Its been unopened on my shelf for nearly two years. It was only when I was holed up during the dire weather over the last couple of months, that I searched the shelves.
I am reading it in sequence, and read an entry or two most days. I laugh and empathise, write notes in the margin, and go back and reread beautifully crafted descriptions of weather, plants, friends etc. I look up plants she mentions, and make notes...and dream...but my little patch is far too small to accommodate all my wishes. Before the garden springs into growth, there is time to read and dream of possibilities.
They are both fabulous books Noelle and my copies especially 'The Morville Year' is most well thumbed. It's ideal for dipping into. We visited the the Dower House garden around this time of year a few years ago. The experience made me appreciate the books even more.
ReplyDeleteI can see that a holiday with a visit to this garden may well be planned within the next year or so.
DeleteI enjoyed both the books Noelle, we visited the garden many years ago, early in Catherine’s tenancy.
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