Cuttings: A Year In The Garden With Christopher Lloyd
A selection from Christopher Lloyd's Guardian columns
Synopsis
Christopher Lloyd was the grand old man of British gardening and gardening writers. From 1989 until 2006 - when he died aged 84 - he produced his Guardian column from his beloved house and garden, Great Dixter in East Sussex. His knowledge as a plantsman was prodigious, yet he wrote in an easy, direct and vigorous manner, advising, entertaining and cajoling his readers as he guided them through the gardening year. In January, he recommended the purchase of a notebook with a weatherproof cover since 'the dead season is just the moment for the fun of catalogue browsing'. Nothing was too small for his sharply observant eye: 'Paving cracks colonised with little plants add a touch of magic to the garden. Once you start experimenting, you'll get carried along. Just see.'
Preparing the ground, planting for summer scent, choosing a shrub for all-year round pleasure, pruning, going organic, cottage gardens, placing a favourite hellebore, thinking about conifers or growing your own veg - all fell within his purview. And, in everything he wrote, he transmitted his huge appetite and enthusiasm for the pleasure that a garden brings.
What the critics say
One of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century, this celebration of a lifetime of adventurous horticulture will delight all who love good gardening and writing - Manchester Evening News
Christopher Lloyd's was a maverick voice in the panoply of twentieth-century gardeners, but one which spoke with such an unparalleled authority and enthusiasm that it is certain to endure - TLS
The ideal book to inspire gardeners, both beginners and those with green-fingered experience -
The Good Book Guide
As with the best gardens, this is a book to stroll in...infused with a lovely combination of light touch, deep passion and technical exactness - Michael Fishwick, Oldie
Editor's Comments
Christopher Lloyd was one of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century. Cuttings - a celebration of a lifetime of adventurous gardening - is a selection from his columns in the Guardian. Arranged to cover the seasons from January to December, this magical book will delight all who love good gardening and good writing