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Diary of a Keen Gardener
A DAILY MAIL AND IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
'A gem of a book. Full of wisdom, warmth and inspiration. I learned something from every page' NIGEL SLATER
'A delightful book - warm, witty and wise' ALAN TITCHMARSH
'A beautiful refraction of a year, encounters with plants and friends and gardens in the terrific company of Mary Keen. Her diary is a pure delight' EDMUND DE WAAL
'A deeply personal account of a year in her own beloved Cotswold garden . . . the gardener who emerges from these pages is perceptive, wry, open-minded, endlessly curious and warmly alive to the everyday joys afforded by her own small patch. A year spent in her company is both an education and a delight' Spectator
'What's your favourite garden?' people ask. And when I answer, 'Mine, of course,' they look surprised.
Over her long career, Mary Keen has created some of the finest gardens in England. But rather than tell the story of those paradises, this is the diary about everyday watchfulness in the places Mary loves best - her own back garden and allotment nearby.
Beginning at the lowest ebb of the grower's year - when November leaves are falling and flowers in retreat - Mary shows us how one's perspective of time changes in the pleasure of nurturing plants. Time can slide to a standstill as you stop to stare at a flower, or flash to the past when another triggers a memory. As the diary records the ordinary, the ephemeral and the horticulturally useful, in a patchwork of life and tasks, we also witness the little dramas in the village where she lives and meet her family and friends who are an integral part of her gardening community.
By the time Diary of a Keen Gardener reaches back to November again, the reader has gained much practical knowledge and come to understand Mary's gardening philosophy, and what she continues to learn about plants, ecology and life. Her diary is an essential book for anyone with an interest in gardening.
'Mary Keen is the Annie Ernaux of the herbaceous border. She has vast reserves of knowledge, an exemplary eye and best of all a roving curiosity and rare openness to experiment and change. A gorgeous, constantly thought-provoking book, beguiling for gardeners and readers alike' OLIVIA LAING
'A gem of a book. Full of wisdom, warmth and inspiration. I learned something from every page' NIGEL SLATER
'A delightful book - warm, witty and wise' ALAN TITCHMARSH
'A beautiful refraction of a year, encounters with plants and friends and gardens in the terrific company of Mary Keen. Her diary is a pure delight' EDMUND DE WAAL
'A deeply personal account of a year in her own beloved Cotswold garden . . . the gardener who emerges from these pages is perceptive, wry, open-minded, endlessly curious and warmly alive to the everyday joys afforded by her own small patch. A year spent in her company is both an education and a delight' Spectator
'What's your favourite garden?' people ask. And when I answer, 'Mine, of course,' they look surprised.
Over her long career, Mary Keen has created some of the finest gardens in England. But rather than tell the story of those paradises, this is the diary about everyday watchfulness in the places Mary loves best - her own back garden and allotment nearby.
Beginning at the lowest ebb of the grower's year - when November leaves are falling and flowers in retreat - Mary shows us how one's perspective of time changes in the pleasure of nurturing plants. Time can slide to a standstill as you stop to stare at a flower, or flash to the past when another triggers a memory. As the diary records the ordinary, the ephemeral and the horticulturally useful, in a patchwork of life and tasks, we also witness the little dramas in the village where she lives and meet her family and friends who are an integral part of her gardening community.
By the time Diary of a Keen Gardener reaches back to November again, the reader has gained much practical knowledge and come to understand Mary's gardening philosophy, and what she continues to learn about plants, ecology and life. Her diary is an essential book for anyone with an interest in gardening.
'Mary Keen is the Annie Ernaux of the herbaceous border. She has vast reserves of knowledge, an exemplary eye and best of all a roving curiosity and rare openness to experiment and change. A gorgeous, constantly thought-provoking book, beguiling for gardeners and readers alike' OLIVIA LAING
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
7 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 27, 2026
I should start by saying that I am not gardener. I’m interested in gardening and am trying to update and maintain my own garden that came with the house when we bought it but I really did enjoy this book. It’s fair to say that a lot of Mary’s plant names and references went over my head but I found it to be a lovely insight into the world of gardening, where it can take you, its challenges and pleasures. It is a beautiful example of finding joy in the ordinary and where to find hope. It also definitely left me craving village life. Thank you, Mary.
March 1, 2026
As someone who admittedly isn't a big gardener, this was a book I listened to to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I enjoyed it. I think it's a book to keep on your shelf and refer back to periodically, rather than necessarily read in a sitting. it's charming, informative and interesting. would rate it 3.5 if I could.
February 1, 2026
A pleasant enough read although as a enthusiastic,but certainly not expert, gardener many of the references and Latin names went way over my head so I have to admit to skipping over things when I lost the will to keep looking them up.
February 14, 2026
A chatty rambling discourse on gardening topics, organised by the calendar and offering as an appendix lists of plants currently grown by the author.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews