The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2020

by Lia Leendertz

*THE ORIGINAL & BESTSELLING ALMANAC *

'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof

A perfect toolkit connecting with the world around us and the year ahead as it unfolds - all in a compact and pocket size that just begs you to pick it up and browse.

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2020 reinvents the tradition of the rural almanac for a new audience. It gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, such as the meteor shower of the month, beehive behaviour, folklore and stories, seasonal recipes and charts tracking moon phases and tides.

You will find yourself referring to the almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.

PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: A SEASONAL GUIDE:

'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight
'This book is your bible' - the Independent
'An ideal stocking filler' - The English Garden
'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Reference, Ebooks, Gardening

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2019

About the author

Lia Leendertz is a gardener and writer. She writes about gardening, growing food and cooking, and her work has appeared in for the Telegraph, the Guardian, Gardens Illustrated, The Garden, and Simple Things magazine. She publishes an annual garden almanac.

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful little book has kept me company through the year. On the 1st of each month, I have read about the coming month’s moon cycle, events in the night sky, what to look for in nature, what to do in my flower and kitchen gardens (I have neither but I still found it interesting), folk tales relating to the season, recipes using seasonal produce - December’s are a spicy fruit cake and a ginger cordial to give to carollers (if they’re allowed to come around this year) - and a folk / traditional song complete with music. I’ve loved it all.

[The Librarian Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 3rd year buying this gorgeous little almanac! And each edition is such a joy to flick through and enjoy as the seasons come and go.
.
If you’re trying to follow the wheel of the year and get more in touch with the cycle of nature, then a good almanac is definitely a must-have!
And I personally don’t think you can go wrong with this absolute beauty.

This little book is packed full of everything you could need to reconnect with nature and get in sync with the natural rhythms of the world.
It has moon phases, astrological events, monthly wildlife information, what jobs need doing in the garden and when, charms, seasonal recipes to try, and so much more!
.
I’m personally most excited about the gardening pages this year!
I want to try growing more flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and this nifty little book will give me all the info I need to know what I should be sowing and what jobs need doing in my garden each month
.
I’m also super eager to try out all of the yummy recipes included.
I’m going to aim to make at least one of the dishes listed for each month, so that I can feel more tethered to the natural world by eating what’s in season.
Plus one of January’s recipes is a rhubarb crumble with the crumble made out of amaretti biscuits?!?!
Yum!
.
And from the monthly charms section I’ve already learnt that white heather is a symbol for luck, which is wonderful to know as I just cut some in the garden today to bring inside
(I may have sneaked a little peek a few month ahead in the year to learn this little fact)

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful book.
It's beautifully illustrated and takes you through each month of the year in the same format.
There is information about moon cycles, sunrise/set, tides and various other interesting info.
There are monthly tips for gardeners, stargazers, and cooks. It is also peppered with folky anecdotes and songs and is altogether a lovely thing!

[Poppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this every start of the month, so technically haven't finished it, but i definitely will, like i've never been more sure of anything ever...

[Umide Sacoor Ahnemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child growing up in Portugal, my parents used to buy from street sellers on train stations a famous almanac, almost a century in existence, called BORDA D'ÁGUA. The fact that, in an age before the internet, you could so easily have in your hands so much curious information about planting, gardening, tides, facts and dates was a source of endless amazement to me.

As an adult, it was with great joy that I came across Lia Leendertz folk-ish almanac. It has given me, my wife, and our little baby daughter, a source of endless pleasure while exploring our local park. The hedgerow section (unfortunately gone from 2021 edition) was what first made us fall in love with it - and to this day we are still trying to spot a chiffchaff here in Germany!

But the recipes, the lore and, to a lesser extent, the songs are what had me buy all editions, from 2018 to 2021. I intend to revisit each and everyone of them every single year, using them to continue getting in touch with the sensual world around me, from the sights under my eyes to the scents and flavours in my kitchen.

Lia, you rock!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was full of lots of interesting information about each season but not really anything that was particularly relevant to me. Loved the illustrations though, and the traditions I had not heard of before.

[Katy Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first almanac experience, helped me reconnect with the earth during lockdown. A bit of gardening here, a bit of stargazing there, adopting new traditions and driving around the coastline to get a good view of meteor showers. Just wonderful, slow reading.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handy compact size broken into each month with summary of festivals/ events then the moon, the sky, the sea, nature, flower garden , kitchen garden, kitchen, recipes, a nature comparison sketch, charm of the month and finally a song complete with score for the musically inclined. Lovely.

[Katey Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and delightful, the almanac covers all manner of nature's wonderous rhythms. Sun rise and sunset, tides, seasonal planting... fabulous.

[Bridgette Stout]

Not something I would typically read but actually interested me and i learned things

[Susan Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my annual treats. I love reading all of the natural facts for each month along with traditions.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

So pretty and a new planters Bible

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lia's books and I have already pre ordered next years book. Packed with info. Beautifully illustrated. I have actually started buying for family and friends too. Beautiful.

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of these guide I’ve bought. I didn’t enjoy this one as much, possibly as it was all too familiar. I still enjoyed the moon, sky, nature and recipe sections though.

[Mae Leveson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved dipping into this book each month and it has been an invaluable guide to the sesasons. I’ve already bought the 2021 almanac and look forward to reading it in the new year.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful

[Freya Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped me stay vaguely attached to the world this year!

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book. Very informative and useful. I read the month's chapter at the start of every month. I bought it for 2019 and I have bought it for next year too.

[Miss RCD Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these beautiful books, its become part of my routine every year to follow along.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a wee almanac sometimes

[Ceri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting. Such a lovely book to have. Follows through the year to give you tips and information.
I bought one for a friend and she loved it.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

⁷

[Nici Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying The Almanac 2020 by lia leendertz each month such a beautiful book. I bought two one for my best friend too. A modern version of the traditional almanac with stunning illustrations. Full of tables for each each month providing information about the outdoors, the seasons, stars, sky’s, sea, animals, hedgerows, recipes, folklore and stories, and charts tracking moon phases and tides. I will definitely be buying it each year from now on only sad I didn’t discover it before this year.

[Gilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this on a month by month basis. It’s filled with interesting facts and information plus some great recipes and also contains some wonderful illustrations. As soon as I started reading it I knew I was going to buy the 2021 edition as soon as it was available, that’s how engaging and charming I found it. This will stay on my bookshelf for future reference, a really nice read.

[Ellie Mackin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect companion to each month with handy inclusions such as tide tables and garden prompts alongside lovely prose about the moon and the hedgerow. I felt some of the songs and charms this year were a bit of a stretch, but the sauces were a good variation and this was our monthly spark to connect with nature around us.

[Gem ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be dipping in to this each month but I love the layout and features, perfectly tailored to appreciate more about your surroundings, the night sky, nature and natural events. It's a beautiful book and I like the seasonal recipes and display ideas featured.

[Shriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this at the start of the year, thinking new year, big 2020 let's embrace by purchasing my first ever annual.

Techinially I'm half way through this seasonal guide, so far it's been good, review may change by the end of the year..
Will I buy buying another alamac? Let's see.

[Kimberley Slaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations love the information. Contains when to grow, when to pick, recipes for seasonal snacks tradition foods, tides, moons, average sea temperatures, traditional songs/ poems. Love this book.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm never going to enjoy another as much as last years with the bees but had become a good ritual for each month

[Richard Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has become an indispensable part of my year and I eagerly turn to its pages at the start of each month.