From Eden, to Mrs Madrigal’s garden on Barbary Lane, great books are often bursting with special gardens. For many of us, these imaginary gardens are as close as we get to green fingers. So, it’s refreshing to spend time in the wonderful fictional gardens both ancient and new.
We’re going to look at gardens far and wide, from Tan Twan Eng’s Garden of Evening Mists to The Blind Man’s Garden by Nadeem Aslam. Of course, we can’t help but talk about The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett…and then there’s Tom’s Midnight Garden.
Elizabeth von Arnim is a reliable source of wonder with her own Elizabeth and her German Garden, as well as, of course, The Enchanted April and The Solitary Summer. Beverley Nichols is another classic English garden lover who conjured Eden-like gardens in his novels for children and adults.
Join Ella for a rose-scented evening celebrating fictional gardens of all kinds. Don’t forget to send your own horti-literary recommendations, questions and thoughts to Ella before or during our online bibliotherapy special.