Product Description

Monty Don and his wife Sarah moved into their semi-derelict farmhouse at Ivington in 1992, and their garden is the most tangible symbol of the spectacular way in which they have since thrived. Springing with amazing vigour from the soil behind the house, this space has been central to Monty's life; ever since he dug the very first border, he has obsessively written about it. The Ivington Diaries is a personal collection of Monty's jottings from the past fifteen years. Generously illustrated with his very own photographs, and beautifully packaged, this book promises to be one of the most delightful garden books ever published.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #224 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
`Finely written and hugely loveable ... it deserves to become a gardening classic ... The book itself is deeply covetable, with its heavy, creamy paper and its splendid efflorescence of colour images' --Sunday Times

`The month-by-month record of his work in the tow-acre Herefordshire garden that he and his wife, Sarah, created from 1992 is a story of pleaching, pruning and striving. Hundreds of photos - taken by 54 - year old Monty on teacup-in-hand, early morning walks - show prize blooms, straight lines, immaculate topiary ... his thoughtful and elegantly expressed love letter to the garden his is rethinking, almost unmaking.' --Cassandra Jardine, Daily Telegraph

'Finely written and hugely loveable garden journal... It is thoughtful, kindly, moving... It is obvious from the moment you taste his sensual and intelligent prose ... for Monty (after reading this intimate book, it seems absurd to call him Don) gardening is not about growing flowers, still less selling them. It is about the love of soil and of place - and one place in particular: his garden at Ivington in Herefordshire ... a creative edit of 10 years' worth of Monty's garden diaries.'
--James McConnachie, Sunday Times

`I have been trying to read Monty Don's The Ivington Diaries in short daily segments, so that his beautifully written story of his astonishing Herefordshire garden will last all year. I cannot bear to think I will come to the end' --Nigel Slater, Observer Books of the Year

'Monty Don writes like an angel ... For Don, the garden - and more importantly, gardening - is more than a hobby, more than a consolation, in fact, something akin to redemption ... many and various gardening moods finely expressed in these handsome pages' -- Daily Telegraph

About the Author
Monty Don is one of Britain's best-loved gardeners. He wrote a weekly column for the Observer between 1994 and 2006, earning him a devoted readership, and he was the charismatic presenter of BBC Gardener's World from 2003 to 2008. He lives and gardens in Herefordshire with his wife Sarah, with whom he wrote The Jewel Garden, and their three children.

Customer Reviews

Monty at his best
A compilation of 'Best Of's' diary entries for Monty Don's 'new' garden (following on from The Hanburies), this is Monty at his best. It's pure passion for creating a garden; with all the problems and successes of gardening on a flood plane. It's a delightful read, difficult to put down. Illustrated with many of Don's own photos'. If you have any doubts - just buy. You won't be disappointed!

Welcome back monty
A welcome return from monty don following his mini stroke. Anyone who has followed monty's progress over the years is familiar with ivington, but this book takes you into the very depths of the garden, and makes you feel what its like to actually be there, not as a showpeice garden, but as a living, breathing, evolving entity, brought to life by monty's honest writing

long may you continue monty

A Cosy Winter Read
Exactly the sort of book to read in dire winter weather. Monty writes beautifully and there are many touching personal memories as well as an insight into how he gardens. He has gathered up his journals and given us a month by month account of what he thought about and worked on, in his garden. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm hoping he'll write more along the same lines in the future.