"Down the Garden Path" has stood the test of time as one of the world's best-loved and most-quoted gardening books. Ostensibly an account of the creation of a garden in Huntingdonshire in the 1930s, it is really about the underlying emotions and obsessions for which gardening is just a cover story. The secret of this book's success - and its timelessness - is that it does not seek to impress the reader with a wealth of expert knowledge or advice. Beverley Nichols proudly declares his status as a newcomer to gardening: 'The best gardening books should be written by those who still have to search their brains for the honeysuckle's languid Latin name'. As unforgettable as the plants in the garden is the cast of visitors and neighbors who invariably turn up at inopportune moments. For every angelic Miss Hazlitt there is an insufferable Miss Wilkins waiting in the wings. For every thought-provoking Professor, there is an intrusive Miss M, whose chief offense may be that she is a 'damnably efficient' gardener. From a disaster building a rock garden, to further adventures with greenhouses, woodland gardens, not to mention cats and treacle, Nichols has left us a true gardening classic.
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This semiautobiographical story, of Nichols' first bumbling efforts at transforming a neglected property into a garden, was an immediate success and still rings true with amateur gardeners today. -- Lori D. Kranz Bloomsbury Review 20050315 You will definitely be reminded of why you garden. No wonder this book has for so many years been one of the world's best-loved and most-quoted gardening books. -- Ethel Fried Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer 20050517 Nichols has a wicked sense of humor. I highly recommend this book as a means of relaxing after a hard day and having a good laugh. -- Bobbie Schwartz Buckeye 20051001
About the Author
Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) was a prolific writer on subjects ranging from religion to politics and travel, in addition to authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six autobiographies, and six plays. He is perhaps best remembered today for his gardening books. The first of them, Down the Garden Path, centered on his home and garden at Glatton and has been in print almost continuously since 1932. Merry Hall (1951) and its sequels Laughter on the Stairs (1953) and Sunlight on the Lawn (1956) document Nichols's travails in renovating a Georgian mansion and its gardens soon after the war. His final garden was at Sudbrook Cottage, which serves as the setting for Garden Open Today (1963) and Garden Open Tomorrow (1968). The progress of all three gardens was followed avidly by readers of his books and weekly magazine columns.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By "nealich"
Format:Hardcover
I have read all three of Beverley Nichols trilogy of books from his Glatton days. This is the first one and it really brought him the fame and kudos he deserved. It is partly about gardening but don't be put off by this. There is much humour, pathos and solid enjoyment for the general reader. The characterisation is sharp and brilliantly executed in a style that is endearing and enviable. His observations on character and life are spot on. I promise you a very good read. Go on to the next two 'A Thatched Roof' and 'A Village in a Valley' where some of the same adorable and lovingly irritating people appear as well. Such a pity these books have to end.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Nothing much happens in Beverly Nichols book.No sex,no crimes,just the miracle of growth, of life in a cottage garden.A witty,charming book that makes you look at your own garden with different eyes.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Sandra
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent book which i am in the throes of reading --Brilliant so far and agree with the comments that I would love this book
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best of the bunch
Not as interesting as Merry Hall or Laughter on the Stairs. Down the Garden Path seemed patchy and did not have the same depth to the interesting characters the author... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs Ann Wilson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Terribly twee
I remember the Beverley Nichols garden books from years ago and looked forward to rereading this one. Read more
Published 20 months ago by HazeyJanet
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