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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'Overwhelmingly honest, passionate, inspiring, with prose to die for. Like everything else Don does, this purports to be about gardens and gardening but is actually a meditation on family and love.' (Julie Myerson, Books of the Year, Independent on S )
'Truly inspiring ... told with compelling honesty' (Mail on Sunday )
'Truly inspiring ... told with compelling honesty' (Mail on Sunday )
Product Description
THE JEWEL GARDEN is the story of the garden that over the past decade has bloomed from the muddy fields around the Dons' Tudor farmhouse, a perfect metaphor for the Monty and Sarah's own rise from the ashes of a spectacular commercial failure.
At the same time THE JEWEL GARDEN is the story of a creative partnership that has weathered the greatest storm, and a testament to the healing powers of the soil. In his weekly column for the Observer, Monty Don has always been candid about the garden's role in helping him to pull back from the abyss of depression; THE JEWEL GARDEN elaborates on this much further. Written in an optimistic, autobiographical vein, Monty and Sarah's story is truly an exploration of what it means to be a gardener.
At the same time THE JEWEL GARDEN is the story of a creative partnership that has weathered the greatest storm, and a testament to the healing powers of the soil. In his weekly column for the Observer, Monty Don has always been candid about the garden's role in helping him to pull back from the abyss of depression; THE JEWEL GARDEN elaborates on this much further. Written in an optimistic, autobiographical vein, Monty and Sarah's story is truly an exploration of what it means to be a gardener.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is not just a beautiful book about plants and and gardens, it is also, I felt, quite an intimate portrait of Monty and his wife and a fascinating revelation on depression. The book is written in such a way as to inspire understanding and empathy for anyone who might suffer from this type of depression. It is also full of the most wonderful colour photographs; I found it illuminating on many levels.
140 of 145 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was very disappointed when I collected this book this morning from the Post Office. I had hoped for large glossy photographs, plans and diagrams, extensive instructions on how to plant the flowers I knew the Dons grow. Instead this is a fairly small format book (a little larger than a paperback novel) and it is like a joint gardening autobiography with particular emphasis on their present garden. I am in fact delighted with it: there are actually loads of photographs, and although of course they aren't enormous they are beautiful, evocative and inspirational. The writing is down to earth but also very descriptive. After a bit of history to explain how they got to be there, the main part of the book is divided seasonally. They explain what are the main attractions in the garden at each time of the year and how they came to grow them, and what tasks they do at that time. This means that although it isn't primarily a "How To" book you do of course learn loads from it. It's beautifully produced and I'm very glad I did splash out and buy it as a hard-back because I know I'll want to keep it. I think it would make a super present for a garden-minded person.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was very sorry to hear of Monty Don's recent stroke and it was reading a newspaper article which gave some brief history of his life that led me to buy this book.
This book is essentially divided into two parts or themes. One is the story of how Monty and Sarah Don met and built a life together, which included building up a successful business - and how that business went wrong and it's impact on their lives, and the second theme is their love of gardening and the garden they built in their home.
The book will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about Monty Don as a person, and it will also appeal to those who have an interest in gardening. I would not describe it as an instructional gardening book, but more about a personal journey that encompasses the pleasures of gardening.
Having suffered from life events myself which have led to depression, I found reading about Monty's own personal experiences of depression and how he sought recovery, inspiring and hope fulfilling. No doubt much of his ability to fight though the difficult times was through the support and love of his wife Sarah, which becomes very apparent in the book. They do appear to be 'soulmates' if such exist, and I found the cover photo of the book very much a picture into their personalities and relationship. After reading the book, have closer look at the photo, and you will know what I mean.
Highly recommended to anyone who is a Monty Don fan.
(P.S. Monty, if you read this review, I wish you well and know you are a fighter, and I hope you will be back on our TV screens very soon.)
This book is essentially divided into two parts or themes. One is the story of how Monty and Sarah Don met and built a life together, which included building up a successful business - and how that business went wrong and it's impact on their lives, and the second theme is their love of gardening and the garden they built in their home.
The book will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about Monty Don as a person, and it will also appeal to those who have an interest in gardening. I would not describe it as an instructional gardening book, but more about a personal journey that encompasses the pleasures of gardening.
Having suffered from life events myself which have led to depression, I found reading about Monty's own personal experiences of depression and how he sought recovery, inspiring and hope fulfilling. No doubt much of his ability to fight though the difficult times was through the support and love of his wife Sarah, which becomes very apparent in the book. They do appear to be 'soulmates' if such exist, and I found the cover photo of the book very much a picture into their personalities and relationship. After reading the book, have closer look at the photo, and you will know what I mean.
Highly recommended to anyone who is a Monty Don fan.
(P.S. Monty, if you read this review, I wish you well and know you are a fighter, and I hope you will be back on our TV screens very soon.)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lets Hear It For the Girl
I'm a big fan of Monty Don almost bordering on man love. Ideal dinner party guests Monty, Michael Palin and Mike Carlson and probably Jenny Agutter for purely selfish reasons. Read more
Published 7 days ago by D. Hodson
Why gardening works
If you are a gardener then you know how uplifting and sometimes frustrating an experience gardening is, pure therapy; in Monty Don's case it is so much more. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mick Read
Felt conned
I must admit to feeling cheated when you pay such prices for books and they are only a few hundred pages long in a font where you just race through and finish it in no time at all. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Shroppy
The Jewel Garden
Excellent - I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. Monty and Sarah Don are both accomplished storytellers - you can almost smell the flowers!
Published 11 months ago by Pixie D
Getting to know Monty and Sarah Don
I started the Jewel Garden by Monty and Sarah Don and couldn't put it down. It is true that everyone has a story to tell and this one doesn't disappoint one little bit. Read more
Published 12 months ago by carol
Over-priced and a bit irritating
Before I read this book I was a big fan of Monty Don. However, after a while, I found this book a bit irritating. Read more
Published 12 months ago by jardinera
Excellent Mothers day present
When I ordered this book I assumed that it would help to further enrich my Mothers joy and adoration for gardening; a consuming joy which means she has little time to do much else,... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Pedro92
The Jewel Garden by Monty and Sarah Don.
I love this book and can recommend it to anyone who has had a bit of a knock in life.
Published 19 months ago by R. Campbell
light reading
I enjoy gardening but strictly on an amateur basis. I am not a particular fan of Monty Don, no opinion either way, perhaps that makes a difference. Read more
Published 23 months ago by A. Weston
Gardeners delight
A great book & great value at Amazon. Used books in 'good' condition are often wholly unmarked.
Published on 27 May 2010 by A. Larlham
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