Elizabeth and her German Garden written by Elizabeth von Arnim is a beautiful book for its gentleness and humour, and for the love of a garden which Elizabeth describes as 'an absolute wilderness,' a place where she always feels at her happiest.

Set out in the form of a diary spanning one year, the book tells the story of how Elizabeth escapes an upper-class German life in Berlin to live on her husband's enormous Pomeranian estate ninety miles away. Her primary endeavour is to rejuvenate a garden that has been abandoned for over twenty years and for this reason, with its vast wealth of gardening information, knowledge and experience, this book is a must-read for gardeners and garden lovers.

To the chagrin of her town acquaintances, and with no previous experience, Elizabeth sets out to design beds and plant seeds and learn where plants best prefer to be planted. Preferring herself to avoid 'household duties and annoyances,' and with the help of a gardener who 'doesn't know much about gardening,' she relishes every moment, believing it to be 'a blessed sort of work.'

Elizabeth's joy in being outside in nature is palpable: '... with not a thought of anything but the peace and beauty all around me. I am living in a garden, with books, babies, birds, and flowers and plenty of leisure to enjoy them!'

So content are Elizabeth's days spent far away from the aristocratic circle she spurns, with her three children, enjoying the changing of the seasons and wildlife that surrounds her, any intrusions of neighbours and visitors are a bane to her, especially those who cannot be got rid of after a cup of tea or a meal, or worse who must be entertained for days.

You cannot help but fall in love with Elizabeth for her agreeable force of will, her disdain for the status quo, her affectionate references to those she loves, and her love of a simple life spent outdoors working in her garden, far from the maddening crowd.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf

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Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim