About the Book
Carol Klein is one of Britain’s best loved horticulturists, and for decades gardening has been at the heart of her extraordinary life. From her childhood adventures in Manchester to her first experiments in plantswomanship at Glebe Cottage, and from training as an artist and a teacher, and then finding an entirely unexpected career as one of Britain’s most beloved television presenters, in this long-awaited memoir Carol tells the story of the people, places and plants that have shaped her life.
Exploring why our relationship with the natural world is so important, and how it brings joy, creativity and good health to our lives, Carol also offers irresistible insights on her favourite flowers and plants, and how to help them flourish. A story of a life lived happily amongst the greenery, this book is the perfect companion for anyone who has sought solace in the natural world.
Format: Hardcover (336 pages) Publisher: Ebury Press
Publication date: 5th September 2024 Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
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My Review
Hortobiography certainly lives up to its clever title (thought up by Carol’s husband) being a combination of revealing memoir and passionate case for the importance of gardening as a way of keeping us in touch with nature and promoting wellbeing.
In the book Carol describes her childhood in Manchester, her adventures abroad as a student, her career as an art teacher, the founding of her own nursery business – Glebe Cottage Plants – and exhibiting at flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show.
Her memoir is surprisingly revealing describing the failure of her first marriage, struggles with depression and her recent experience of breast cancer. In between, there are sections on groups of plants – poppies, lilies, foxgloves, lupins, etc – with advice on their cultivation. Most of these have previously appeared in other publications such as Gardeners’ World magazine. Some have clear links to episodes in her life. For example, her wedding bouquet was made up of lilies – although there’s a story behind that as well. Others less so and, at times, they did feel like fillers. Having said that, if you’re hunting for the perfect variety of a particular flower or tree you will find them immensely useful. As someone trying to tame their own ‘mature’ garden, I loved the sections describing how she and her husband Neil created their garden at Glebe Cottage from pretty much nothing.
Many of us will know Carol from her TV series – my favourite being Life in a Cottage Garden – or her appearances on Gardeners’ World. The passion for plants and the joy of gardening that she displays on the screen comes across in spades (pardon the pun) in the book. She is a strong advocate of including gardening in the National Curriculum and, knowing her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets her way. She’s less keen on presenters of gardening programmes who are merely ‘presenters’ rather than true gardening experts. And since she says that, for her, gardening is a process and something that can never be considered finished, I think we can probably hazard a guess about what she thinks of the current vogue for garden makeover shows.
If, like me, you’re a fan of Carol Klein, you will love Hortobiography. Her unceasing passion for gardening and for passing that love on to others oozes from every page. Carol narrates the audiobook version and I can imagine that would be a wonderful way to consume the book. I’ll leave you with this quote: ‘Gardeners need to be optimists’. I think we could all do with a dose of that at the moment and what could be more optimistic than sowing a seed or, if you’re thinking really longterm, planting a tree that will outlive you but give pleasure to future generations.
I was lucky enough to hear Carol talk about her book at Henley Literary Festival on 4th October and, even better, to exchange a few words with her as she signed my book. (Trevor is my husband and fellow gardener.)
In three words: Authentic, fascinating, inspiring
Try something similar: A Fenland Garden by Francis Pryor
About the Author
Carol Klein is one of the most familiar gardening experts working in the media today, famous for her regular role as a presenter on Gardeners’World since 1998. Her natural, down-to-earth approach has made her a popular and trusted figure amongst the British (gardening) public. Carol originally studied fine art and spent many years teaching art in schools and colleges. She started gardening and running a nursery from her home in Devon, which became internationally renowned. She began exhibiting at RHS shows in 1990 and went on to win multiple gold medals at Chelsea, Hampton Court, Westminster and Malvern.
Her acclaimed TV series include Wild About the Garden, Grow Your Own Veg, Plant Odysseys and Great British Gardens. In 2011, a 6-part seriesbased on a year in her own garden at Glebe Cottage, Life In a Cottage Garden, was shown and accompanied her book of the same title. It has been repeated every year since. It won TV Broadcast of the Year at the Garden Media Guild, as did ‘Scent’, Grow Your Own Veg, and Great British Gardens. In 2019 the GMG awarded her their Lifetime Achievement Award. Most recently, she has presented Gardening with Carol Klein, Spring Gardening with Carol Klein and Summer Gardening on Channel 5 filmed at Glebe Cottage.
In 2018 the RHS awarded her their highest accolade The Victoria Medal of Honour. In 2023, Carol was named Iconic Horticultural Hero by the RHS.
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