The Accidental Garden : Gardens, Wilderness and the Space In Between

by Richard Mabey

Hardback

ISBN: 9781805220701

Widely regarded as the greatest nature writer of our day, Richard Mabey certainly knows how to capture his readers and draw them both out of themselves and into a world richer and fuller than they might otherwise be aware. The natural dramas in his latest book begin to play out in his own Norfolk garden, “in the climate-driven heatwave of July 2022”, and continue through disturbed seasons, throughout which Mabey observes how plants, birds and hosts of other inter-reliant organisms, were forced to adapt to the elements. In a sense, the garden and its inhabitants are the protagonists in an unfolding tragi-comedy, constantly displaying shows of perseverance and hope against the odds. (Take ants sowing cowslips in parched grass as an exapmle!) A profound and provocative meditation on ‘gardens, wilderness and the space in between’, this is a joy to read.