Jane Austen loved a garden. She took a keen interest in flower gardening and kitchen gardening alike. This book strolls through the sorts of gardens that Jane Austen would have known and visited: the gardens of the great estates, cottage gardens, gardens in town, and public gardens and parks. Some of the gardens she owned or knew exist still in some form today; among the gardens highlighted is the restored garden at Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, England, complete with a sample planting plan of the flowers grown there now. The book also includes touring information for gardens featured in film adaptations of the novels. With lush photos, social history, excerpts from the novels, information on her life, and period drawings, this book brings Georgian and Regency gardens and Jane Austen's world to life. In the Garden with Jane Austen captures the essence and beauty of the traditional English garden. As the heroine of Mansfield Park Fanny Price observes, "To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment."

About the Author

Kim Wilson is a writer, editor, and gardener who lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and is a longtime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She is the author of Tea with Jane Austen. Celia Simpson is Head Gardener at Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire.

Table of Contents

Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 - 'Oh! what a sweet little cottage' - Cottage Gardens Chapter 2 - 'From every window there were beauties to be seen' - Mansion and Manor House Gardens Chapter 3 - 'The Garden is best in the Town' - City Gardens Chapter 4 - 'Into the Labyrinth every day' - Public Gardens and Parks Chapter 5 - 'I could not do without a Syringa' - Re-creating Jane Austen's Garden Gardens Features in Jane Austen Screen Adaptations Bibliography Index

Reviews

As with her previous book, Tea with Jane Austen, Wilson has produced a well-researched work that will appeal to a wider audience than just Jane Austen fans. Period gardeners and garden lore enthusiasts will appreciate this rare overview of the sorts of Georgian and Regency gardens Austen would have known. Wilson's text is a clever combination of quotations from Austen's novels and letters along with information found in the popular gardening and householder manuals of the day. Both flower and kitchen gardens of varying sizes are discussed. Several of the English gardens Austen knew still exist and are highlighted here, supplemented by a listing of gardens featured in recent Austen film adaptations. Advice for re-creating 18th-century gardens with heirloom or modern cultivars is included. Illustrated with lavish color photos, planting plans, and a few charming black-and-white drawings similar to those in Wilson's previous book, this gem may convert those who haven't already succumbed to Austen fever. Recommended for public libraries as well as special collections focused on gardening or Austen.--Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Praise for Tea with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson "Perfect for Austen-reading book clubs." --Booklist "Tea, social history, and English author Jane Austen--Kim Wilson's delicious little book will instruct and amuse fans of any or all three... Highly recommended." --Tea: A Magazine "In this delightful book Kim Wilson ... has assembled a collection of anecdotes, quotations, verses and recipes, charmingly illustrated." --Jane Austen's Regency World This gorgeous book reflects on Jane Austen's interest in kitchen and flower gardening which is documented in her letters and in her novels. With gorgeous photographs the author gives instruction on how to create your own Georgian or Regency garden and is full of fascinating nuggets of information about early cottage and rectory gardens and the plants used in them. RHS Ireland Journal A book to delight garden lovers and fans of Jane Austen alike. Woman Alive This lovely A5 size book invites you to take a peak at the types of gardens and plantings that were her inspiration. Amateur Gardening A charming book, full of interesting snippets and comment, expounding on the references to gardens in the Austen novels, and discussing the sort of outdoor scenes Jane would have known! A pretty book which would make a delightful gift. House & Garden This book is only 114 pages long, but Kim Wilson has been skilled in her selection of gardens and it would be valuable to a garden historian, a lover of Jane Austen and anyone who likes a lovely book. Hampshire Gardens Trust magazine Ms Wilson has had great fun with her own tour, performing the stations of sensibility wherever Jane Austen or her characters, according to film producers' choice, chanced to turn their eye; she even gives telephone numbers so that we too may follow suit. The excellent photographs will certainly encourage. Jane Austen Society Newsletter A thoroughly comprehensive and diverting book. Limited Edition, South Worcestershire & Cotswolds