The Last Garden

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Like many new fiction books written these days, this one uses that tried-and-true (in my opinion, overused) device of telling multiple narratives, from different periods of time, that only come altogether at the very end of the book. But Eve already knew a thing or two. First, she knew this was no kind of life. Made from a rib? To be some dork's helpmeet? Yeah, no. Not feeling it. This book tells the story of 3 different generations of women who were the architects of the gardens on one large country estate.

The Last Garden: New to Kickstarter | Zatu Games The Last Garden: New to Kickstarter | Zatu Games

An avowed bachelorette at thirty five, Venetia is focused on designing, her love of gardening, and being outdoors. When Mrs. Melcourt insists that Venetia incorporate her brother's roses into the garden plans, Venetia silently seethes but meets with Mr. Goddard as requested. I didn’t get around to planting that rose, not right away. I dug the hole, though. When you’re planting a rose, you want a hole about twice the size of the root ball. It’s a good idea to dust it with fertiliser. Fish, blood and bone, ideally. Again, gardening is mainly about death.

The Secret Sky Garden

In this beautiful tale of love, heartbreak and re-invention, Julia Kelly draws us deeply into the heart of the English countryside and a mysterious garden where the destinies of women living decades apart collide in unexpected, transformative ways.Gorgeously written and rooted in meticulous period detail, this novel is vibrant as it is stirring. Fans of historical fiction will fall in love with The Last Garden in England.”—Roxanne Veletzos, bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind

The Last Garden by Rachel Ip (9781444946352/Paperback

Three timelines and multiple characters challenged me for the first portions of the book. However, it became cohesive as the stories verged around the Highbury estate, family secrets, and the farm next door. The one thing that marred my enjoyment somewhat was the myriad characters. It was difficult at times to follow when the narrative jumped from storyline to storyline just who was being discussed. Some chapter headings helpfully stated the year, but all of them did not. The writing was such that I was immersed in the book, and it was a tad jarring when I was lifted from one story to another. Centered around the fictional Highbury House gardens, Julia Kelly takes the reader on a fascinating journey through these elaborate gardens across the span of over a century. Set in a triple timeline format, 1907, 1944, and 2021, The Last Garden in England follows five women whose lives are interwoven with the house and particularly the gardens. Kelly brings the gardens to life, and I often felt that I was right there with the characters among the plants and flowers due to her creative and beautiful descriptions. She uses just the right amount of detail, and it is easily apparent how much research Kelly conducted. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I loved the central theme of the Highbury House Gardens. I was completely blown away and wonderfully immersed into a botanical dream. Learning about all of the plants, flowers, descriptions, history, colors, care, and design was a dream. It is clear that the author has done her research, and it showed in how she was able to create a literary masterpiece that made me feel as if I was actually walking among the paths feeling the dew on my legs as they brushed against the leaves, the silky petals against my skin as I touched the blossoms, and the smell of earth, leaves, ponds, and dampness as I wandered throughout the areas during each season. It was truly remarkable. If you’re only interested in receiving the newest games this is the box for you; guaranteeing only the latest games! Buy New Releases Box »In 1944 at the height of the war, Highbury House was requisitioned to be used as a military hospital. A place for wounded soldiers to recuperate. The beloved gardens designed by the now famous Venetia Smith are in danger of being torn up and used as crop land. After studying modern languages and linguistics at Cambridge University, she worked in marketing communications for over 10 years, before turning her hand to children’s book writing. He won’t remember the clue afterwards, but he remembers the word even now. Sees the pen strokes. These details are accurate. After searching visuals of English gardens, I discovered several beautiful photos which added ambiance to reading this wonderful book! I’m a custodian still, and I know my duty. I’ll see out my time, tend to my instruments. Maybe there are other gardens, other uses for all this radiance.

The Last Garden by Rachel Ip, Anneli Bray | Waterstones

Zara tends to a garden in a war-torn city. It is the last garden. She has many helpers who seek solace by helping her in her garden. They then all have to evacuate, but they return once war is over and Zara sees her garden again. A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever. The ability to take three separate stories from three different time periods, create excellent plots, and weave them all together seamlessly into a breathtaking end. All three time periods: early 1900s, 1940s, and 2021 were all excellent in their own rights. That in itself is hard to find. I enjoyed the development, the complexity, the mystery, the romance, the twists/turns/suspense, and the endings all equally. These were the most complicated sections of the book but the most interesting and fleshed out in my opinion. Sorting the numerous characters and their stories was well worth the effort as there were many touching moments.This was a lighter, wholesome kind of read with a beautiful setting and an interesting blend of story lines that has a bit of everything - romance, heartache, friendship, loss and a dose of botany - but a green thumb is not required! (phew!). This was an enjoyable, if a bit predictable read that focuses on an array of strong female characters who show the importance of friendship and resiliency during tumultuous times. There are 4 Household Recycling Centres across the city where you can take your garden waste. Book a bulky waste collection A little-known-but-soon-to-be-famous garden designer, Venetia Smith, specializes in long-neglected gardens. She is working to design elaborate gardens for famous Highbury House, a Downtown Abbey type home for British landed aristocrats. But no, I was still feeling everything, even the faintest stroke of his fingertip. I was feeling things like a champion. I was at the top of my game, stimulus-wise. Still am, for what it’s worth. Small mercies. England, 2021. Emma is commissioned to restore a historic garden at Highbury House. She strives for historical accuracy in re-creating a garden. And that’s the part I enjoyed the most in this story. The process of finding any kind of trace, a drawing or a picture, that would lead her in the right direction. The story is also consumed by her relationship with her parents. And her mom’s regret that Emma didn’t go to college. Instead, she took a course in garden design and opened her own company, which her mother doesn’t applaud as she doesn’t see it as having a stable life.

garden waste collection service - Birmingham City Council Our garden waste collection service - Birmingham City Council

It's not a genteel undertaking, laying out a garden. You have to literally make the earth move. That shit is heavy going, even for a healthy person, but for me it was a staggering folie de grandeur, like trying to pebble-dash the moon. For me it was a near-death experience. In a war-torn city, Zara tends the last garden left, growing and sharing fruit and vegetables and providing a place for peaceful play. When it becomes too dangerous for people to stay they leave for a time but when they return some months later they find that the plants have kept on growing ‘tall and strong and wild and free.’ These three women were easy to like, and I loved how the gardens were the main focus for all three of them. The sun set at 17.06, that Friday, as I crossed O’Connell Bridge towards Tara Street station. It clutched us feebly still, my iris and me, but it knew us for its own.

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The third timeline occurred during World War II. It was a time when lives were lost, men were away fighting the war, and women were relied on more and more to fill some of the jobs once held by men. Diana Symonds had become a widow when her husband was killed in the war. Now the mistress of Highbury House, she had given permission to make part of the house into a Convalescent Hospital for injured soldiers. Diana’s story and that of her cook, Stella Adderton and the land girl, Beth Pedley all became intertwined and connected around the mysterious Winter Garden. The book highlights the way that the socioeconomic status of women has changed over the years by giving the reader a first hand look at some strong female protagonists.