Back to the Garden - Tapa dura

I've always had trouble empathising with the 'grandes dames' of British gardening, with whom I probably have about as much in common as Beth Ditto has with Beth Chatto. Yet, something about the way Ursula Buchan writes makes me chuckle. Her knowledge, of course, is unassailable, but what I like most is her dry sense of humour... If only her 'conferes' were this much fun. Christopher Stocks || Ursula Buchanan's thrid collection of garden writing must be a candidate for someone's Christmas present. Short readable snippets about all sorts of topics from stress busting weeding and entering the village show, to potatoes - all eloquently wrapped up in amusing and witty style. || Gardeners love to give advice: inspiring others is much harder. But that's what Ursula Buchan manages in this book of essays, as she leads us through the delights and humour of gardening. What better way to spend your mid-dig pause than with a page or two of Ms Buchan's company. Back to the Garden is well crafted to fit into your green-fingered schedule or to while away an inclement day. The perfect thoughtful gift, but a pleasure for you too. || Ursula manages to sweep us along and, in a rather gentle but persistent way, make us better gardeners. || These pieces are so easy to read that it's worth slowing down to take note - there is a wealth of information smuggled into them. || A pleasure for anyone who like garden writing to be more than just the plants. Yet these are not musings - everything is crisp and to the point. || An engaging read - belonging to that antique genre that she calls herself "the chatty gardening book.. still a pleasure to read in the winter, especially in bed." || I would be very happy with Ursula's latest book Back to the Garden, in my stocking. || A joyous read with accurate observation, plenty of wisdom and a biting wit. || The source of much food for thought. || Ursula Buchan writes quietly elegant pieces which, though sparse on practicalities, delight readers who take a broad interest in gardens. Among her strengths is a willingness to go against the grain. || This well-written collection is easy to dip in and out of - the perfect bedtime read for any serious gardener. || I really enjoyed dipping into this book; it should be at every gardener's bedside.

'No one writes with more clarity (and wit) about gardening than Ursula Buchan.' Anna Pavord

'England has a proud tradition of garden writing as literature. Ursula Buchan has signally contributed to that tradition.' Sir Roy Strong

'Ursula writes with knowledge and authority, but also with great humour.' Gardener's World
'With the distant rumble of wars and crashing stock markets in our ears, more than ever gardening is a comforting and soul-enlivening occupation,' Ursula Buchan begins her third collection of garden writings - and so she goes on to prove, as she shares some of the ways in which gardening enriches, enlightens and fascinates her.

From the agonies of entering the village flower show to the joy of the 'Evelyn' rose, from the importance of expecting the unexpected in weather to a botanical garden that is among the best on earth, from the discovery of a strange creature with a long proboscis to the satisfaction of growing peas, her interests are wide-ranging. Exploring them with dry wit and eloquence, and lightly imparting a great deal of information along the way, she shows how 'we deal, in our gardening lives, with the big themes: nature, climate, work, beauty, bounty, ever striving for that elusive heaven on earth.'