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A Joy of Gardening
Excerpt from A Joy of Gardening Ixias are a God - given present in June The astonishing growth of certain roses Remembered delight of mertensia Familiar prettmess. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
213 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1977
About the author
Vita Sackville-West
131 books486 followersNovels of British writer Victoria Mary Sackville-West, known as Vita, include
The Edwardians
(1930) and
All Passion Spent
(1931).
This prolific English author, poet, and memoirist in the early 20th century lived not so privately.
While married to the diplomat Harold Nicolson, she conducted a series of scandalous amorous liaisons with many women, including the brilliant Virginia Woolf. They had an open marriage. Both Sackville-West and her husband had same-sex relationships. Her exuberant aristocratic life was one of inordinate privilege and way ahead of her time. She frequently traveled to Europe in the company of one or the other of her lovers and often dressed as a man to be able to gain access to places where only the couples could go. Gardening, like writing, was a passion Vita cherished with the certainty of a vocation: she wrote books on the topic and constructed the gardens of the castle of Sissinghurst, one of England's most beautiful gardens at her home.
She published her first book Poems of East and West in 1917. She followed this with a novel, Heritage, in 1919. A second novel, The Heir (1922), dealt with her feelings about her family. Her next book, Knole and the Sackvilles (1922), covered her family history. The Edwardians (1930) and All Passion Spent (1931) are perhaps her best known novels today. In the latter, the elderly Lady Slane courageously embraces a long suppressed sense of freedom and whimsy after a lifetime of convention. In 1948 she was appointed a Companion of Honour for her services to literature. She continued to develop her garden at Sissinghurst Castle and for many years wrote a weekly gardening column for The Observer. In 1955 she was awarded the gold Veitch medal of the Royal Horticultural Society. In her last decade she published a further biography, Daughter of France (1959) and a final novel, No Signposts in the Sea (1961).
She died of cancer on June 2, 1962.
This prolific English author, poet, and memoirist in the early 20th century lived not so privately.
While married to the diplomat Harold Nicolson, she conducted a series of scandalous amorous liaisons with many women, including the brilliant Virginia Woolf. They had an open marriage. Both Sackville-West and her husband had same-sex relationships. Her exuberant aristocratic life was one of inordinate privilege and way ahead of her time. She frequently traveled to Europe in the company of one or the other of her lovers and often dressed as a man to be able to gain access to places where only the couples could go. Gardening, like writing, was a passion Vita cherished with the certainty of a vocation: she wrote books on the topic and constructed the gardens of the castle of Sissinghurst, one of England's most beautiful gardens at her home.
She published her first book Poems of East and West in 1917. She followed this with a novel, Heritage, in 1919. A second novel, The Heir (1922), dealt with her feelings about her family. Her next book, Knole and the Sackvilles (1922), covered her family history. The Edwardians (1930) and All Passion Spent (1931) are perhaps her best known novels today. In the latter, the elderly Lady Slane courageously embraces a long suppressed sense of freedom and whimsy after a lifetime of convention. In 1948 she was appointed a Companion of Honour for her services to literature. She continued to develop her garden at Sissinghurst Castle and for many years wrote a weekly gardening column for The Observer. In 1955 she was awarded the gold Veitch medal of the Royal Horticultural Society. In her last decade she published a further biography, Daughter of France (1959) and a final novel, No Signposts in the Sea (1961).
She died of cancer on June 2, 1962.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 12, 2026
Spring is finally arriving where I live and, though this book of previously published articles focuses on England, my fingers itch to get in the garden and turn some soil. Entertaining, enlightening and informative. A good read for anyone who loves to garden.
March 26, 2015
“The behavior of plants is indeed inexplicable. It breaks all the rules; and that is what makes gardening so endlessly various and interesting.”
About a week ago, Guion found this book, an old hardbound edition, at the library book sale. The spine said “V. Sackville-West” and sparked his recognition. He found me buried in some shelves and said, casually, “I think I found a book for you. Sackville-West: She was Woolf’s lover, right? I imagined you’d probably want to get this one.” My husband. He knows me so well. I was elated to have this little book, which I had not previously heard of but immediately knew that I wanted. The edition has, sprinkled throughout its sparse chapters, charming woodcut illustrations of plants, and it is precisely the kind of little nonfiction that I adore.
Vita Sackville-West, along with being Woolf’s lover and the model for Orlando, was also famed in England for her gardens, beautifully maintained at her residence, Sissinghurst Castle (which has quickly moved to the top of my weekend trip wishlist when we live in London next year). Here we have all the Bloomsbury goodness—the high drama, the sparkling wit, the luxurious sentences—but applied to the lovely and practical art of gardening.
I devoured this little book and was so charmed by it. It’s the first I’ve read from Vita (aside from her love letters to Virginia), and I am not surprised at all that Woolf fell so hard for her. Finishing this book made me feel very sentimental and excited about my modest garden and all of the green shoots that are starting to show their faces.
“The more one gardens, the more one learns; and the more one learns, the more one realizes how little one knows. I suppose the whole of life is like that: the endless complications, the endless difficulties, the endless fight against one thing or another, whether it be green-fly on the roses or the complexity of personal relationships.”
About a week ago, Guion found this book, an old hardbound edition, at the library book sale. The spine said “V. Sackville-West” and sparked his recognition. He found me buried in some shelves and said, casually, “I think I found a book for you. Sackville-West: She was Woolf’s lover, right? I imagined you’d probably want to get this one.” My husband. He knows me so well. I was elated to have this little book, which I had not previously heard of but immediately knew that I wanted. The edition has, sprinkled throughout its sparse chapters, charming woodcut illustrations of plants, and it is precisely the kind of little nonfiction that I adore.
Vita Sackville-West, along with being Woolf’s lover and the model for Orlando, was also famed in England for her gardens, beautifully maintained at her residence, Sissinghurst Castle (which has quickly moved to the top of my weekend trip wishlist when we live in London next year). Here we have all the Bloomsbury goodness—the high drama, the sparkling wit, the luxurious sentences—but applied to the lovely and practical art of gardening.
I devoured this little book and was so charmed by it. It’s the first I’ve read from Vita (aside from her love letters to Virginia), and I am not surprised at all that Woolf fell so hard for her. Finishing this book made me feel very sentimental and excited about my modest garden and all of the green shoots that are starting to show their faces.
“The more one gardens, the more one learns; and the more one learns, the more one realizes how little one knows. I suppose the whole of life is like that: the endless complications, the endless difficulties, the endless fight against one thing or another, whether it be green-fly on the roses or the complexity of personal relationships.”
March 20, 2015
One of my best loved gardening books. Inspiring and a book to get lost in. Like a previous reviewer, I wish I had the capabilities that she had to garden in the beautiful place she did, and the leisure time as well. This is a book to read in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, and perhaps a notebook to write down all the inspirations you'll have.
May 17, 2013
Vita's garden essays, many of which were published as newspaper columns, bring with them passion and excitement and delight. For those who are addicted gardeners her work is inspiring (though also frustrating; how one longs for enough time and workers to do great sweeping amazing gardens).
I re read this one every so often and sigh. She was such a gifted and fearless amateur. One life long regret is that I never visited her gardens when I was in England, and only a few miles away.
I re read this one every so often and sigh. She was such a gifted and fearless amateur. One life long regret is that I never visited her gardens when I was in England, and only a few miles away.
July 27, 2020
Selections from the gardening columns Vita wrote for various publications. She is a hands-on gardener, down-to-earth (in both senses of the word), humorous, enthusiastic, and knowledgable. The articles here, selected by Hermine I. Popper (now there'a a name!) are suitable for American gardens. The Vita who writes about gardens and gardening is a very different Vita than the highly emotional and demanding lover of Virgina Woolf.
April 2, 2008
a book to dip into. very short (1-2 pg) essays about gardening topics--"a race of irises", "water is the making of a garden", "familiar prettiness"--good to read & often helpful.
December 23, 2016
American edition of Sackville-West's gardening columns. Lots of good information with Latin names of flowers and shrubs. She was Virginia Woolf's sister-in-law, I believe.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews