In the Heart of the Garden

by Helene Wiggin, Leah Fleming

Iris Bagshott strolls down the paths of her ancient garden , close to Lichfield in the heart of England , wondering if it is time to sell her house and land for development. She is unaware that around every corner myriad family secrets from the past unfold. From a Saxon clearing to a monastery, Tudor dwelling to the present day, this sacred plot has nurtured her ancestors . Generations of Bagshott women have found refuge and solace tending it through years of plague, civil war and beyond. This is their story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Alternate pen name for author: Leah Fleming

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The garden has been in Iris Bagshotts family for 1000 years and she is thinking of selling the house and garden. This book traces the history of the family and garden from saxon times. She pulls no punches in describing how hard life was over the centuries. An enjoyable read.

[Grace-Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book which beautifully portrays the lives of the women who, over the centuries, cared for their corner of the world. A funny thing happened with this book. I read it some years previously, having borrowed it from the library and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I joined Shelfari I was compiling my book shelf and thought of it but the exact title and name of the author escaped me. I searched for many title combinations along the lines of "The History of the Garden" but as you can imagine, that threw up hundreds of books, but not the right one. Then, by chance, only two days later I was visiting Charlecote Park, a beautiful Tudor Mansion in Warwickshire and was looking in the gatehouse which had second hand books for sale. "In the Heart of the Garden", there it was for sale for the princely sum of £1.40. I hope someone else eventually finds this book and enjoys it too.

[H Perchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the subject quite thought provoking, and now find myself wondering about my little garden and what it was and who walked here in a former time.

[Marguerite Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rich history of the land from 900 AD to the present. As a history lover, I enjoy the pondering about what might have happened in a particular place. Life's journey!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It told the story of a garden from pre-conquest times when early settlers ( Baggi and Fritha) made their home there. From there we are told the stories of the different people who tended the garden over the next 1,000 years. I though it was an interesting idea and a different take on history. I liked the way the author wove the stories of the families, the Bagshotts, Baileys and Salts and the way their names evolved over time.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who garden on properties with existing gardens this book shows the past inhabitants who planted and changed the garden. Iris is the current owner of the property who is touring the garden attempting to decide whether to sell it or not. As she ventures from flower bed to kitchen garden the story of each previous inhabitant is revealed. The first was a woman with her family who set out to start a new life. The fresh spring water streaming along was the major focus of the garden. Despite living hand to mouth there was the appreciation of flowers growing along the stream bed. This was a recurring theme through the centuries - digging out the weeds and enjoying nature around the water. The times and people changed, but the spring and stream were always there at the heart of the garden.
While some of the history is depressing, it is still interesting and the perspective of the garden throughout time connects the people with nature. This book would appeal to those who like gardening and history.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Heart Of The Garden by Leah Fleming is a marvellous epic tale of a garden through nearly a thousand years.
The reader is there at the start as the land is cultivated and two families meet. We journey down the years and through the generations sharing the births and deaths, the smiles and tears of those who tend the garden. The whole tale hangs together with the present day owner, an octogenarian named Iris. Her story is interwoven with the stories from the past.
Leah Fleming brings the garden to life with her comprehensive descriptions. The land almost becomes a character in its own right. If gardens could talk, what tales they would tell.
The book reveals the heritage and history of the two families. It is a compulsive and compelling read that alights the senses.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris Bagshott is thinking of selling her place. she strolls through the garden, she visits every nook and cranny. As she tours, the ghosts of the past walk along beside her. For a thousand years, the Bagshotts and Salts have taken care of this beloved garden. From the days of Saxons and the Norman Conquest, her ancestors have lived and loved in this beautiful garden. They survived the Black Plague and the English Civil War. They continued to survive through the centuries and the World Wars. Iris revisits her own personal memories. She realizes that this beautiful garden is too much a part of her personal and ancestoral life. She decides that it is impossible for her to ever part with it. This is a beautiful tale of time and space.

[Anne Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a gardener, I really enjoyed this book, imagining as I did the various stages of Iris Bagshott’s garden throughout the different eras and meeting different characters. I felt there was a real sense of time and place and would love to have visited the garden. However, to be honest, there really wasn’t much of a story, only in a couple instances did the author go deep into the characters’ lives and that for me was a drawback. I am given to understand that this is a re-issue of a previous book by the same author but under a different name but as I had not read the original book, it did not detract from my enjoyment.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reissue of a 1998 novel, which at the time was written under the name of Helene Wiggin, and is a departure from Leah Fleming's usual style. The story starts with the founding of a garden in AD 912, then follows the generations of women who tend it, right through to shortly after World War II or thereabouts. A really lovely read which I very much enjoyed.

[Elizabeth King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the premise was fantastic and I enjoyed the start of the story but my interested wavered as the stories progressed. I think I’d have preferred lingering longer with some of the characters and others I could have done without.
It wasn’t badly written, just not what I wanted to read. I wasn’t convinced by all the the historic periods.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad attempt at a saga, centered around the love of gardening, but really more about the people than the garden. Some interesting historical events mentioned, some powerful, silly and strong women, and can be read or thought about like a book of short stories about a place. Easy to read and suitable for older teens and adults.

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very readable, but the drama of the succeeding generations - war, plague, murder, maiming, children eaten by wolves - does tend to make the alternating modern-day sections seem paltry and unimportant by comparison.

[Nettie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a passionate gardener and lover of history this story had me hooked from the beginning. Such a wonderful historical weave throughout the story.
A different kind of story but captured my imagination

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a while to read this book as I learnt so much about the different time periods but my gosh it was a roller-coaster of emotions for the characters and their troubled lives! Definitely worth the read!!

[Pauline Haney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had an excellent start and seemed full of promise, sadly it didn’t come up to my expectations, I love gardening, but this was about one boring custodian after another, not much information about the history of the plants trees and shrubs, through it at all. 😟

[Carolyn Fitzmaurice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story as it unfolds with the different women telling their stories over the centuries. A lovely read.

[Phaedra Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical saga following a garden and the women who tended it, from Saxon times to late 20th C. A lovely gentle read.

[Linda Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A joy to read. A garden and it's history from beginning to now, its changes and who made them. The close-knit community around the garden and the families who don't get on are well drawn.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful ramble amongst the roses.

[Vickie Taylor-Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting story of women through the many ages all centred around the same plot of land. The stories were short but interwoven with. Iris’s story throughout so great fir dipping in to.

[Linda Jewell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might be a read for another time, I just couldn't get into it

[Jonelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good walk through history with a few quite bittersweet tales. My fave is the last one.

[Helen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story.easy read

[Gloria Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quite confusing story going to different years and found it quite boring

[Zora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am about a quarter of the way through this book and have found almost every page captivating. I have given thus book 5 stars as I will probably read it again and buy it.