Books for Gardeners: Green Grows the City by Beverley Nichols

Gardeners unacquainted with Beverley Nichols don’t know what they’re missing. And if you know a gardener who hasn’t yet enjoyed his books, you could effect the introduction this Christmas and solve a present problem. Nichols (1898-1983) goes largely unmentioned these days, although he was once a household name whose face appeared on advertising billboards and who mixed with the rich, famous and royal, counting talents such as Noel Coward among his friends.

Of all his many books, his gardening volumes remain the best known and are an entertaining blend of fact (gardening matters) and fiction (characters who dip in and out of the narrative). Some of them, I’m pleased to report, have recently been republished by Timber Press.