We regard gardens as our personal dominions. But they are also occupied by myriads of other organisms; ants sow cowslip seeds in the parched grass. Moorhens take to nesting in trees. Using his own Norfolk plot, as he watches land reorient itself against troubled seasons, Mabey explores the garden as a space cultural and ecological fusion, and a metaphor for the world.
Richard Mabey‘s books include the bestselling plant bible Flora Britannica, Food for Free, Turned Out Nice Again, Weeds: The Story of Outlaw Plants and Nature Cure. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and lives in Norfolk.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Orcutt