One of our personal favourites and bestselling authors, sweeping stories of love and families spanning continents and decades’ The Gardener works in harmony with the shifts of the season, the exchange of warmth and cold, the pleasures of living well. Some of these are my own observations, others were given to me by Georgia Langton, a friend of my mother’s who’s a talented gardener. These are Ava’s words, because, on a deeper level, Ava’s spirit is still there in the garden – like nature we don’t die, but shed our bodies like leaves and flower again in spirit. Ava’s very much present, enjoying all the beauty of Nature. I adore my London life. I love my friends, the restaurants, shops, theatres and the social side of the city. But I need to return every weekend to the country where I see only my family. I feel at peace in the woods and gardens of my home, where we have a cottage, and fill up spiritually.

French Garden Ltd./ Home French Garden Ltd./ Home

There wasn't a huge amount of suspense, but in romance books you sort of know who things will turn out. I would have liked to know more about the scrapbook itself, but it was a nice device to link the two time periods together. Readers are always interested in which character an author aligns herself with. Is Miranda’s job as a writer and aspirations as a novelist a hint? Do you find it easiest to write about characters to whom you relate, or ones you feel distant from? I enjoyed this book - of course, I cried through the last parts of it. It takes a look about what is important as a family. It is a quest for perfection, dreamed up by friends who share a dedication to art and craft. An encapsulation of the abundance of the region—sunlight to fresh citrus to wild herbs—The Gardener translates the terroir of the French Riviera and its singular way of life. It is the alchemy of nature, intuition, time and imagination. Within each of us a gardener.saulėlydis – tai tragedija, nuo kurios apima liūdesys, nes jo negali suturėti. Galbūt laikinumas ir yra grožis. Gal mūsų meilė tikresnė dėl to, kad ji be vilties. Jei kas pajėgtų suturėti saulėlydį ir nuolat gyventų nutviekstas gaisų, ar stebuklas išliktų?“ The idea for this book came to me watching my children thriving in my parents’ garden on the farm where I grew up in Hampshire. I have always adored the countryside, but more than that I need it spiritually. Being essentially London children they began to plant vegetables and trees and watch them grow. They became more independent, more imaginative and surprisingly creative. I feel that all children should have access to such simple pleasures in a world where computer games and television dominate so many households. Georgia is a very exceptional, beautiful, talented woman. She embodies the best of British eccentricity in the most glorious way. Having known her as a child I went to see her while researching the book. She was a great inspiration to me and I did think of her as I created Ava. I’ve never seen anyone wear a dungarees with such style. Fortunately for her, I don’t know her well enough to base a character entirely on her, but I was inspired by her unconventional beauty, her animation, enthusiasm, joy and love. I haven’t looked for her on-line but she is a professional garden designer!

Gardener Gin with Tom Nichol Brad Pitt launches The Gardener Gin with Tom Nichol

Then a mysterious Frenchman arrives on their doorstep. With the wisdom of nature, he slowly begins to heal the past and the present. But who is he? When Miranda discovers his secret in the cottage by the garden, the whole family learns that a garden, like love itself, can restore the human spirit, not just season after season, but generation after generation. I’m glad you asked this question! In my youth I wanted to be a singer songwriter. These are the words of a song I wrote aged 22 when a dear friend of mine was killed in a canoeing accident. It has a chorus but it wasn’t appropriate for the book. Like the phrases at the top of each chapter, these are Ava’s words from Spirit. They’re to Jean-Paul and they’re to my readers.

Why did you decide to organize the novel by season? How do you think this organization will affect the reading of the book? What do you think the passing of seasons meant to your characters?