The Accidental Garden: Gardens, Wilderness and the Space In Between

The Accidental Garden: Gardens, Wilderness and the Space In Between

A meditation on the perennial struggle between the human urge for dominance and nature’s inherent vitality by the pioneering nature writer, set in the arena of his own garden.

“We regard gardens as our personal dominions, where we can create whatever worlds we desire. But they are also occupied by myriads of other organisms, all with their own lives to lead. The conflict between these two power bases, Richard Mabey suggests, is a microcosm of what is happening in the larger world.

In this provocative book, rooted in the daily dramas of his own Norfolk garden, Mabey offers a different scenario, where nature becomes an equal partner, a ‘gardener’ itself. Against a background of disordered seasons he watches his ‘accidental’ garden reorganising itself. Ants sow cowslip seeds in the parched grass. Moorhens take to nesting in trees. Turkey oaks spring up alongside English cherries. A spectacular self-seeded rose appears in the gravel. The garden becomes a place of cultural and ecological fusion, and perhaps a metaphor for the troubled planet.

This is vintage Mabey: maverick, intensely observed, and written with an unquenchable sense of wonder.”

“Provides an overview of Mabey’s evolved thinking over a lifetime. He thinks with plants and other wild communities rather than about them. ” Kathleen Jamie, New Statesman

“Wonderful wisdom …the light touch in his writing and his gardening allows for a delight in the everyday wonder of nature”. Observer

“Absolutely enchanting” Isabella Tree

“Engaging, erudite, elegantly written … There is also something much rarer in this book: wisdom. What a treat” Ann Treneman, the Times

Margaret Atwood tweeted : “LOVE Richard Mabey’s books”.