It started off just like any typical Tuesday...
Today seems to be turning out to be a particularly good day. At breakfast-time I managed not to burn my toasted hot cross bun (yes, I know Easter has passed but I still have a stash of them in the freezer). I then logged onto the RHS Qualifications site to find out that not only were the February exam results out a few days early but that I'd passed both of mine with commendation. (Incredibly pleased face). And finally the postman knocked with a parcel that turned out to be a copy of a beautiful book – The Gardens of England: Treasures of the National Gardens Scheme.
This book covers the 86 years that the National Gardens Scheme has been in existence through descriptions and histories of gardens that first opened for the charity from the 1920s through to the millennium. Some of the gardens still open for the NGS, while others are long gone, razed to the ground in times of economic hardship for the families who owned them.
A few of you may know that I am an avid supporter of the NGS and contribute in a voluntary capacity on the publicity side for Hertfordshire. Through this contact I was asked to help out with some early picture research for this book, which entailed searching through NGS-held images at head office as well as spending a few days in a dusty basement trawling through ancient bound copies of Country Life magazine to find photos of the gardens at the time of their first open days. I attended the launch of this book just last week at an event at the Garden Museum, where the chapter contributors along with publishers, NGS colleagues and some of the garden owners came together to celebrate its publication.
It is available through the publisher's own website here and from branches of Waterstones throughout the UK. If you're looking for a new coffee table garden book for yourself or as a gift for a garden enthusiast friend or relative, I can highly recommend it – and as a portion of the profits are being donated to the NGS I hope you don't mind this shameless plug.
Today seems to be turning out to be a particularly good day. At breakfast-time I managed not to burn my toasted hot cross bun (yes, I know Easter has passed but I still have a stash of them in the freezer). I then logged onto the RHS Qualifications site to find out that not only were the February exam results out a few days early but that I'd passed both of mine with commendation. (Incredibly pleased face). And finally the postman knocked with a parcel that turned out to be a copy of a beautiful book – The Gardens of England: Treasures of the National Gardens Scheme.
This book covers the 86 years that the National Gardens Scheme has been in existence through descriptions and histories of gardens that first opened for the charity from the 1920s through to the millennium. Some of the gardens still open for the NGS, while others are long gone, razed to the ground in times of economic hardship for the families who owned them.
A few of you may know that I am an avid supporter of the NGS and contribute in a voluntary capacity on the publicity side for Hertfordshire. Through this contact I was asked to help out with some early picture research for this book, which entailed searching through NGS-held images at head office as well as spending a few days in a dusty basement trawling through ancient bound copies of Country Life magazine to find photos of the gardens at the time of their first open days. I attended the launch of this book just last week at an event at the Garden Museum, where the chapter contributors along with publishers, NGS colleagues and some of the garden owners came together to celebrate its publication.
It is available through the publisher's own website here and from branches of Waterstones throughout the UK. If you're looking for a new coffee table garden book for yourself or as a gift for a garden enthusiast friend or relative, I can highly recommend it – and as a portion of the profits are being donated to the NGS I hope you don't mind this shameless plug.
Yayyy!!! Well Done you!
ReplyDeleteAll the hard work was worth it, congratulations!
The book looks very good, I shall look out for this, we are so lucky to have such a scheme operating which enables us to enjoy beautiful gardens.
Enjoy the good feeling of success, and the good weather too.
Gill xx
Thank you - only 2 more exams to go in June. And then I think I'll take a break from the studying for a little while.
DeleteWell done on your exam results - now we'll all be coming to you for advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue - I was very nervous about these results so it's given me confidence for the final push in June.
DeleteCongratulations on your results, well done. It looks a lovely book, I feel another purchase coming on.
ReplyDeleteI've started reading snippets of it and it's a fascinating read. And it has some beautiful black and white photos of some of the gardens in the 1920s and 30s
DeleteBy the way your luck may be on a high so you should enter my competition!
ReplyDeleteI would also need to win a bigger patio to have space for a fire pit!
DeleteWell done you on your well deserved exam success! Will look out for the book. I have the book that was published to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NGS and that made for great reading :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Anna. Was the 75th anniversary book called 'Making Gardens'? I have a copy on loan from NGS head office but I haven't yet got around to reading it. *adds to ever-growing list of books and vows to stop buying more till I've finished these...
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