On “Old Herbaceous: A Novel of the Garden”: A Book Review

Title: Old Herbaceous: A Novel of the Garden

Author: Reginald Arkell

Genre: Fiction 

About the book…

First published in 1950, Reginald Arkell’s novel explores the life of a man whose world revolves around the garden and carrying for the things in it. Following the reflections of Herbert Pinnegar, known as “Old Herbaceous” in his advanced age, the reader is treated to an account of how he came to the Manor house and moved his way up to head gardener spanning the time of the Victorian era through WWII.

What I think…

I was attracted to this book based on the charming cover and the phrase “back in print after 50 years,” which is a phrase that tends pique my interest immediately.

While the life of a gardener may not sound like the most interesting of subjects, Herbert’s quirky, sometime cantankerous, behavior makes him very enjoyable to read about from beginning to end. This is one of those rare characters who has a passion that the author is fully able to delve into without making it seem tiresome or overwhelming, which is saying a lot since the whole book is devoted to gardening.

The small details such as his opinions on what plants to plant and why, how he reacts to a young man pretending to be the lady of the manor’s nephew when the gardens are opened to the public and his irritation when they took the metal garden gates for the war effort all make for very pleasant reading, as well as offering a slight (if not completely accurate) account of the times.

This book is well written and, while of a slower pace than I generally prefer, I felt that this pace suited the subject matter. This is truly a relaxing breath of fresh (garden) air, which I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t want it to end. 

To sum it all up… 

This is an absolute gem and a perfect escape from the harried pace of today to the relaxing world of gardening. ♥