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. ♥

On Inky’s Summer Reading Recommendations

This is the time of year when everyone comes out with their booklists for summer reading and, to be perfectly honest, I’m just not that impressed with them. Based on this displeasure, I have created my own list and while they aren’t new books, they are ones I can’t help but full heartedly recommend.  

Some fiction...

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 

Seventeen year old Casandra Mortmain and her family live in a decrepit castle, which she is determined to capture all aspects of in her journal in a way that is bound to delight readers both young and old. A coming of age story that “captures the castle”, the lives of those living there, and the heart of the reader, it will have you wishing it didn’t have to come to an end so soon. (See the full review here!)

Three Men in a Boat to Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome

What do you get when you combine three men in the Victorian era, a boat, stinky cheese, lack of a can opener, and angry swans, to say nothing of the dog, Montmorency? This wonderfully hilarious book, of course!

When the narrator and his two friends George and Harris decide they need a rest, the idea of going boating on the Thames seems like a splendid idea. However, they never guess all the trouble they’ll have and that the restful time they had hoped for will be anything but. Written in 1889, this book will have you smiling ear to ear with its British humor. 

(And if you like it, there’s also a sequel called Three Men on the Bummel.)       

Village School by Miss Read  

A peaceful and relaxing book, Village School takes you into the lives of the residents of Fairacre and makes you feel right at home with them. While great year round, this is one book that’s absolutely perfect for summer! (See the full review here!) 

The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett

I’m of the firm option that not all summer book lists should consist of light reading and this book is definitely not a light read, but one that is well worth making an effort for and if you enjoy extremely detailed and well written historical fiction that takes place in the 1500’s, then this might be the perfect choice for you!

In this first book of the Lymond Chronicles, the reader is introduced to the fascinating, Frances Crawford of Lymond who is making a grand attempt to clear his name, and drawn directly into the tensions between Scotland, England, and France. 

A word of advice, be prepared to look things up because there are a lot of references and there are quotes in different languages (hence, why someone wrote The Dorothy Dunnett Companion).

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Flora Poste finding herself orphaned at 19 years old decides to send out letters to her relatives to see who might offer her a home. When the only answer that proves to be of any hope turns out to be her distant cousins living on a farm in Sussex, she becomes convinced that she is the one to change the ways of her backward relatives the Starkadders.

Published in 1932, Gibbon’s amusing wit that pokes fun at the ideals of British country life will have you giggling with delight. As is said “there have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort” and after reading this book you’ll want to revisit them again and again.

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

Dumas while certainly better known for his The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, also wrote quite a few other books including his lighter weight (in comparison to the afore mentioned that is)  romance, The Black Tulip.

Cornelius von Baerle’s dream is to develop the legendary black tulip and win a large sum for doing so, but when his neighbor’s greed for the bulb that will bloom into the black tulip grows to the extreme, Cornelius finds himself in jail accused of treason. However, with the help of the jailer’s daughter, Cornelius might just be successful after all.

Old Herbaceous: A Novel of the Garden by Reginald Arkell

This is the story of a gardener, his love for plants, and his views on how a proper garden should be managed. Herbert Pinnegar, also known as “Old Herbaceous,” is the charming subject of this novel and this gem should be on any garden lover’s reading list.

Stay tuned for a review in the coming weeks!

The Mousewife by Rumer Godden

A children’s book, but a children’s book that can be equally enjoyed by adults.

The Mousewife has a longing for something outside her tiny mouse world and when a pigeon end up caged in the house where she lives she gets a taste of the outside world and all the wonders that come with it. Beautifully written and accompanied with lovely pen and ink sketches by William Pène du Bois, Rumer Godden’s delicate touch captures the longing often felt for a world different than our own.

Some non-fiction...

The Making of the African Queen: Or How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind by Katharine Hepburn 

An expectedly amusing account, Hepburn shares all the details you could ever possibly want to know (or not know) about what it was like making the 1951 film The African Queen from the trip to Africa to its conclusion. It’s relatively short (I read it over two days), great for those who like Hollywood history, and great for those who are a fan of Hepburn.

A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell

In 1957 naturalist George Durrell set out to Africa on expedition to collect animals for a zoo of his own and recorded it in this wonderful little book published in 1960. This is a fun look at a man whose quest to find animals brought about a variety of hilarious encounters involving things such a mischievous chimp, a search for a snake, his interactions with the natives of Africa and what happens when he returns home to England. 

I hope one of these lovely, charming, amusing, and entertaining books piques your interest and finds its way into your summer reading! Please let me know what you think if they do! ♥

On Joining the Vintage Playsuit Sew-Along

In case you haven't heard Stephanie at The Girl with the Star-Spangled Heart is hosting a vintage playsuit sew along and this is the month we start sewing them up!

For mine I'm using a late 1940's pajama pattern and some tropical looking fabric I've been waiting to use for something fun. As you can see style III (the red one) looks much more like a playsuit than a pair of pajamas. 

 

So far I just have the top cut out. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll be doing the shorts in the same fabric as I only have a small amount left and can't get anymore or if I'll pick a solid color so I can wear them with other things too.

In addition to my 1940's playsuit, I'm also planning to attempt to turn this dress I wore in elementary school into one.

I've detached the bodice from the skirt already. Since the skirt was gathered it makes it really easy to fit it to my current size and all I need at this point is some fabric for the waistband (blue gingham or solid blue?) and to figure out what type of fastening I want to do. 

For the top, I'm going to need to add some darts to the front to make it more fitted. I would also like to cut into the back to give it a square shape instead of having it go up to my neck.

I'm not quite sure how this alteration will go, but I'm going to try my best to make it work and hopefully by the end of the month I'll have two playsuits!♥