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'Ben Dark is such a wonderful writer - The Grove drew me in from the first line.' Lia Leendertz
'The Grove is overflowing with delicious nuggets of cultural social and garden history Â- and I adore Ben Dark's humour and humility in equal measure.' Advolly Richmond
'A heartfelt romp through the wisteria and wilderness of London's horticulturally remarkable front gardens.' Jack Wallington
'Fans of Ben Dark's mellifluous tones on The Garden Log podcast will be delighted by how perfectly his lyrical musings transfer to the printed page as with infant son in tow he invites the reader upon a series of horticultural expeditions inspired by the deceptively ordinary planting of the front gardens in a south London street. The kind of thoroughly enjoyable read where you realise late in the day that learning has snuck in by the back door though you feel inclined to forgive the author on account of the fun you've had along the way.'
Andrew O'Brien
'Any walk is an odyssey when we connect with the plants around us. Each tree or flower tells a tale. Mundane 'suburban' shrubs speak of war and poetry of money fashion love and failure. Every species in this book was seen from one pavement over twelve months and there is little here that could not be found on any road in any town but they reveal stories of such weirdness drama passion and humour that once discovered familiar neighbourhoods will be changed forever.' Ben Dark
There is a renewed interest in the nature on our doorsteps as can be seen in the work of amateur botanists identifying wildflowers and chalking the names on the pavements.
But beyond the garden wall lies a wealth of cultivated plants each with a unique tale to tell. In The Grove award-winning writer and head gardener Ben Dark reveals the remarkable secrets of twenty commonly found species - including the rose wisteria buddleja box and the tulip - encountered in the front gardens of one London street over the course of year.
As Ben writes in those small front gardens 'are stories of ambition envy hope and failure' and The Grove is about so much more than a single street or indeed the plants found in its 19 ½ front gardens. It's a beguiling blend of horticultural history and personal narrative and a lyrical exploration of why gardens and gardening matter.
David Attenborough
Bonnie Lander Johnson
Levison Wood
Mike Unwin
Michael Morpurgo
Colin Heber-Percy
John Long
Vince Beiser
Melissa Harrison
Grant Fowlds
Richard Shimell
Ruth Padel
John Vaillant
Clive Oppenheimer
Tristan Gooley
David Hone
Richard Mabey
Olive Heffernan
Rhys Jones
Hamza Yassin
Jonny Clothier
Kiran Sidhu
Florence Wilkinson
Gail Simmons
Ben Jacob
Gregory Conti
Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Royal Horticultural Society
John Wright
Edward Norfolk
Jemima Lewis
Nergiz De Baere
Porter Fox
David George Haskell
Colin Butfield
Suzie Baldwin
Stefano Mancuso
Will Burns
John Ruthven
Kim Stanley Robinson
Peter Marren
Elsa Panciroli
Peter Scott
Olaf Fritsche
Neil Ansell
Tristan Gooley
Anita Roy
Raffael Jovine
Becky Alexander
Claire Potter
Tim Ecott
Dr Dean Lomax
Natalie Fee
Bernadette Vallely
Sarah Ridley
Ambra Edwards
Chris Packham
Lars Mytting
Grant Fowlds
Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Monty Halls
Kathy Hoopmann
Mark Lane
Marine Conservation
Bill Streever
Nicholas Crane
Tony Juniper
Brian Fagan
Maggie Sandford
Nuala Gardner
Tristan Gooley
Sian Berry
Surfers Against Plastic
Tristan Gooley
Charles Foster
Tristan Gooley
Peter Reason
Robert Twigger
Archie Miles
Bernie Krause
Rob Cowen
Tristan Gooley
Colin Beavan
Jane Goodall
Helen Armitage
Andrew Bleiman
Ray Mears
Richard Heygate
John Pontin
Colin Beavan
James Jamie
Gavin Pretor-Pinney
Robert Mighall
Craig Childs
Mark Watson
John Naish
Rob Penn And Antony Woodward
Craig Childs
David Strahan
Dian Fossey
Eileen Campbell
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Ethan Greenhart
Christopher Grey-Wilson
Robert Twigger
Philip Ball
Peter Martin
Michael Daunt
Monty Don
Gavin Pretor-Pinney
Jane Goodall
Jeremy Narby
Stephen Budiansky
Stephen Budiansky
JoAnn Tuzeo-Jarolmen
Ervin Laszlo
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Blair Nikula
Kim Williams
Jim Flegg
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes
Donald Stokes