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Top Five Fiction for Gardeners


The Sea Garden – Sam Llewellyn

Headline 2000
A family digs up a skeleton when it inherits a garden on an island off the South West tip of Britain.

The Constant Gardener – John le Carre

Simon and Schuster 2001
When the wife of a diplomat and amateur gardener is murdered, he pursues her killers only to become a target himself as his dangerous pursuit contrasts with his passion for his plants.

Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach

Vintage 2000

Our thanks to Wendy Smith, who sent us this one. Set in 17th Century Amsterdam, at a time when the tulip was the subject of great mania, it's the story of Cornelis, an ageing merchant who commissions a portrait to reflect his status and commemorate his marriage to the young Sophia. But as the portrait grows, a passion develops between Sophia and the artist, with thrilling and tragic consequences.

Buckingham Palace Gardens – Anne Perry

Ballantine 2008
A Victorian murder mystery set in gardens better known for their tea parties.

Gardens of Delight – Erica James

Orion 2006
Lucy heads for her father’s gardens on the edge of Lake Como where she compensates for her husband’s absence by joining in with the local gardening community