The Gift of a Garden

'This is a book about the comfort and sustenance that can be got from gardening and from the earth, about the wonderful pleasures and fulfilment that I get from my garden.' Alice Taylor

Alice's garden is her refuge, her solace. In this book, she invites you into this special place. Inherited from Uncle Jacky, it was for many years a kind of wilderness, until Alice finally managed to get around to transforming it. She introduces you to the great variety of plants and objects she has gathered – everything, of course, with its own unique and fascinating story, brought to life by a master storyteller. Alice's creativity is seen everywhere in her garden. It is a wonderful, magical space, full of surprises, where her warm personality infuses every flower, bush, tree, and surface.



Alice Taylor lives in the village of Innishannon in County Cork, in a house attached to the local supermarket and post office. To School Through the Fields was published in May 1988. It was an immediate success, launching Alice on a series of signing sessions, talks and readings the length and breadth of the country, becoming the biggest selling book ever published in Ireland.

Introduction 


The Awakening 


A Jug of Flowers 


Heavy Drinkers! 


The Silent People 


Under the Apple Tree 


Gardening with Dogs


The Final Chorus 


Crash Landing 


The Holly Tree 


Snowdrops and Tulips 


Flushed with Pride 


Struggling! 


The Garden Shed 


Tea in the Garden 


Returning 


Getting Ready 


The Open Gate 


The Meitheal 


Wild-flower Garden 


Roots 


Planting Miracles