The Last Garden in England(115)

I learned to love gardens as a little girl when I would dig in the dirt next to Dad. Living most of my adult life in New York City and central-ish London meant that, when I was writing this book, I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of creating my own garden—except for the little set of container-bound plants that bloom in front of my house. If there are any errors in the plantings, they are all my own. However, my very limited experience with my own plants has taught me that there are no real mistakes when it comes to gardening. Sometimes perfectly well-suited plants that are fussed over and tended to die for no good reason. Other times I’ve found that a neglected plant will take off like a weed, defying all expectations even when it is in the wrong soil, sun, or situation.

I believe that, much like books, gardens are organic, unpredictable things, revealing their beauty how and when they choose. It is up to us to remember to pause and enjoy that beauty every day.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


Whenever I write the acknowledgments for a book, I am always awed thinking back on the generosity of my friends and family.

Thank you to Alexis Anne, Lindsay Emory, Mary Chris Escobar, Alexandra Haughton, and Laura von Holt, my friends and writing retreat companions who encouraged me to press on with this book when I needed it most.

Thank you, Sonia, Eric, Zara, Jenn, Jackie, Ben, Mila, Sloane, Jemima, Mary, Beatrice, Christy, Kather, Sean, Amanda, Liam, and Andy, for keeping me grounded from near and far.

Thank you to my wonderful agent, Emily Sylvan Kim. I still laugh when I think about that long pitch session of not-quite-right ideas that was just wrapping up when I said, “There is this one idea I had about writing a book set around a historic garden that crosses a few time periods.” I’m glad we got there in the end!

To Kate Dresser, Molly Gregory, Jen Bergstrom, Aimée Bell, Jen Long, Abby Zidle, Michelle Podberezniak, Caroline Pallotta, Christine Masters, Jaime Putorti, Anabel Jimenez, Lisa Litwack, and the entire team at Gallery Books: I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to work with you on this book.

My family has been my biggest group of cheerleaders since long before a reader ever held one of my books in their hands. Thank you, Mum, Justine, and Mark, for listening to my frustrations, helping me work through plot points, reading early drafts, and generally being the most wonderful people I could ever have asked for.

I could not have written this book without a lifetime of inspiration from Dad, who let me play around in the dirt and deadhead the roses next to him when I was a little girl. Thank you for lending me your knowledge, playing research assistant, and letting me ransack your gardening books for inspiration. I can’t wait to keep learning from you in your own beautiful garden.