Yorkshire gardener launches new Alchemy of Gardening book in Goathland, near Whitby
A garden designer is inviting people to discover The Alchemy of Gardening via a new book.
Horticulturalist, plantswoman and garden designer Jan Hoyland launched the publication on a gloriously sunny day at the Homestead Kitchen in Goathland, where she created a magical edible area.
Jan is passionate about nature-friendly approaches to gardening and in The Alchemy of Gardening she takes readers through the gardening year, tuning them in to the rhythms of the seasons, offering practical tips and a mindful philosophy, inspiring them to interfere less, pay closer attention and create beautiful, harmonious spaces, both for themselves and the wildlife that surrounds us.
The spark that ignited her writing this, her first book, came in 2019, when, while juggling the many challenges of running a business, caring for her mother, and moving into and rebuilding a remote derelict smallholding in North Yorkshire, Jan was diagnosed with a life-limiting chronic illness.
This experience not only taught her to slow down and listen more carefully to nature’s teachings; it gave her a new approach to gardening.
“I want people to think differently about how and why we garden” she said.
“I’ve designed and tended many gardens over the years and reached a point where I feel I have the experience, and perhaps a helpful perspective, that I want to share with a broader audience."
The Alchemy of Gardening is available from YorkBookShop.com, priced £17.95 (ISBN 9781739086701).