Rhapsody in Green: The Garden Wit and Wisdom of Beverley Nichols Hardcover – February 4, 2009

After my most recent ‘dark’ read, I chose to move in the opposite direction, into a rather ‘light’ tome. I came upon this little gem of a book quite by happenstance, setting it aside for just the right moment. This one, I thought, will fit-in nicely with my collection. Dicks has compiled a few quips written from within the pages of Nichols’ gardening books by Nichols himself. Dicks has also included some amusing anecdotes about the companions Nichols chose to share his life, his cats.Quoted from Merry Hall(Jonathan Cape 1951) Timber Press 1998:"There is the tang of ice–the ice that laid out its little mirrors of glass all through the orchard in the clear days of January, so that the sky might lean close and see its face.""There is a great deal of truth in the old saying that in a garden the best fertilizer is the shadow of the owner."Quoted from Garden Open Today(Jonathan Cape 1963) Timber Press 2002:"I am honored by the visits of neighboring felines. They appear dramatically on the tops of walls, spying out the land (all cats, of course are in the secret service), or they dart from out of the darkness of the tool-shed. Sometimes they stroll, with apparent nonchalance, across the open lawn, which gives rise to scenes of great tension if any of my own cats happen to be engaged in counter-espionage at the widows (sic), as they often are."And, as an aside to Dicks’ observations about John Beverley Nichols’ cats, I would be amiss if I didn’t include one of my favorite annotations from Nichols‘ book, Cats’ A.B.C.:"Most of us rather like our cats to have a streak of wickedness. I should not feel quite easy in the company of any cat that walked about the house with a saintly expression."

The book was in awesome condition, for being used, much better than I expected! It was packaged well and arrived sooner than expected. Over all very good experience.

like all of the beverley nichols books, this is witty, well written and lovely to read. it is a quick read, but will make you want to reread any of the other gardening books of his you have. he really was a very gifted writer and it is quite clear that he had an abiding love of his garden, wherever it may have been. he was not averse to spending money to get the plants and accessories he wanted. perhaps he should have been, but was always satisfied when his ideas were completed. i especially like to read his books in winter, even though we can have flowers and shrubs in bloom all year here. but on a cold, rainy day with a cup of tea, he is a comfort. lynn richardson

For fans of Beverley Nichols, this makes great bedtime reading; for those who have not had the pleasure of reading Nichols' books, it's a great introduction to his work. Rhapsody in Green is a compilation of excerpts from Nichols' gardening books, some of which are out of print. If you've read Nichols' in-print books, you'll come across favorites you've read before as well as nuggets from books you have not been able to obtain. Kudos to Roy C. Dicks for his excellent introductions in all the reprinted Nichols books - and for being the driving force in getting many of the gardening books reprinted by Timber Press - in essence, curating the Nichols legacy. Perfect title, too: a nice reference to Nichols' musicality.

The book arrived looking practically brand new; I've read a couple of other Beverley Nichols books (going to read more), but this book is a great way to get some quick insight into Nichols' way of writing about his gardening experiences. In fact, some of the bits chosen for this book could be printed up and hung on the wall of a potting shed or greenhouse . . . What a great idea to do a book this way.

Just what I had hoped it would be! If you love Beverley Nichols, you’ll love this compact book.

This is the book that got me started reading Beverley Nichols. It contains some of the best excerpts from his many gardening books. He is delightfully witty and his enthusiasm for gardening is highly contagious! I really enjoyed this book and plan to keep it for many years.

Pleasant topic. Excellent sentences. A garden of thought.

Bought as a gift for myself --this Author had been recommended and so far am enthralled with it ---seller was next day postage and the book arrived as promised --Thankyou

Love this book , great packaging as uausl thank you +++++

what we have is catalogue of flowers,plants ,etc.Well presented but very little new.If you have the books,you do well to give this one a pass.

Full of joy and laughter, with a healthy dose of garden wisdom. Social insights are intriguing. A joy to read.