Our sentimental garden

A lovingly illustrated memoir opens the listener onto a hillside garden alive with roses, lilacs, and the bustling play of tiny creatures. Through gentle verses the author records daily delights—planting bulbs, watching seedlings rise, and sharing quiet chats with neighbours—each moment rendered vivid by charming sketches and color plates. Set in early September 1914, the garden’s serenity stands on the brink of a world about to be upended.

Yet a shadow of war already looms, and the narrator feels the tension between simple pleasures and the looming need to support a nation in crisis. The garden is soon designated as a haven for wounded soldiers and displaced families, turning its ordinary beauty into a quiet refuge. Through its soothing tone and vivid observations, the book offers listeners a brief escape, reminding them that even a single crocus or lavender sprig can lift the spirit when darkness gathers.