A Year in a Royal Garden
Jack Stooks
A Year in a Royal Garden is the first behind-the-scenes view of Highgrove from one of its longest-serving gardeners, Jack Stooks.
From the frozen mornings of winter, when gardeners lay the foundations for the year ahead, to the spring opening of the gates, the intensity and spectacle of summer and the reflective months of autumn, the changing seasons provide the framework for a story about the people, traditions and skilled work behind one of Britain’s most celebrated gardens. The garden visitors see is only the finished performance as Jack reveals the work, humour, ingenuity and camaraderie that make it possible.
Along the way, Jack offers revealing glimpses of King Charles and the Royal Family through the small, often unexpected, details of life at Highgrove: the King's influence on planting and design, his fascination with wildlife, his habit of listening in on tours and the informal moments that punctuated life behind the gates.
Interspersed throughout are tips for readers to recreate a little piece of Highgrove at home and delightful stories of celebrity encounters.
Book Details:
- Author: Jack Stooks
- On Submission
- All rights are available
Jack Stooks
Few people are better placed to write about life as a gardener at Highgrove than Jack, who spent 21 years helping to care for and develop the 15-acre organic garden in Gloucestershire curated by King Charles.
His route there began on a farm in Zimbabwe, where a childhood surrounded by fruit trees, vegetable gardens and open countryside first sparked his fascination with horticulture.
After attending schools in his homeland, where that interest was nurtured yet further, Jack came to Britain to study Garden Design and Horticulture at Bicton College in Devon, gaining experience at celebrated...
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