Book review: The Jewel Garden
The Jewel Garden by Monty and Sarah Don
“There is a direct correlation between gardening and mental health, not just to maintain good mental health but to repair it as well”. – Monty Don
While Monty Don has now written a total of 25 books, The Jewel Garden (2004) stands apart for its real message is really about life as opposed to gardening. The Jewel Garden is about Monty (or Montagu as he is really known by his family) the man and how he rebuilt his life with wife Sarah. It is also a book about Monty’s trials living with and managing his depression.
The Jewel Garden story is told by both Monty and wife Sarah and which makes for a more interesting narrative and allows their life story to be told from two very different perspectives.
The Jewel Garden book is divided into two core parts: “Getting here” which focuses on the couple’s life challenges and managing adversity to finally get to the point of establishing their family home life at Longmeadow in rural Herefordshire. The book’s second part, “Being Here” is more gardening centred and focuses on the design and creation of the Jewel Garden and follows the annual cycle of their garden centered life. This part of the book illustrates the reality that gardens are for ever changing or need tweaking and are never finished.
The Jewel Garden is essentially about Monty and Sarah’s journey. Following the growth and highs of their London based custom jewellery business they overreach and the business ultimately fails which was a real low point and life reset for the Dons. At this time, they were able to pull enough resources together to buy a rat-infested farmhouse in Herefordshire without electricity or running water. As they refurbished the property, they suffered hypothermia and lived off a single sack of rice and for a time were on the dole. They both loved gardening and started rebuilding a new garden that gave them strength and was key inspiration to rebuild their life together.
A key aspect to this story is Monty's frank discussion of his issues with depression and how he (and Sarah) manage it. While gardening really helps him cope, he outlines how his depression is linked to the seasons, with winter being his most challenging time of year.
“I always see gardening as escape, as peace really. If you are angry or troubled, nothing provides the same solace as nurturing the soil”. - Monty Don
The Jewel Garden has a far wider appeal than just for gardeners (at least I think part 1 does). It is an honest book that resonates because it’s not so much about gardening or the very public gardening guru persona of Monty Don. It’s a book about dealing with life’s challenges and how life has in reality it has been at times a hard slog for Monty and his family; financially, balancing his work and family commitments and how his garden has been key to managing his depression.
In The Jewel Garden both Monty and Sarah Don open up and it reveals both the real Montagu Don and how important Sarah Don is to him in the garden centered life they have created together.
@Black Teal Bay Books rating: 8/10
