I would like to thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was beautifully illustrated, but the link to Jane Austen was tenuous. I also would have liked to have seen a discussion around colonialism and plants and fruits.

As a dilettante Janeite and gardener, I couldn’t resist a prettily illustrated volume with such a title as Jane Austen’s Garden. Gardener Molly Williams paired her knowledge of botany with her adoration of Jane Austen and her novels. This book is her love affair with Jane Austen and gardens.



The giftable, coffee table-style book with eye-catching illustrations and formatting is broken into easy-to-read sections: Intro, The Flower Garden, The Kitchen Garden, The Conservatory, The Parkland, The Hedgerow, Afternote, and Glossary. In these sections, there are little inserts with lovely Regency DIY projects like "Make your own Lavender Water" or "Design your own nosegay Posey."



The major sections provide explanations of general English garden history and specifics of the plants that were prevalent in Jane Austen’s day, related to locales in a Regency era person’s life, from thistles, herbs, fruits, bushes, and trees. There are quotes from the novels or Austen’s letters and discourse on the plants mentioned in the quotes. The explanations and notes do not delve too deeply into the background of the novels or gardening, so a new gardener or new-to-Austen reader won't be overwhelmed. However, this doesn't mean that anyone looking for scholarly-level detail should look elsewhere. I also found the terms and glossary a helpful summation of some of the concepts.

As to the illustrations of plants and artistic renderings from the Regency, they are exquisite. I admired them throughout the book, especially the drawings alongside the plant's history, how it grows, and where the plant was mentioned in Austen's letters or novels.



Jane Austen’s Garden aims for readers to page through an easy-to-follow joint-topic book in a satisfying experience. And this I did. I learned something of Regency-era gardening and botanical beauty, and how the people of the era thought about their natural world. I relished the notes of how Jane Austen brought her love of such into her novels and letters. A lovely gift for any Austen fan or gardener.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook arc of this title.
Due to some kind of issue with NetGalley, I was not able to read the file given. Instead, I had to wait until it was available through Hoopla.

Jane Austen's Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels is an interesting guide to the world of Jane Austen through flowers, herbs, and famous English gardens. It includes recipes and guides for creating floral arrangements, dyes, and other creative things. It's creative and colorful.

Wow! This book is absolutely beautiful. If you’re a Jane Austen fan, this is a must have book for your collection. It contains amazing artwork and pictures, as well as information on Jane’s life and how plants/trees/nature flow alongside Jane’s literary creations beautifully.

I’m going to address this right off the hop- I’ve seen criticisms of this book because it is based on the “some of the most boring books ever to be published”. If you are not interested in Austen’s novels, no, you will not be interested in a non-fiction book exploring those novels. (Sometimes I very much feel that the world is getting stupider- why would you read a book about books you do not enjoy?)
This book goes through the different kinds of gardens that feature in Austen’s novels, the flower garden, the kitchen garden, the conservatory, the parkland, and the hedgerow, and mixes in DIYs and gardening tips. The book is more DIY than I expected but I think that that works very well for Austen fans, as it is not uncommon to incorporate Austen into everyday life for many Austenites. I very much appreciated that Williams explained the “reasoning” behind the DIYs, so you can understand what you are doing, too.
We get a short history of the flowers, vegetables, and plants discussed in the UK, as well as any mentions in Austen’s novels. (Want to know about rhubarb in Northanger Abbey? Williams has you covered!)
Is this niche? Absolutely. But if you are an Austenite who is interested in gardening (which I am), this is a perfect choice!

That cover is gorgeous and draws you into this beautiful book! A great addition to a garden and Jane Austen lovers library.

The contents of Jane Austen's garden is interesting and charming. Some information are truly useful and relevant. The illustration is a matter of personal taste and knowledge of the prints of the period. Personally, it does not work, I am sorry. The detailed flowers are nice and make sense with the period, but the drawings of characters and gardens are scary. The other problem is of course the colours. I bet they do not appear on my screen as envisaged by the publisher. So, if I may, I would recommend as it is a galley, to improve the volumes and details of the trees, lawns, etc. I do not know if this book is meant to honour the period of the pre romantics, but I cannot see the point of the whole book. Also, I expected extracts of books by Jane Austen to be linked with the chapters. But it is not because I do not enjoy this book that it is not a good one.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3 | 12+

summary: what it says on the tin—a botanical tour of Austen’s novels—but also there’s some arts and crafts thrown in there?? but like… unsuccessfully?????

thoughts: hmm. while there was some successfully conveyed information about landscaping and gardening in Austen’s novels, other aspects of this were less impressive. trying to explain various floral and botanical crafts through words alone, sans-photographs, is a truly bizarre choice; I have no idea how I could successfully make these any of these crafts without a single example image. the illustrations are beautiful, but they weren’t even illustrations of the crafts, so it’s not the same thing??

there was also occasionally some incorrect info about Austen and her novels! I can’t speak to the accuracy of the botanical info, but I do know that Fanny Price and Mary Crawford are NOT cousins, and that Austen is not unique in writing about female protagonists in her time period, and that a very brief summary of Pride and Prejudice really should not mention Mr. Bennet. so, unimpressed in that regard, but this still had its interesting bits re: plants et cetera! it’s just entirely unhelpful and utterly maddening as a craft book; honestly, those should have been taken out!

I decided to read this book bc I’m a huge Jane Austen fan and an avid gardener. I think I had the wrong expectations for the book.
I ended up finding the book slow and dull. The references to the novels and letters are minimal.
The illustrations on the cover were beautiful, however, the trees were hard to identify.
Overall, this book is likely beautiful to have on display and maybe some readers will like the format. I found it hard to follow the logic and associated activities.

An interesting book which was a bit of fun, informative and had plenty of great illustrations, a bit of history plenty of plants and a lot of fun to read and peruse. For anyone that likes Jane Austen and gardens, well this is definitely the book for you. Would make a lovely present or coffee table book.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have come to Jane Austen later in life and have found that I am enjoying her writing immensely. This book is a wonderful compliment to Austen’s writing. Highly recommend.

Thank you to that Kelly and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to get my hands on this one, I just loved the concept! Through illustration and writing, it offers a garden tour of famed nineteenth century gardens and their fictional counterparts. I especially enjoyed the conservatory and parkland sections.
I think this would be a beautiful gift for an Austen fan with an interest in gardening. It’s very accessible but perhaps a little too broad for any Janeite’s or avid gardeners. Don’t miss the illustrated glossary, it’s as gorgeous as it is useful.

The Jane Austen's Garden is a delightful book. The illustrations are simply gorgeous!
I enjoyed how the information ties into Jane Austen's various works. It was interesting to see where the author made the connections. That said, I felt that while the author was balancing the information about English gardens and gardening and plants in Austen's books, she didn't always hit the mark.
I appreciated the gardening information, but it was aimed at more experienced gardeners.
Another issue was the lack of illustrations for the crafts. The Craft Faux Flowers laid out instructions to create 24 medium-sized flowers, but the lack of illustrations made it difficult to follow. Adding a couple of templates to the back of the book and defining what constitutes medium size would make the instructions easier to follow. I would have also recommended suggesting varieties of lavender for the lavender water, as there is a variety of smell and strength of smells in lavender.
Overall, this was an interesting book.

As a Master Gardener and a lifelong Jane Austen fan, Jane Austen’s Garde* felt like it was written just for me. I’ve always loved how Austen uses nature, whether it’s Elizabeth Bennet’s muddy walk to Netherfield or Fanny Price finding solace in the grounds of Mansfield Park, but this book deepened that appreciation.

A beautifully crafted tribute to Austen’s world through the gardens she knew and imagined.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC!

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. Jane was born on the 16th of December, 1775. She is loved around the world for her beautiful novels - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma and Northanger Abbey. Her books are filled with strong female protagonists and witty dialogue. They have been brought to life in theatres, television and film, countless times. They bring endless comfort and joy. It is therefore no surprise that, in this 250th anniversary year, a number of Jane Austen books are hitting the shelves. Jane Austen's Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels by Molly Williams is the latest of these book to bring the world of Austen to life.

Throughout Jane Austen's Garden readers are invited into Jane's world, and that of her books. It is filled with beautiful illustrations by Jessica Roux that jump off the page. So much so, that readers can almost smell the flowers. In this unique exploration of Austen, Williams draws on the classic novels to create a botanical compendium. Furthermore, it also provides instructional pages scattered throughout to encourage readers to create their own Austen inspired masterpieces. Together, Williams and Roux have created something beautiful.

Jane Austen's Garden is a short read, but one that has been well-researched and delightfully written. This book would make a stunning addition to the collection of devoted Jane Austen fans. It would also make a lovely gift for those with a love of classic novels and gardening.

This book unfortunately isn't for me.

I was expecting more garden content and got more Jane Austen content. I was hoping for more of a coffee table book with info and pictures but this is this more of a history book. It's great for your Jane Austen enthusiast, just not what I was looking for.

I am a huge Jane Austen fan, so I was excited to see such a unique take on her stories. The writing is interesting but I think what really makes this book stand out to me are the suggested projects with instructions. I can't wait to dive in and create a few unique pieces related to the book and time period. Also, you can't overlook the artwork. It's beautiful and whimsical which fits the tone of the book perfectly.

Beautifully illustrated, this book blends history, horticulture, and Jane Austen’s beloved stories. Explore the botanical world of her writings and life. Discover Regency-era gardens and DIY projects inspired by her works.

This is a lovely book. If you’ve ever wondered why there were lime trees in chilly England, you’ll find the answer here. (Hint: they’re not citrus trees.) The book explains the botanical world of the Regency era to a modern audience in clear, engaging prose. The illustrations are the perfect complement to the text.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Fans of Jane Austen, Edith Holden’s The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, and the curious gardener of Regency landscapes will delight in this new book. You’ve read her books and now you can marvel at the gardens her characters strolled through. This delightful book shows that Regency-era landscape and nature is not a backdrop to Jane’s novels but rather how they shaped England society.

As I read through my notes on botanical gardens and lush green trees I was inspired to go to my local nursery. I’ve since planted different varieties of flowers in my garden awaiting the arrival of spring in South Florida. Williams has educated me on how to grow potatoes in a bag, arrange flower clippings, and admire the scientific advancements of botanical conservatories.

Thank you Net Galley, Andrews McMeel Publishing, author Molly Williams @theplantladi, and illustrator @jessicaroux for an advanced copy of this title to read before publication.