Published by Quarto Publishing

When someone you’ve felt you’ve known for years through television writes a book on one of your favourite topics, it’s hard not to feel you already know a lot about the author and so assume you will enjoy it.

What we must remember is that actors are playing roles and not being themselves, but when they are and their life stories are revealed in snippets throughout a book, it somehow can make them more charming and engaging.

This book is naturally full of humour as Caroline can keep herself amused as much as others, she keeps herself entertained, which is a gift not to be ignored. She shares and reveals success and failure, showing just how human she is.

Approachable and downright ‘normal’, she doesn’t appear to be some glitzy social media person saying what they think we all want to see and hear. I’m delighted to hear her voice on every page in my head, but also to know this book is available as an audio and eBook.

If you’re attempting illustration or painting and have been worried about quality, fear not, this book encourages that too. I, like Caroline, feel ‘just give it a go’ practice helps us improve and we’re not doing it to be judged, it’s for your own enjoyment. As Samuel Beckett said; ‘Ever tried, ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better’ – another thing we have in common is a love of quotes.

Dress how you want in the garden, or not, as a couple of illustrations allude to, which can’t help but make you smile. Childhood memories, taste, aroma and discovery are all in this book. It reveals a passion for learning, experimenting and simply enjoying being a guardian of the land, getting great pleasure from the simplest of things. A seed that germinates, an insect that shares your space, the pets that love being with you and often invade what you are up to.

Like all good books, herbs do feature, with a few recipes and suggestions on how to incorporate them in our lives. There are some of Caroline’s favourite recipes, growing tips, seasonal advice and of course an appreciation of nature that knows no bounds.

All in all, a jolly good read that feels like a gift you will want to share.