I love all of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s stories, and have a soft spot especially for Peter Rabbit, as that was the first book I “read” on my own at two years old. I thought it had been created just for me. It was also my first library book, pointing me toward a lifetime of reading.

So whenever I see anything written about Beatrix Potter (BP) or her beloved characters, I absolutely must read it, which is the reason I couldn’t wait to read this book when I first heard about it.

The subtitle explains that this is a book featuring “The plants and places that inspired the classic children’s tales.” I found it to contain similar information to that found in "The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations," which also discussed the influence of plants and places on BP’s work. And I actually liked the other book better.

This book is divided into thirds, with the first part being biographical, emphasizing her “Life as a Gardener.” It contains lots of photos, sketches, and watercolors of plants as well as scenes from her children’s books. The second part of the book is “A Year in Beatrix Potter’s Garden,” and the third part is called “Visiting Beatrix Potter’s Gardens.” To be honest, after reading the first part and skimming the second, I just thumbed through the third. I probably won’t have the opportunity to visit her gardens, but this book is the one to use as reference if that is your goal.

The work that went into this biographical book is amazing! Because after the third part, there is a list of all the plants that can be found in each book, both text and art. Then there are Notes & Further Reading, and (hooray) an index! ( )

This book is about the gardens that Potter observed and that are the settings for many of the scenes in her children's books. It is also about the gardens she created at Hill Top Farm and at Castle Cottage in the Lake District of England, as well as about her efforts at reforestation at the farms that she purchased.

The book is an easy book to read and it is beautiful. It is heavy. It is made up of those heavy glossy pages and there is a reproduction of Potter's drawings or photographs of the gardens on every page. There is an extensive index and notes at the end. But best of all, there is an index of all the plants mentioned in every one of her books and short stories. The index even tells the page numbers where that particular plant can be found. It also has a further reading section that starts out with telling the reader about the Beatrix Potter Society. This is just a lovely book that is designed for readers and gardeners. It was a very nice pastime book. ( )

"She has just signed the contract for Hill Top Farm, her first property. Her blue eyes are wide, imagining the garden she will lay out, its walls and walks, and perhaps a long trellis like the one at her uncle’s home in Wales. Beatrix Potter can picture the garden built and full of flowers: snowdrops in the winter, a spring torrent of lilacs and azaleas and daffodils, summer covered with roses, chrysanthemums for autumn. Fruit trees are a must. A pear tree and some plums can go in with the old apples in the orchard, some currants and gooseberries with the flowers."

Going into reading this nonfiction book, I really did not know much about Beatrix Potter other than the fact she wrote and illustrated short stories for children. One of the first books I ever owned was The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin and I actually still have that copy of the book.

This book is arranged into three sections:
PART ONE Beatrix Potter, Her Life as a Gardener
PART TWO The Year in Beatrix Potter’s Gardens: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn
PART THREE Visiting Beatrix Potter’s Gardens

I learned quite a bit about Potter's gardening obsession in part one, but I especially enjoyed learning about the plantings by season in part two. The most outstanding aspect of this book is the multitude of lovely garden related illustrations and watercolors.

While reading, it made me wonder how Potter found enough time and energy in the day to work in her garden, tend to her animals, write her stories and create her iconic bunny illustrations. Of course she did have helpers in the garden, especially during the most active parts of the growing season. I also wondered what she really thought of the bunnies and other critters munching on her garden plants. (Anyone who has ever worked hard to plant a garden only to have it destroyed by animals or insects, can probably surmise their own answer.) In a way it was a weird twist of fate that the money she made from her stories depicting humanized bunnies, allowed her to purchase a house and create the gardens of her dreams.

Recommending this book to anyone who has an interest in gardening or botanical illustrations. You don't necessarily need to be a fan of Beatrix Potter's stories to appreciate the legacy she left with her prolific gardens. ( )

Theo picked this off the shelf in the library last week when he ran away from me. I think he recognized the picture on the spine. It proved to be a very enjoyable read. Filled with pictures and drawings it was easy to follow even though I didn't recognize many of the flowers' names. ( )

My Daughter bought this book for me knowing how much I love Beatrix and her tales. I am an obsessive flower gardener and lover of all things in nature. This book was a delight. So often with books like these I never quite finish them but even taking my time to just enjoy this book I read it in a week. After finishing I promptly went on the internet to get an idea how much a trip to see Miss Potter's home would set me back! I will begin saving for this trip tomorrow! ( )