Recent times have given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. this is a very timely and relevant celebration of the world immediately around us - at a time when we really need it. The details about the decline and increase of certain birds, bugs and four legged creatures kept me wondering what it was like in the US. There are full page colour photos for each season included in the book and Monty's descriptions and anecdotes are more than enough to bring to life the magic he sees and observes as a outdoors man submerged in nature.

For anyone who watches Gardeners World and is familiar with Monty Dons famous dog, Nigel, there is a beautiful piece at the end of the book detailing the death of this gorgeous dog…. The book is insightful, personal, educational, amusing, inspiring, entertaining (is that enough adjectectives? Having only started watching Gardener's World in the last year or so, and succumbing to the calm, soothing tone of Monty Don's voice and demeanour at a time when the world seems even more chaotic than normal, I had to see if it translated to the written word. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I’d have chosen this book for myself, but I was given it so felt obliged to read it. This book is an amazing naturalists account of all the many birds, plants, and mammals that are to be found at different times of the year and in all the many places, in and around farms, gardens, woodlands and environments both familiar, and unfamiliar.

The book is presented almost as a yearly diary annotating the events and interactions with wildlife - both flaura and fauna. Already 400 pages in paperback, I suppose a possibly 1,200 page doorstopper if pictures were included might not have been possible though. I have used the calendar months because these fit in with the rhythm of my gardening year ~ I always begin each January with a sense of hope and optimism because the garden is starting to wake up after the slow descent down to the end of the year. If, in our own modest back yards, we can help preserve and treasure our natural world then we will make the world a better place -- not just for ourselves but for every living creature.

I bought it with the hope that it would be about Monty Don's garden and about gardening and plants but it is actually more about animals and wildlife which was ok, but not what I had hoped to read about. Each chapter is a month and I had intended to read one chapter per month in 2021, but that goal got away from me midway through the year. However getting back to this tome, it is both entertaining and funny in places and very informative, so if you want to know your woodcock from your pheasant or your willow from your crack willow, then I highly recommend it.

I found the book incredibly informative and I applied several of Monty’s suggestions in my garden throughout the seasons. By definition, it is fair to say that there are sensitive areas that may not be to everyone’s taste, but for the best part it makes for informative, descriptive reading, IMO. All in all a worthy read and it certainly has made me watch what is going in my garden more closely. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty's observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty’s observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us.

I also found his way of talking about hunting/killing a bit brutal, but then he is a farmer - and living in Devon, I know that death is a part of farming and most farmers talk about it as they would any other part of life. But a joy to finish in January 2022 under a blanket with a cup of tea in front of the fire as the snow piles up outside.His previous books include the Sunday Times bestseller Nigel, The Jewel Garden, Paradise Gardens and Japanese Gardens with Derry Moore , which was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Awards. A handful of full colour plates are included in small batches, including the very last one of that special one the book is dedicated to, succeeding in bringing a tear to the eye of many a reader, I think, as potentially will the closing chapter😢 coming just before the short but sweet ½ page of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Best Christmas Releases* -- While some gardeners appear bent on suppressing nature, Monty Don loves and works with it. This was slightly different to his usual flower/plant based books, about his gardening endeavours at Longmeadow. I really enjoyed this book as it was a revelation into the personality of Monty as well as a wonderful account of the nature he encounters throughout the year in his garden.

Best Christmas Releases* --While some gardeners appear bent on suppressing nature, Monty Don loves and works with it. I paid much more attention to their behaviour this year as I learnt what to expect on a monthly basis.Overall this is an easy book to dip in and out of as well as one you can throw yourself into for a lengthier session of quiet escapism. Although the book was predominantly written through the lockdowns of 2020, "the Don" (as I like to refer to him.