Eden's Keepers: The Lives and Gardens of Humphrey Waterfield and Nancy Tennant

(Hardback)

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Without Nancy Tennant, Humphrey Waterfield's exquisite horticultural creations might never have existed. The two of them were life-long partners and together created 'the most beautiful small garden in England' at Hill Pasture in Essex and collaborated on the restoration of the gardens at Le Clos du Peyronnet, Menton, France. It was Nancy who kept Hill Pasture going during the Second World War, and this garden and subsequently Le Clos became their earthly paradise, publicly acclaimed works of art and a consolation for the loss and trauma of their pasts. The gardens were a smokescreen for their deepest feelings, but one day, the smoke would begin to clear and the truth of who and how they really loved would be plain to see. It wasn't what it appeared to be, at all. This challenging love story of paradise lost, found and lost again is set against the backdrop of the 20th century, the traumas of two world wars, polarised British politics, the changing position of women in society, and the transformative power of nature's beauty on the human heart.

Author Bio

Sarah Barclay is a journalist and author. Born in London, she grew up in Jamaica and the English countryside. After reading English at Edinburgh, she has worked as a journalist, travel writer, editor, stylist, copywriter and author. For sixteen years she had a weekly beauty column for YOU Magazine. She has written for Vogue, Tatler, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Saturday Express, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Madame Figaro on a variety of subjects from blue eyeshadow to beekeeping. She is author of Faking It! How to be a Natural Born Beauty. Eden's Keepers is her second book.