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.

I enjoyed "Jane Austen's Garden" quite a bit! This beautifully illustrated book had a very different angle on most of the Austen non-fiction - to wit, a discussion of garden references in her main novels along with informative tutorials and related "how to's" on gardening & crafts. While I personally can't do much of this particular gardening due to my desert location, I did enjoy reading about & looking at all the amazing and lovely botanical illustrations - so beautiful. My sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for making this advance readers copy available!

Jane Austen’s Garden was an absolute delight and such a wonderful surprise and I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy for my collection! A huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This book beautifully explores Jane Austen’s connection to gardens, both in her personal life and throughout her novels, where floral imagery plays a significant role. The author’s thorough analysis shines through, making it an engaging read for any Austen fan. Having visited Bath myself, I felt like this book perfectly captured the essence of Austen’s world through the lens of horticulture.

I especially loved the “Cultivating Jane” sections, which offer hands-on projects inspired by Austen’s time. I’m excited to try my hand at the faux flower craft and lavender water, and I even took note of specific floral mentions from my favorite Austen novels to incorporate into my own garden this year!

My only small disappointment? The omission of “What excellent boiled potatoes!!” from the potato page, it only referenced Mansfield Park. Still, I enjoyed learning how to grow my own and plan to do so this season.

Overall, this is a truly lovely book that blends Austen’s literary world with the beauty of gardening, made even more special by the breathtaking artwork from one of my favorite artists (whose work I already have throughout my home!). As a huge Jane Austen fan I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A lovely gift edition for Jane Austen fans which explores how gardens, nature and plants feature in Austen's novels.

Using excerpts from the novels, each botanical element is then given a little bio or a little bit of historical detail within a page that has been sumptiously illustrated by Jessica Roux. And for fun, Molly Williams has included a number of craft projects to do yourself to recreate your own Jane Austen garden - from making lavender water, to a garland or pomanders, how to make sloe gin or create your own topiary designs.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely GORGEOUS! Truly worth the price of the book on their own! The writing style is lovely, and I found myself so engaged that I didn’t even realize I was retaining information about the plants from that era. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in gardening, history, or anything related to Jane Austen. It’s a delightful read! I hope you enjoy it too!

I’m not sure what I expected, but I was happy to be surprised. This book is not just a drawing for each time of flora is a Jane Austen time period. Instead, there is a bit of history included along with charming drawings. There are recipes and craft directions. I think crafty people will be charmed and eager to try some of them. This will be a nice gift for Jane Austen / Victorian Era fans.

Informative and engaging piece of how gardens and plants were cultivated in both Jane Austen's time, as well as in her works. Molly Williams gives context to to modern audiences how Austen used direct references and allusions to certain plants that would have been understood by readers of the nineteenth century. Austen's books were used to discuss a variety of plants cultivated during the time, as well as different green spaces (landscape gardens, hedgerows, conservatories, etc.) that she and her characters would have visited. Activities included in each section allow for readers to engage with the text.
History of plants and excerpts from the novels could become tedious and repetitive, but overall an enjoyable read for both Jane Austen fans and history lovers alike.