** You can also listen to this review by clicking the banner above**
Ever wonder what its like to be a gardener, writer, podcaster and lecturer. Well wonder no more!
…all thanks to Tamsin Westhorpe’s new book ‘Grasping The Nettle‘.
‘Grasping The Nettle’ or to give it its full title, ‘Grasping The Nettle: Tales From A Modern Country Gardener’ is a gardener’s life through the lens of someone who doesn’t like to take things too seriously! And thank god, because if Tamsin doesn’t laugh, she might just cry.
If you follow Tamsin on social media, you’ll know about her terrible fall from a ladder where she managed to fracture her spine – but even that is seen through a humours gaze!
But, it isn’t all accidents, slips, trips and falls in the book – this is a wondering ramble through Tamsin’s career and life as a gardener. Accidents and mishaps aplenty, there are also some highs too and there might even be some nudity, not Tamsin’s though – she’ll gladly add!
One particular adventure includes Tamsin telling the tale of nudist neighbours, but I’ll leave you to enjoy that one yourself in your own time!
Needless to say, this is a book for every gardener – as thankfully the chapters are written in such a way that you can dip in and out between weeding or planting sessions in your own garden or plot.
Often, we talk about gardening as a pastime or a hobby, but Tamsin shows us here that following a passion and turning it into a fully fledged career is very much doable. A very honestly written account of one persons journey into (and through!) horticulture, ‘Grasping The Nettle’ gives us an authentic portrayal of life with permanently dirty hands!
Do make sure to listen to the podcast version of this review (by clicking the banner at the top), to hear from Tamsin herself on why she just had to write this book.
Grasping The Nettle is out now from Orphans Publishing with an RRP of £14.99, or you can buy it here now for just £13!
Do check out Tamsin’s Instagram page or Twitter, where you can find her
on both @tamsinwesthorpe.
And, if you’d like to hear more from Tamsin, you can listen to a conversation I had with her last year, by clicking here.
View From The Potting Bench 