Press

“Helen Babbs’ beautifully written and atmospheric book is about gardening in an imperfect world among London’s chimneys, birdsong and sirens. It is about the way we must garden in the future, making use of every scrap of growing space, seeing the politics behind our compost mixes and our cultivation choices. Inspiring and galvanising stuff” – Lia Leendertz, The Guardian

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“This charming book is a love letter to the capital’s hidden green spaces and their wildlife” – The Daily Mail, Weekend Magazine

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“This diary of a wide-eyed, pyjama-clad, modern, midnight gardener inspires us to see the most ordinary of landscapes through magical spectacles, and turn our fantasies into reality” – Richard Reynolds, On Guerilla Gardening

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“They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but in the case of My Garden, the City and Me, you could make an exception. The dust jacket, decorated with James Nunn’s delightful silhouettes of birds, flowers and the wonky outlines of London landmarks, is a perfect illustration of the delights within… Helen Babbs loves nature and the seething metropolis in equal measure. Rather than bemoan the conflict between the two, she celebrates the richness their counterpoint produces. Her lyrical entries…are a love song to the city” – Jodie Jones, BBC Gardens Illustrated

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“It’s an inspirational and beautiful hardback peppered with inky illustrations and written with a serious sense of wide-eyed wonder at nature’s resilience in the relentlessly urban capital” – The Londonist

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“This little book is a hymn to the pleasures of city gardening, and of making your space, however unpromising, your own. Babbs scatters the book with knowledgable observations on topics from the imminent world food crisis to the dangers facing our bee population. It would make a lovely present or inspirational guide” – The Bookseller / We Love This Book

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“This sweet book is a reflective account of a young professional living in London and her attempts to become an aerial gardener. The author is a romantic gardener (and writer) who tends to her vegetables in her pyjamas. She doesn’t mind that her cucumber seeds never germinate or that her garden “balances on a cloud of city noise and dust”. In fact she delights in her little patch of wild amidst the mayhem of London – and this is the book’s greatest appeal” – Gemma Hall, BBC Wildlife

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“Helen Babbs has spent the past year cultivating an organic garden on her city rooftop. Her heartwarming book captures her eco-journey, as she ultimately ventures beyond her garden to explore beachcombing and urban birding” – Metropolitan (Eurostar) magazine

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“It’s an absorbing, funny and evocative read, with tidbits of info that could inspire even the most jaded pavement pounder” – Katie Allen, Fat Quarter

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“The book is a seasonal account of author Helen Babbs’s maiden year of rooftop gardening, interspersed with tales of, as Winnie the Pooh might say, expeditions. These expeditions in search of city wildlife, are re-told with an engaging intimate warmth; the reader almost feels like piglet tagging along on her heels as she strides, ambles or cycles off on another quest… This book allows anyone feeling disengaged from their natural heritage to pick a pathway back in, and not be afraid to do so” – author Allan Shepherd, Kitchen Gardeners International

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Other press