Books

Susie has been writing books on gardening and nature since the publication of Teach Yourself: Herbs back in 1993. This was followed by several other books on herbs, written during her time running Chesters Walled Garden with its impressive range of culinary and medicinal herbs and its three National plant Collections. Her guide to northern gardens, Gardens of Northumberland and the Borders featured the photographs of Simon Fraser and her book on design is called Ten Principles of Artful Garden Design. Since leaving Chesters she has been able to concentrate more on writing and three recent books have been published by award-winning independent publisher Saraband.

InSecond Nature: The Story of a Naturalist’s Garden Susie describes how she and her husband turned a rubble-strewn, abandoned patch into a thriving wildlife-filled sanctuary, fully integrated with the surrounding landscape. Her account is filled with inspiration and practical advice for gardeners to learn from, and her deep appreciation for the natural world shines through. Second Nature was chosen by Ursula Buchan inThe Spectator as one of her Gardening Books of the Year, saying it ‘deepens the reader’s appreciation of their own garden.’ Other reviews said ‘honest and heartwarming’ This England magazine, ‘A lyrical exploration of..gardens and the natural world’ WI Life, ‘Lyrical, descriptive writing..a warm, companionable work’ The English Garden.

One of the In The Moment series for Saraband, Susie wrote The Gardener and the Moth: Planting for Moths and Butterflies based on her many years of moth trapping and collecting data on the species visiting her garden. She is fascinated by the immense range of colour, pattern and shape of these beautiful night-flying insects. Her book describes how to create a garden using the right plants to feed moths and butterflies, not only with nectar for the adults but, crucially, for their larval stage. The plant guide is beautifully illustrated by drawings Susie made from her own garden. 

Available to pre-order, Nature’s Almanac: A Gift for Every Day of the Year is also in the In The Moment series and here Susie celebrates 365 days of nature observations, daily noticings that give rhythm to the year. From dolphins leaping in the Moray Firth to hedgehogs courting in an urban garden, from wassailing in cider orchards to badger cubs tumbling and playing, from kittiwakes on the Tyne Bridge to the scent of earth after rain, these are subtle shifts taking place over a calendar year.