A delightful romp through an English garden in a bygone age. Discover why the cult of Beverley Nichols continues to grow.
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Merry Hall
£17.99
First in a trilogy, Merry Hall is the account of the restoration of a house and garden in post-war England. Although Mr Nichols's horticultural undertaking is serious, his writing is high-spirited, riotously funny and, at times, deliciously malicious.
Media Reviews
Nichols' particular gift is to entertain, enlighten, and enrich his readers. At the heart of his writing is the passion of a sensitive, intelligent man who has found a creative and emotional outlet in his love of plants and the act of making a garden.
You’ll love [Nichols'] books.
Since gardening and humor are timeless, his books are as delightful today as in the early days after World War II when this was written.
You’ll be rewarded with laughter and a peek into another world.
Witty and slightly malicious yet full of wise and wonderful remarks about garden plants.
Merry Hall, first published in 1951 and reissued this year by the redoubtable Timber Press, is the very model of gardening insouciance.
Unlike many garden writers who often take themselves too seriously, Beverly Nichols had no problem finding humor in his gardens... his breezy anecdotes are wickedly funny and full of sharp insights into the philosophy and motivations of gardeners.
You’ll find laughter on the stairs and everywhere else Nichols takes you as he renovates his old home and garden.
This book is a delicious read, with flavors rich and complex... (a) Treasure of a book.
A marvelously hilarious insight into people, plants and places... If you have ever renovated an old house or garden, you’ll love these books.
The charm of Merry Hall, Laughter on the Stairs (mostly about the house) and Sunlight on the Lawn is undeniable, a mixture of the lyrical, the teasing, the understatedly witty and the self-mockingly camp.
"Though written half a century ago, "Merry Hall" captures that longing for the garden and a patch of land to call one's own. Nichols's wit and silly adventures... add a bit of welcome hilarity to the all-too-serious literature of gardening."
Merry Hall provides excellent and detailed descriptions of plants and gardening as it also provides an intriguing plot... The love of plants and gardening is evident throughout.
Be prepared. Beverley Nichols' garden books are part PG Wodehouse and part James Barrie - full of hilarious Jeeves-like characters and events, with moments of Peter Pan magic.
Nichols set the style for many of the humorous garden writers who have followed him, but few can measure up to the combination of wicket wit, and utter delight in the beauties of plants and gardens . . . Highly recommended.
The Nichols books are gardening classics; after reading one volume, you will want to read the others, so it would be best to buy all three at the outset.
Nichols gives us a glimpse of a world that is sustained by the recognition of a civilized life related to and appreciative of the wonder and beauty of the natural world.
When I grab a vintage favorite at this time of year, it's invariably Beverly Nichols' Merry Hall trilogy. . . . These semi-fictional accounts of a large garden restoration are among the wittiest books I've ever read, gardening or otherwise. Nichols isn't just funny—he's wickedly insightful, poking jibes at all the various personality "types" one runs into in the horticulture world.
With his typically British, Masterpiece Theater style, over-the-top humor, Nichols is by far my personal choice for all-time best garden writer.
My all-time fave among the rich roster of garden writers is Beverley Nichols. . . . Nichols' books are full of wit and wisdom about gardening.
Merry Hall is probably Nichols at his best.