Book I of the Allways chronicle. When Nichols bought his dream cottage, sight unseen and swept away on a sea of happy memories of past visits there with the previous owner, he had no idea how neglected its once-beautiful gardens had become. Complete with his pet cats and Gaskin, his 'gentleman's gentleman', he sets about making it beautiful again - and literally takes the reader down the garden path with humour, stubbornness and plenty of planting mistakes. This is one of his most popular books, going into edition after edition for decades. With 'decorations' - not illustrations! - by Rex Whistler.