I once compiled an anthology of writers in the garden. My only regret is that I didn’t include Penelope Lively. She runs circles – or perhaps parterres – around many writers that I did include, and if I ever get a chance to try again, she will be sure to hold pride of place.

Life in the Garden is a sort of manifesto of horticultural delight. Lively is of course a novelist (and a recipient of numerous prizes, including the Booker for Moon Tiger), but thankfully not a single-minded one. Next to writing, she has two obsessions: reading and gardening. This elegant