Six Square Metres

reflections from a small garden
Margaret Simons

‘[A] considered and meticulously observed book written by an author who is willing to share the tribulations and joys of a blended family, a fast-paced life and the endless smell of French fries. By doing so, she permits us to consider our own plot — in life and in gardening.’

Chris Gordon, Readings

‘Packed with wit, wisdom and the occasional gardening tip.’

Brisbane News

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‘It’s a testament to Simons’ wit and humour that a book on “gardening-related reflections” held my interest so. The vignettes range from musings on life, death and human connections to likening John Howard to a brassica and uncovering the leg of a Barbie doll in the compost. A delightful ode to the rhythm of the seasons and “life continuing in messy fashion no matter what plans we make.’

Shu-Ling Chua, BMA Magazine—Top 5 Books of 2015

‘In the tradition of Germaine Greer, Vita Sackville-West, and Katharine S. White, Simons proves herself a modern doyenne of wry garden writing.’

Publishers Weekly

‘A mix of sunny optimism and beady-eyed realism, Simons’s memoir celebrates the small joys and ‘sheer stubborn hope’ of both gardening and family life.’

Shelf Awareness

‘[Margaret Simons] collects a flavourful harvest of food for thought and, even better, for supper.’

Priscilla Montgomery Jensen, The Wall Street Journal

‘In Six Square Metres Margaret Simons, queen of the tiny vegetable garden, heartened me with her radiant pragmatism.’

Helen Garner, The Saturday Age

Life lessons from the ground up.

Sometimes you reap what you sow. Sometimes you reap what other people sowed. Sometimes you haven't got a clue what you are sowing, and sometimes you just get lucky, or unlucky. All these things are true of life, as of gardening.

In this thoughtful and beautifully observed book, journalist and gardening enthusiast Margaret Simons takes readers on a journey through the seasons, through her life, and through the tiny patch of inner-urban earth that is home to her garden.

Over the course of a year, within the garden and without, there are births to celebrate and deaths to mourn; there are periods of great happiness and light, and times of quiet reflection. There is, in other words, all the chaos, joy, sorrow, and splendour of being alive.

Chris Gordon, Readings

‘Packed with wit, wisdom and the occasional gardening tip.’

Brisbane News

View all reviews

Shu-Ling Chua, BMA Magazine—Top 5 Books of 2015

‘In the tradition of Germaine Greer, Vita Sackville-West, and Katharine S. White, Simons proves herself a modern doyenne of wry garden writing.’

Publishers Weekly

‘A mix of sunny optimism and beady-eyed realism, Simons’s memoir celebrates the small joys and ‘sheer stubborn hope’ of both gardening and family life.’

Shelf Awareness

‘[Margaret Simons] collects a flavourful harvest of food for thought and, even better, for supper.’

Priscilla Montgomery Jensen, The Wall Street Journal

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Details

Format:Hardback

Size: 190mm × 135mm

Extent:128pp

ISBN (13):9781925106831

RRP:$24.99

Pub date:23 Sep 2015

Rights Held: World

High-res cover:Download Image

AWARDS

2016 Australian Book Design Association Awards, The Affirm Press Best Designed Non-Fiction Book - Short-listed

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AUTHOR

Margaret Simons

Margaret Simons is a freelance journalist and author and director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. She writes about the media for a number of publications and has published eleven books including The Content Makers and more recently Malcolm Fraser: the political memoirs, written with the late former prime minister. This won book of the year and best non-fiction book at the 2010 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her most recent book before this one was Self Made Man, a biography of media proprietor Kerry Stokes, which won the history prize in the WA Australian Premier’s Literary Awards. In the past Simons has worked for The Age and The Australian newspapers. As a freelancer, she has had work published in dozens of magazines and newspapers in Australia and overseas.