Common lives2010

Janice Marriott and Virginia Pawsey, who went to Gisborne Girls' High together, met again after thirty years at a school reunion. they rekindled their friendship and began writing, discovering in the process a shared passion for gardening - despite their having created two very different gardens. Janice lives in central Wellington where her riotously colourful mix of flowers, fruit and vegetables surround her tiny house in the midst of the CBD. Virginia helps run a South Island high country farm and her garden has to feed shearers and farm labourers as well as cope with possums, runaway livestock and the challenges of rural life. their wonderful correspondence tells the stories of their lives, their gardens, their loves and their losses, and is ultimately a book about female friendship, and a love of making things grow. As the seasons unfold, the stories of their gardens become metaphors for life. Beautifully written, their letters are funny, clever, poignant and perceptive, as two wise women provide a delightful insight into a wonderful friendship that will warm the coldest soul. A perfect gift for women who love gardening.