Today, 5 March is World Book Day. A day to celebrate books and the power of reading.

Coming soon to book stores worldwide is ‘The Gardeners of Orkney’, written by Fiona Grahame and published by Orkney News Ltd.

Many beautiful and productive gardens have been created in Orkney over the centuries.

It was in the 19th century with access to plant species collected from around the world that gardening blossomed in the islands. It was also a  time of great change with the enclosure of land when many small farms were lost and men had to find employment elsewhere. Some of those men became gardeners for hire.

There were already established in Orkney those who had trained as gardeners in some of the great houses and gardens in Scotland.

‘The Gardeners of Orkney’ pays tribute to the gardeners who with skill and hard labour created around the houses of Orkney gardens which have left a lasting horticultural heritage.