A new publication which looks at the people who created the gardens in Orkney during the reign of Queen Victoria will go on sale, worldwide, on 7 April, RRP £9.99.

The Gardeners of Orkney, by Fiona Grahame, explores the stories of the men (and one woman) who dug, carted the muck, and planted the seeds to create gardens which were both beautiful to look at, and which would feed the household.

To pre-order a copy email, news@theorkneynews.scot . Only a limited number are available to pre-order.

” You should keep a pail – full of water in the cook’s house, so as to have it warm for watering the seeds. Remember I have given them to you and it would be a pity to lose them after all the trouble I had in collecting them, and some of them may take some time to come up. ” Henry H. Johnston, in a letter to his father, 26 June, 1884.

The Gardeners of Orkney 1837 – 1901 by Fiona Grahame is published by Orkney News Ltd. (7 April 2026). ISBN : 978-1-9196105-6-6