Notes from a Roman terrace - Joan Marble

Joan Marble has lived in a sixteenth-century Roman palazzo apartment with her husband, Robert, a sculptor, for over forty years. From the vantage point of her beloved terrace above the city rooftops, among the lemon trees, agapanthus, amaryllis, and dahlias, Joan Marble has observed and mingled with the citizens of Rome, and in this warm and witty book she recounts the difficulties and joys of maintaining a garden high above the traffic and noise of the city. Warm evenings on the garden lore are interspersed with informed views of everyday life in the city: of partying, politics, and popes; of bicycle thieves, cat-catchers and gardening ladies.

This delightful and atmospheric account is layered with history and cultural knowledge, and scattered with serious green-fingered tips. Joan's tangible passion for her adopted home is fully revealed here, and will delight armchair gardeners and travellers alike.