Hazel had been scared of horses all her life, and an earlier attempt to overcome her fear had ended in failure. She was still overcoming fear in other areas, travelling around the world with her job, reporting on areas recovering from war, famine, disease and catastrophe. And eventually she took up riding again - only to face bigger fears, when illness struck her. Even worse, her father's dementia grew so bad that her mother had a heart attack and Hazel had to put her father into a home. As poor health threatened to derail her career, and family tragedy looked likely to break her heart, she was loaned a big old horse called Duke. He stood far taller than her at every point, and she was afraid. Yet somehow, as she rode him through the Hampshire countryside, she found solace and healing. Gradually her fears began to subside.

Gardening and growing has never been so popular, nor has the awareness of why we need to do it been so acute. When Hazel Southam took on an overgrown and neglected strip of ground in a local council allotment, she had nothing more than beginner's enthusiasm and fond memories of her late father's passion for growing. In This Blessed Plot she relates with humour, wry observation and poignancy the story of her first year as an allotment holder. With Hazel, we feel the sheer effort of clearing the ground of debris and patiently nourishing the exhausted soil, the camaraderie and unexpected kindness of strangers, the pleasures of mending and making do, the miracle of seeds sprouting, and the problem of what do to with so much lettuce. This Blessed Plot speaks to the zeitgeist that is gardening and mental and emotional health. But it goes further and reflects gently on spiritual health too, on friendship, generosity, wellbeing, and our mutual dependence on creation and each other. Amusing, perceptive and wise, This Blessed Plot is for anyone who has an interest in gardening.