SINCE 2000, Sandra Chalton of Crediton has been producing booklets on the hedgerows and wildlife of Mid Devon, illustrated with her own detailed watercolours.

In the last two years, however, she has been writing poetry and has brought out a book of poems entitled "Nature’s Nurture".

The illustrations for this are by local artist Hermoine Skrine, with whom Sandra collaborated on a children’s book, "My Magic Magnolia" in 2014.

The poems celebrate nature at its most familiar and accessible - in gardens, from windows or observed when walking or on bus journeys. They follow the seasons, starting in winter through to autumn.

The poems are very visual - almost like paintings in words - evoking the colours and moods of the seasons - often relating to our inner moods. They reflect the ability of the natural world to raise our spirits and keep us connected to the earth.

Printed in full colour and at a price of £7, it could make a lovely present.

The book is available from Crediton Community Bookshop, 21 High Street, Crediton, EX17 3AH.

Other books by Sandra Chalton include: "The Hedgerow Year", "Birds of the (Mid-) Devon Hedgerows", "Butterflies of the Mid-Devon Hedgerows" and "Here’s to Thee Old Apple Tree".

Alan Quick