The garden is an ever-evolving story unfolding through the seasons from spring heralded by the bloom of delicate flowers and pale leaves unfurling to winter’s eventual wind down. Author and illustrator Alison Syer captures these moments in Drawn In: An Illustrated Garden Tour. This visual memoir takes the reader on a stroll through Syer’s English-style garden in Ontario, satisfying the senses with her beautifully rendered botanical-style illustrations, family reminiscences, personal planting insights, and appreciation for Canada’s native plants.

Drawn In is the deeply personal story of Syer’s own garden and an artist’s exploration of the universal themes of family, nature, and food. The book also demonstrates the value of conservation and how a garden is a habitat for wildlife as well as a sanctuary for its owner.

Alison Syer is a visual artist who studied arts, crafts and design at Sheridan College. She has an Advanced Diploma of Applied Arts and her creative work has been recognized by the Mississauga Arts Council at its MARTY Awards. Syer is also an avid bird watcher and a member of the Cloverleaf Garden Club in Mississauga, Ontario. Drawn In: An Illustrated Garden Tour is her first book.

Alison Syer lives in a 1960s bungalow with her mother in Mississauga, Ontario.