A keen gardener and charity fundraiser from High Wycombe has opened up about the story behind his magical garden in his new autobiography.

Keith Howkins, 66, who lives at 28 Manor Gardens with his wife Jacky, opens his garden to hundreds of people a year to raise vital funds for charity.

Keith’s famous garden has brought joy to thousands of people in the 30 years since he turned his ordinary back garden into a mystical wonderland, with wide coverage in national newspapers and on television.

Visitors from across the world have marvelled at Keith’s secret garden but not many people know the heartache of the gardener.

Now, Keith has decided to share his ‘challenging’ life story in a new book, ‘The Garden House on the Corner’.

The book tells how he struggled to deal with his parents’ alcoholism and his mother’s subsequent death, how he almost drowned in the River Thames, raising his young brother and sister at the age of 15 and rescuing them from a fire.

Keith’s dream to have his complicated life story turned into a book came true after a chance meeting with an artist called Cherie Wheatcroft.

While on holiday in Dorset, Keith visited an exhibition showcasing Cherie’s work at Highcliffe Castle.

Inspired by her life story, which includes battling cancer, overcoming severe burns and a car accident, Keith decided to share his own experiences.

“Cherie’s story was quite challenging and when I read her story at her exhibition, I approached her and told her that she had done well to overcome her struggle. I was intrigued by her story and we got chatting about my garden and I told her about my own challenges.”

Cherie introduced Keith to her partner, Clive Jenns, a self-employed ghostwriter who instantly offered to put Keith’s life story on paper.

From that moment on, Keith and Clive began a great friendship, and Keith, who struggles with writing, started putting his experiences on paper and sending notes to Clive, who lives in Christchurch, Dorset, who would put them together.

Clive said: “We were talking six or seven hundred pages of notes that Keith would send.  I didn’t want to tamper with his writing too much, it was important to me that it sounded like Keith had written it because these are his experiences and his words have come from the heart.

Clive was keen to delve deeper into Keith’s history and get a feel for his story.

He said: “I was trying to imagine what it was like to be a teenager, and basically having to bring up two kids because your parents are alcoholics. That is an amazing thing in itself; there are so many stories within this one story.

“It was sad reading Keith’s story, but it was hilarious in some places. It was very humorous and also very enlightening.

“There are so many strengths of Keith’s character that came out, and I think that needs to be recognised. Keith isn’t a man that chases publicity, it just needs to be written and that’s what we have done. All the credit goes to this man for getting through all the tough times.”

Clive visited the places that Keith grew up in and even met the legendary John ‘nipper’ Albrighton, who saved Keith’s life when he was a boy.

Keith, who was eight when the mystery boy saved him from drowning in a notoriously dangerous part of the Thames called ‘the deadies’, said: “I was eight and he was 14 when he saved me from drowning and I had been looking for 54 years to try and find Nipper to thank him.

“We had tears in our eyes when we met. He saved me, and in turn, I saved my brother and sister’s lives in a fire. Five times my life could have ended without a question, but later on in life, I would go on to save five people and that’s the embodiment of the story.”

The process of reliving his difficult childhood was not easy for Keith.

He said: “It’s not easy stepping back into nightmares because you have to relive them. The ones who don’t achieve happiness either sink into a state of being unwell, it breaks them.

 “There have been times where I have felt mentally and physically, like giving up. You get depressed because of past events.

 “It’s only through the love of Jacky who has supported me throughout the years, that I have come as far as I have, so this book is a love story as well. If our marriage had had a kink in it, I probably wouldn’t be standing here and I wouldn’t have had this book.

“Some people do get through the depression and hard times and sharing the story makes the experience richer. It becomes richer for other people because everyone has their own story, mine has obviously been a bit different to some, but it could help other people with their own feelings.”

After neighbours suggested his book could become a film, Keith hopes that if that ever happens, he could bring some happiness to his siblings’ lives.

Keith’s sister, Susan, suffers from Fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes pain all over the body and only finds relief in hot climates. 

“Some of my neighbours have said my story would make a good film. If the book ever took off and there was money attached, I would love to be able to say to my sister, go and live in Spain or Turkey and go and live the rest of your life in the sun.”

Keith and Jacky are keen fundraisers for the diabetic unit at Wycombe Hospital after seeing the damage that diabetes does firsthand and have raised more than £20,000 over the years by opening their garden to the public.

Keith’s autobiography also tells of the struggle to come to terms with his son Scott falling seriously ill with Diabetes, resulting in him becoming blind and needing full-time care.

Keith said: “We’ve seen the ravages of diabetes. My son is not a well man, he’s in full time care but we want to raise as much money as possible to try and help.

“I hope that my book will touch people’s lives and make them realise they only have one life and they should live it with a purpose.”

Keith’s book, The Garden House on the Corner, is priced at £17.50, available to buy in all good bookshops, on Amazon and from www.natulapublications.co.uk.