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From the early misfortunes of Eve, condemning her descendants to a
dubious reputation for fruit management, to the acclaimed successes
of plant breeders such as the eccentric Ellen Willmott who combined
bankruptcy with iris breeding, the fortunes of the female gardener
have been as varied as their roles. From the sixteenth-century
housewife, who neatly sidestepped accusations of herbal witchcraft
while working her plot, to the unconventional Ladies of Llangollen,
who eloped together and created their gothic garden, A History of
Women in the Garden showcases the female hortaculturists through
the centuries. It is an enjoyable, enlightening and entertaining
read, and one that will allow the reader to gain fresh enthusiasm
for even the most menial of garden tasks, realising that hundreds
of women have trod the garden path before.
Perhaps one of the less known facts about the Pre-Raphaelite artist
Dante Gabriel Rossetti is that he kept wombats in his garden at
Cheyne Walk, London, to whom he and Christina addressed poetry (he
also kept zebu - a type of cattle). This is just one of the stories
in this entertaining book, which brings together two great British
pastimes: animal husbandry and the garden. Taking the reader on a
journey from the armadillos owned by merchants in the City of
London in the eighteenth century and nourished on garden
earthworms, to Queen Charlotte's zebra, which was accommodated
close to her house at Buckingham Gate and renowned for its
nicotine-fuelled filthy temper, here are quirky tales of animals in
the garden through the centuries.
Produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, the "Allotment and Garden
Guides" were issued monthly throughout 1945. Aimed at the amateur
gardener, they were to be the final rallying call in the wartime
campaign to Dig for Victory. Concentrating on the productive
garden, the guides were designed to take the amateur gardener
through the basic tasks of each month. Many of the subjects tackled
are as relevant now as they were then. How to make a compost heap,
when to sow marrow seed, which seeds are they easiest to save, are
still popular topics in the modern gardening media. However, other
subjects convey the war-time difficulties: seed shortages due to
enemy occupation in Europe, regulations on flower growing, and the
very real prospect of running out of food next winter. Packed with
additional photographs and illustrations, Twigs Way gives an
historical overview to gardening during the Second world war and
comments on each month of the guide. Many people still work
allotment or vegetable plots that were first established during the
war years, 'inheriting' them from a generation that used these
guides as their gardening bibles. To read the Guides now is to
experience a sense of both the urgency of the war-time garden, and
the timelessness of the processes of gardening.
Almost eighty years after her death, Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) is
still one of the most influential of all English garden designers.
Best known for the superb use of colour schemes in her hallmark
flower borders, she combined an early training in art with
self-taught horticultural skills. Early influences included William
Morris, John Ruskin and William Robinson, but it is her partnership
with the architect Edwin Lutyens that produced some of the most
distinctive of Edwardian houses and gardens. From her house (and
nursery) at Munstead Wood, Surrey, Jekyll designed over 400 gardens
across Britain and Europe, and some in America where her archive of
designs and drawings is now held. This book explores her life,
influences on her early work in art and crafts, the transfer to
Munstead Wood and working relationship with Edwin Lutyens, as well
as her own writings and achievements.
Allotments are a much-loved part of every British city, town and
many villages. At the height of their popularity around the Second
World War, allotments were increasingly neglected towards the end
of the twentieth century, but are now in the throes of a full-scale
revival. Many allotments now have long waiting lists, and allotment
keeping has become a fashionable hobby. This book explores the
fascinating story of the allotment, from its roots in the Diggers
of the seventeenth century to the influence of 'food miles' and GM.
It includes insights into quirky rules and regulations, murder and
looting, and even art and opera on the allotment. Drawing on
archival and contemporary material, this richly illustrated book
considers both the history and the future of the not-so-humble
allotment. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series,
which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's
past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with allotments in
all their variety.
England is a nation of gardeners and most of us garden in suburbia.
A private paradise encompassed by privet, the suburban garden
contains in its small compass the hopes and dreams of millions of
gardeners past and present. From Victorian shrubberies to the 1980s
'Good Life', these small plots reveal the ever-changing aspirations
and realities of the suburban dweller. Lauded by estate agents and
satirised in literature, suburban plots are scattered with seating,
sundials, goldfish ponds, and that most divisive of features: the
overgrown hedge. With one foot in the country and one in the town,
suburban garden style wavers from rural retreat to urban chic,
decorative to productive, floral to formal. At its heart it is
defined by its location and its size. Neglected by history, and
sometimes in reality, this book celebrates the gardens that make up
the green patchwork of suburbia. This book is part of the Britain's
Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the
riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted
with Suburban Gardens in all their variety.
From reading the title you may be wondering what imparkment' means.
It is actually the conversion of land into parks, either by the
owners of manorial estates or the church. Way's survey is mainly
focused on the environmental effects and changes in the landscape
that imparkment' brought about, though he does discuss social
conflict that it caused. The bulk of the book consists of tables
detailing documents relating to parks, a gazeteer of parks in
Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire and maps, both ancient and
modern.
Beans as bullets', 'Vegetables for Victory' and 'Cloches against
Hitler': these slogans convey just how vital gardening and growing
food were to the British war effort during the Second World War.
Exhorted to 'Grow More Food', then to 'Dig for Victory', Britain's
'allotment army' was soon out in force, growing as many vegetables
as possible in suburban allotments, private gardens, even the
grounds of stately homes. Richly illustrated with contemporary
photographs and ephemera relating to the 'Dig For Victory'
campaign, this expertly researched, highly engaging and informative
account also includes archive images of home front gardening,
garden produce and advertisements.
Perhaps one of the less known facts about the Pre-Raphaelite artist
Dante Gabriel Rossetti is that he kept wombats in his garden at
Cheyne Walk, London, to whom he and Christina addressed poetry (he
also kept zebu - a type of cattle). This is just one of the stories
in this entertaining book, which brings together two of the
Englishman's great loves: animals and the garden. Taking the reader
on a journey from the armadillos owned by merchants in the City of
London in the 18th century and nourished on garden earthworms, to
Queen Charlotte's zebra, which was accommodated close to her house
at Buckingham Gate and renowned for its filthy temper - perhaps
caused by nicotine addiction: it was fed on bread, meat and tobacco
- here are quirky tales of animals in the garden through the
centuries.
Drawing its allure from the gold of the sun and the rule of
emperors, the chrysanthemum winds its way through ancient Chinese
culture into the gardens of French Impressionist painters and onto
the pages of American novels. The flower signifies both life and
death, as parts of Europe associate it with mourning while others
celebrate it for its golden rays that light the autumnal gloom. In
this fascinating book, Twigs Way follows the fortunes of the flower
through philosophy, art, literature and death, recounting the
stories of the men and women who became captivated by it. With a
range of vibrant illustrations, including works by Hiroshige, Monet
and Mondrian, it will appeal to lovers of art, flowers, history and
culture.
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