A Little History of British Gardening
A Little History of British Gardening
hardback
Published:
6 April, 2017
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Description
Get out in your garden and discover the history hidden in the hedges.
Did the Romans have rakes?
Did the monks get muddy?
Did potatoes seem really, really weird when they arrived on our shores?
Drawn from Jenny Uglow's own love for plants, this lively 'potted' history of gardening in Britain takes us on a garden tour from the thorn hedges around prehistoric settlements to the rage for ornamental grasses and 'outdoor rooms' today.
Tracking down the ordinary folk who worked the earth - from weeding women to florists - as well as aristocrats and grand designers and famous plant-hunters, A Little History of British Gardening is brought to life by gorgeously vivid illustrations and Uglow's insightful wisdom.
Not only dealing with flowery meads, grottoes and vistas, landscapes and ha-has, parks and allotments, Uglow explains, for example, how the Tudors made their curious knots; how housewives used herbs to stop freckles; how the suburbs dug for victory in World War II.
With a brief guide to particular historic or evocative gardens open to the public, this is a book to put in your pocket when planning a crisp, winter's day out - but also to read in your armchair with a well-earned glass of red, after a hard day's graft in your own garden.
'Enchanting, stirringly evocative and fascinating' Daily Mail
'This book will be a joy for any gardener' Independent
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781784740313 |
| ISBN10 | 1784740314 |
| Number Of Pages | 384 |
| Item Weight | 816 g |
| Product Dimensions | 174 x 217 x 30 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Vintage Publishing |
| Format | hardback |
Media Reviews
The book charts gardening right up to the present day, looking at the spike in demand for allotments and the current boom in naturalistic gardening. This isn’t a dry historical reference book, it’s filled with interesting anecdotes and asides that bring all the eras to life -- Rachael Funnell * English Garden *
Uglow's account of a national obsession is a delight from beginning to end * The Observer *
This book will be a joy for any gardener * The Independent *
The biographer of Gaskell and Hogarth now takes us into the garden, where plants glow and miniature landscapes unfold at the touch of her easy prose * Sunday Telegraph *
Enchanting, stirringly evocative and fascinating * Daily Mail *
Elegant history...It is beautifully written and lets you see your own humble plot in its historical and geographical context * Daily Telegraph *
Uglow is being modest: her long and leisurely stroll through 2.000 years of British gardening is dense with the foliage of historical research, and highly decorated with literary references and colourful anecdotes * Independent on Sunday *
Enthralling...an elegant and witty gem * Herald *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Jenny Uglow writes on literature, art, and social history. Her books include award-winning biographies of Elizabeth Gaskell, William Hogarth and Thomas Bewick, as well as a study of Sarah Losh, a surprising Victorian architect and visionary,and group studies including The Lunar Men and the panoramic In These Times: Living in Britain through Napoleon’s Wars, 1793-1815. She is now writing on Edward Lear. Jenny lives in Canterbury, and has four grown up children and seven grandchildren. She was created an OBE in 2008, and was Chair of the Royal Society of Literature 2014-2016.