The Victorian Gardener

The Victorian Gardener, the Growth of Gardening and the Floral World

This is the only book that concentrates on amateur gardening in Victorian times. I have lived in Victorian houses for most of my life and always wondered what the gardens would have been like when the houses were new, and how their owners used them. Most books I found on Victorian gardening looked at garden design in large country houses or parks, or kitchen gardening in stately homes, all of which would have been maintained by large garden staffs. I wanted to know how ordinary people looked after their own gardens. I also wanted to know more about allotments and their origins.

The book uses original illustrations and extracts from Victorian books and magazines to reveal how amateurs discovered the professionals’ secrets, and includes mini-biographies of the most important amateur gardeners of the time. It is beautifully produced, with 13 colour plates and over 70 black and white illustrations, and would make a wonderful gift for any gardener.