Bread and Roses: Gardening Books From 1560 to 1960

Gardening is the most popular outdoor leisure activity in the United Kingdom. Millions of people read gardening books, yet few know much about the history of gardening literature. The author has collected an account of English gardening books over a period of four centuries. Authors of gardening books have come from all walks of life and all shades of political opinion. This volume continues the examination of horticultural literature begun in "Gardeners' Delight". It sets gardening books in a political and historical perspective, picking out key moments such as the 17th-century Commonwealth and World War II. It looks at the political issues of gender, class and race; the growth of women gardening writers; and the relationship between labour and gardening. Race and nationality are examined and in particular the reflection of nationalism in gardening books. The book illustrates how closely gardening books are linked to our general culture and to the political history of the country.