Cottage Gardens and Gardeners in the East of Scotland, 1750-1914
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A01=Catherine Rice
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
agricultural history
agricultural laborers
Author_Catherine Rice
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Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=HB
Category=HD
Category=N
COP=United Kingdom
Cottage Gardens
Delivery_Delivery within 10-20 working days
East of Scotland
economic change
eq_isMigrated=2
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farm workers
flower shows
garden traditions
Gardeners
gardening
Language_English
PA=Available
Price_€50 to €100
PS=Active
rural communities
rural workers
Scotland
social change
softlaunch
vegetable growing
Product details
- ISBN 9781783276622
- Weight: 628g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 30 Nov 2021
- Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
- Language: English
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This pioneering study tells the story of the emergence of rural workers' gardens during a period of unprecedented economic and social change in the most dynamic and prosperous region of Scotland.
Much criticised as weed-infested, badly cultivated and disfigured by the dung heap before the cottage door, eighteenth-century cottage gardens produced only the most basic food crops. But the paradox is that Scottish professional gardeners at this time were highly prized and sought after all over the world. And by the eve of the First World War Scottish cottage gardeners were raising flowers, fruit and a wide range of vegetables, and celebrating their successes at innumerable flower shows.
This book delves into the lives of farm servants, labourers, weavers, miners and other workers living in the countryside, to discover not only what vegetables, fruit and flowers they grew, and how they did it, but also how poverty, insecurity and long and arduous working days shaped their gardens. Workers' cottage gardens were also expected to comply with the needs of landowners, farmers and employers and with their expectations of the industrious cottager. But not all the gardens were muddy cabbage and potato patches and not all the gardeners were ignorant or unenthusiastic. The book also tells the stories of the keen gardeners who revelled in their pretty plots, raised prize exhibits for village shows and, in a few cases, found gardening to be a stepping-stone to scientific exploration.
Catherine Rice has been researching aspects of working-class history in Scotland since retiring as an English language lecturer in Dundee.
