A little history of British gardening

"Did the Romans have rakes? Did medieval monks get muddy? This history of gardening in Britain takes us on a journey from the planting of thorn hedges around prehistoric settlements to today's rage for decking and ornamental grasses. It tracks down the ordinary folk who worked the earth - the apprentice boys and weeding women, the florists and nursery gardeners - as well as aristocrats, grand designers, and famous plant hunters. Colored by Jenny Uglow's own love for plants and brought to life by many vivid illustrations, A Little History of British Gardening not only explores flowery meads, grottoes and vistas, landscapes and ha-has, but also tells you, for example, how the Tudors made their curious knots, how housewives used herbs to stop freckles and how the suburbs dug for victory in World War II. This is a book to put in your pocket when planning your ideal green space - and to read in your deck chair with a glass of cold wine, when deadheading is simply too much to face."--BOOK JACKET.