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A History of Gardening, 1800-1960: Transforming Gardens Across Two Centuries
248 pages, Hardcover
Published October 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2025
Angela Youngman has a new book out: A History of Gardening, 1800-1960: Transforming Gardens Across Two Centuries. Youngman is a seasoned author, whose books are always worth reading – and this book is very good indeed. I’m a historian with no interest in putting my pinkies in the soil or ricking my back by pulling up tough shoots, but my sister used to be head gardener at a castle and I wanted to assess whether this book would make a good birthday present for her.
The first few chapters tell us what it was like to be a gardener during this period (spoiler: it was better to be a head gardener than an underling). I learned from the chapter on female gardeners that Jane Austen’s mother was good at cultivating potatoes. The author Maria Edgeworth (unjustly neglected in the C21st) writes about “digging up, trenching, manuring my garden” in the 1830s. I enjoyed reading that Swanley Horticultural College admitted women to mixed-sex classes in the 1890-s but appointed a ‘supervisor of ladies’ to accompany them to lectures. Numbers rose from five in 1891 to thirty-four in 1895 and it is gratifying to read that, six years later, Swanley decided to focus purely on women. However, with fees at £80 per annum, only upper middle-class women could afford it.
A couple of chapters discuss Urban gardening and garden styles, e.g. ferns and rockeries. If you had suggested, a week ago, that I would be interested in the spread of garden gnomes, I would have been somewhat sceptical. However, I can confirm that the history of Sir Charles Isham and his gnomes is fascinating. I loved the description of his group of 3” high gnomes on strike with placards. Yes! I’d have those in my garden!
Chapter 6 onwards mostly gives us a fairly chronological history of the symbiosis between gardeners and the commercial aspects of gardening: the phenomenal growth of gardening magazines and their eager readership. There are side-journeys into the highly dangerous world of plant-hunting and an emphasis upon how exotic foreign plants were in the C19th. Frederick Sander, for example, had over sixty greenhouses devoted to orchids. When you realise that less than 1% of bulbs sent back home by plant-hunters survived, the prices that the rich were prepared to pay for really rare (in Europe, at least) plants become understandable, as does the phenomenal impact of the Wardian case.
The Wardian case is one of several examples of (to our modern eyes) incredibly simple inventions that changed our environment. The Wardian case is (at its simplest) an air-tight glass bottle, filled with damp moss. It allows plants to be sent by sea and to survive without watering, despite changes in air salinity and temperature. Although we all know what a lawnmower looks like, imagine the impact upon a world that relied upon men available and willing to swing a scythe. Without the lawnmower, we wouldn’t have a lawn for almost every house.
We read how the philanthropic classes were convinced that giving “the poor” access to gardens would turn them away from the demon drink and other bad uses of their little leisure time and less money. Youngman posits a convincing argument that they were right. That is just one of so many of Youngman’s gently-made arguments that make this book so worthwhile. (And yes, I’ve bought a second copy for my sister because I want to keep this one!)
#AHistoryofGardening18001960 #NetGalley
The first few chapters tell us what it was like to be a gardener during this period (spoiler: it was better to be a head gardener than an underling). I learned from the chapter on female gardeners that Jane Austen’s mother was good at cultivating potatoes. The author Maria Edgeworth (unjustly neglected in the C21st) writes about “digging up, trenching, manuring my garden” in the 1830s. I enjoyed reading that Swanley Horticultural College admitted women to mixed-sex classes in the 1890-s but appointed a ‘supervisor of ladies’ to accompany them to lectures. Numbers rose from five in 1891 to thirty-four in 1895 and it is gratifying to read that, six years later, Swanley decided to focus purely on women. However, with fees at £80 per annum, only upper middle-class women could afford it.
A couple of chapters discuss Urban gardening and garden styles, e.g. ferns and rockeries. If you had suggested, a week ago, that I would be interested in the spread of garden gnomes, I would have been somewhat sceptical. However, I can confirm that the history of Sir Charles Isham and his gnomes is fascinating. I loved the description of his group of 3” high gnomes on strike with placards. Yes! I’d have those in my garden!
Chapter 6 onwards mostly gives us a fairly chronological history of the symbiosis between gardeners and the commercial aspects of gardening: the phenomenal growth of gardening magazines and their eager readership. There are side-journeys into the highly dangerous world of plant-hunting and an emphasis upon how exotic foreign plants were in the C19th. Frederick Sander, for example, had over sixty greenhouses devoted to orchids. When you realise that less than 1% of bulbs sent back home by plant-hunters survived, the prices that the rich were prepared to pay for really rare (in Europe, at least) plants become understandable, as does the phenomenal impact of the Wardian case.
The Wardian case is one of several examples of (to our modern eyes) incredibly simple inventions that changed our environment. The Wardian case is (at its simplest) an air-tight glass bottle, filled with damp moss. It allows plants to be sent by sea and to survive without watering, despite changes in air salinity and temperature. Although we all know what a lawnmower looks like, imagine the impact upon a world that relied upon men available and willing to swing a scythe. Without the lawnmower, we wouldn’t have a lawn for almost every house.
We read how the philanthropic classes were convinced that giving “the poor” access to gardens would turn them away from the demon drink and other bad uses of their little leisure time and less money. Youngman posits a convincing argument that they were right. That is just one of so many of Youngman’s gently-made arguments that make this book so worthwhile. (And yes, I’ve bought a second copy for my sister because I want to keep this one!)
#AHistoryofGardening18001960 #NetGalley
August 26, 2025
Was this book written for me specifically? Wow. It is just what I needed and craved. As a master gardener and scenery appreciator, learning more about gardens and horticulture in 1800-1960 was enlightening and filled me with joy. Where does one begin? There are so many things we take as they are such as raised beds, window boxes, seed packets (Sutton Seeds), and exotic plants. But we don't always know their origins and when they came into fashion.
Author Angela Youngman describes the ingenuity of "Capability" Brown, Jane Loudon, Gertrude Jekyll, and Vita Sackville-West. Gardening was a good occupation during this time but there was a hierarchy. The head gardener was often above performing menial tasks. The reader learns what gardeners wore (only head gardeners had the privilege of wearing bowler hats) and that wealthier children had their own little gardens. Gardening was male dominated but women began to leave their mark and now there are as many female gardeners and designers as male.
This book overflows with wonderful stories such as the Cavendish Bananas, girls studying botany, the Austen family's potatoes, planting for art and design, the effect of gardening on mental health as a cure, walled gardens, how glasshouses were heated, carpet bedding, rose gardens such as Queen Mary's Rose Garden, the concept of stumpery, grottoes, practical uses of artificial rock, advent of horticultural societies (I started one in my home town on a rather smaller scale), illustrated seed catalogues, workhouse gardens, "polite visiting", growing food during the world wars (including public grounds and parks), peat extraction, and the dawn of garden centres.
I have traveled to drink in the most beautiful gardens there are from arboretums to botanic gardens to water gardens to grottoes to castle gardens to Mediterranean gardens and am always in awe, continually learning, and perpetually inspired. Though I adored this eye-opening book, including more photos would be marvellous. But this is an easy recommendation to those dream of gardening and those who garden at all skill levels. Such fascinating history!
Author Angela Youngman describes the ingenuity of "Capability" Brown, Jane Loudon, Gertrude Jekyll, and Vita Sackville-West. Gardening was a good occupation during this time but there was a hierarchy. The head gardener was often above performing menial tasks. The reader learns what gardeners wore (only head gardeners had the privilege of wearing bowler hats) and that wealthier children had their own little gardens. Gardening was male dominated but women began to leave their mark and now there are as many female gardeners and designers as male.
This book overflows with wonderful stories such as the Cavendish Bananas, girls studying botany, the Austen family's potatoes, planting for art and design, the effect of gardening on mental health as a cure, walled gardens, how glasshouses were heated, carpet bedding, rose gardens such as Queen Mary's Rose Garden, the concept of stumpery, grottoes, practical uses of artificial rock, advent of horticultural societies (I started one in my home town on a rather smaller scale), illustrated seed catalogues, workhouse gardens, "polite visiting", growing food during the world wars (including public grounds and parks), peat extraction, and the dawn of garden centres.
I have traveled to drink in the most beautiful gardens there are from arboretums to botanic gardens to water gardens to grottoes to castle gardens to Mediterranean gardens and am always in awe, continually learning, and perpetually inspired. Though I adored this eye-opening book, including more photos would be marvellous. But this is an easy recommendation to those dream of gardening and those who garden at all skill levels. Such fascinating history!
October 4, 2025
The era 1800–1960 transformed gardening from an elite, structured profession to a democratic, utility-driven necessity. The Victorian estate employed a strict hierarchy: the prestigious Head Gardener (HG), often earning more than the butler, held full managerial control, including hiring/firing.The essential Journeyman system required travelling for specialised expertise (glasshouses, fruit, propagation).Professional welfare was addressed by the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society (1839), while intellectual life was codified by J.C. Loudon and the Gardeners' Chronicle (1841).
Innovation in glasshouse technology allowed exotic cultivation (Cragside’s Orchard Houses) and fuelled trends like Carpet Bedding and Pteridomania (the fern craze), democratised by the indoor Wardian Case.This success was lucrative for figures like Joseph Paxton, who leveraged his managerial skills into railway wealth . The formality was later countered by Gertrude Jekyll’s naturalistic Arts & Crafts style.
The rise of female horticulturalists began with Jane Loudon's Gardening for Ladies (1840). Despite resistance, pioneers like Fanny Wilkinson became the first female landscape gardener (1878).Women established colleges (Swanley, Studley).Key figures included Ellen Willmott and Ella Christie, who employed Taki Honda for a Japanese garden.
Socially, the Allotment Movement repurposed urban land for community and health, proving gardening’s value beyond pure economics. This therapeutic role was mirrored in literature like The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.Both World Wars cemented gardening as vital, with campaigns like Dig for Victory converting ornamental spaces into vegetable plots for national survival and the Land Army.This success accelerated the decline of the labour-intensive estate system, spurring Garden Tourism where public parks, botanical gardens, and private estates opened to visitors, and the rise of commercial garden centres.
The 21st-century gardener now navigates the legacy of the 19th and 20th centuries, facing new challenges like climate change, necessitating a shift from aesthetic control to ecological resilience and sustainability .
Innovation in glasshouse technology allowed exotic cultivation (Cragside’s Orchard Houses) and fuelled trends like Carpet Bedding and Pteridomania (the fern craze), democratised by the indoor Wardian Case.This success was lucrative for figures like Joseph Paxton, who leveraged his managerial skills into railway wealth . The formality was later countered by Gertrude Jekyll’s naturalistic Arts & Crafts style.
The rise of female horticulturalists began with Jane Loudon's Gardening for Ladies (1840). Despite resistance, pioneers like Fanny Wilkinson became the first female landscape gardener (1878).Women established colleges (Swanley, Studley).Key figures included Ellen Willmott and Ella Christie, who employed Taki Honda for a Japanese garden.
Socially, the Allotment Movement repurposed urban land for community and health, proving gardening’s value beyond pure economics. This therapeutic role was mirrored in literature like The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.Both World Wars cemented gardening as vital, with campaigns like Dig for Victory converting ornamental spaces into vegetable plots for national survival and the Land Army.This success accelerated the decline of the labour-intensive estate system, spurring Garden Tourism where public parks, botanical gardens, and private estates opened to visitors, and the rise of commercial garden centres.
The 21st-century gardener now navigates the legacy of the 19th and 20th centuries, facing new challenges like climate change, necessitating a shift from aesthetic control to ecological resilience and sustainability .
September 14, 2025
The History of Gardening by Angela Youngman - A Delightful Journey Through Time 🌸
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)
This is a fascinating exploration of how gardening transformed from necessity to passion! 🌱 Angela Youngman takes readers through the changes that shaped gardening into the leisure activity we know and love today.
This book covers a wide range of stories; plant hunters searching for exotic specimens, the evolution of retail gardening, and the development of iconic designs including cottage gardens, rock gardens, and 🌲 alpine gardens. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions that allowed me to easily imagine these varied landscapes, and the story of the garden gnomes was one of my favorite parts! 🏡
There is a chapter titled: 'The Rise of Female Gardeners.' 💖 I also loved the delightful walk-through experience of an English manor house's gardens and employees - it felt like stepping into an episode of Downton Abbey! 🏰
📚✨ Thank you to Pen & Sword for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review. 🙏
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)
This is a fascinating exploration of how gardening transformed from necessity to passion! 🌱 Angela Youngman takes readers through the changes that shaped gardening into the leisure activity we know and love today.
This book covers a wide range of stories; plant hunters searching for exotic specimens, the evolution of retail gardening, and the development of iconic designs including cottage gardens, rock gardens, and 🌲 alpine gardens. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions that allowed me to easily imagine these varied landscapes, and the story of the garden gnomes was one of my favorite parts! 🏡
There is a chapter titled: 'The Rise of Female Gardeners.' 💖 I also loved the delightful walk-through experience of an English manor house's gardens and employees - it felt like stepping into an episode of Downton Abbey! 🏰
📚✨ Thank you to Pen & Sword for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review. 🙏
July 30, 2025
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions and my own.
I really loved this book, although the title should include something about the focus being British history. Really loved reading about the history of the gardeners, and I kept thinking how much I wish I could share all of it with my grandma. She had a huge garden when I was growing up, and while she would not have read the book (not the best reader), she would have loved hearing all about it.
Just wish there would have been more pictures in the book than just a few included at the end. Other than that, loved the book!!! Definitely would recommend this and will be looking for more books from her in the future. :)
I really loved this book, although the title should include something about the focus being British history. Really loved reading about the history of the gardeners, and I kept thinking how much I wish I could share all of it with my grandma. She had a huge garden when I was growing up, and while she would not have read the book (not the best reader), she would have loved hearing all about it.
Just wish there would have been more pictures in the book than just a few included at the end. Other than that, loved the book!!! Definitely would recommend this and will be looking for more books from her in the future. :)
August 23, 2025
A History of Gardening, 1800-1960: Transforming Gardens Across Two Centuries by Angela Youngman is an exhaustive exploration of gardening history. It delves into the evolution of gardens throughout the centuries, not only focusing on the wealthy but also on the experiences of people from all social classes. Youngman also highlights the positive impact of gardening on entire communities. She discusses various aspects of gardening, such as catalogs, roof gardens, and children’s window box gardens. This is just a glimpse into the fascinating content I encountered in this book, and I highly recommend it.
Thanks, Pen & Sword, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
Thanks, Pen & Sword, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
December 22, 2025
I love gardening books and I was drawn to this book because of an extended discussion my book club had about Jane Austen’s gardens. That time period coincides with this book — more than just kitchen gardens or opulent formal landscapes were coming into being.
But, as an ebook, this is disappointing and hard to jump from chapter to chapter (I read many non-fiction books out of chapter order). As a hardcover, I’d be terribly disappointed by the lack of interspersed illustrations — there were photos in the back, but I need them to be put between text (I may be wrong about the finished copy — forgive me). Also, this is really a history of British gardening. I know American gardening was also influenced by other cultural factors — in the arid high desert of the Intermountain West, Brigham Young decreed to his Mormon followers to “make the valley green” and the otherwise sagebrush landscape of the Salt Lake Valley was transformed into what settlers remembered from their Midwest and upper New York roots.
There are some fascinating chapters: the rise of women gardeners and urban gardening (gnomes!), so for the truly ornamental horticulturally obsessed, this will be an interesting read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Pen and Sword and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
But, as an ebook, this is disappointing and hard to jump from chapter to chapter (I read many non-fiction books out of chapter order). As a hardcover, I’d be terribly disappointed by the lack of interspersed illustrations — there were photos in the back, but I need them to be put between text (I may be wrong about the finished copy — forgive me). Also, this is really a history of British gardening. I know American gardening was also influenced by other cultural factors — in the arid high desert of the Intermountain West, Brigham Young decreed to his Mormon followers to “make the valley green” and the otherwise sagebrush landscape of the Salt Lake Valley was transformed into what settlers remembered from their Midwest and upper New York roots.
There are some fascinating chapters: the rise of women gardeners and urban gardening (gnomes!), so for the truly ornamental horticulturally obsessed, this will be an interesting read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Pen and Sword and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
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