The Gardens of the British Working Class

by Margaret Willes

This magnificently illustrated people’s history celebrates the extraordinary feats of cultivation by the working class in Britain, even if the land they toiled, planted, and loved was not their own. Spanning more than four centuries, from the earliest records of the laboring classes in the country to today, Margaret Willes's research unearths lush gardens nurtured outside rough workers’ cottages and horticultural miracles performed in blackened yards, and reveals the ingenious, sometimes devious, methods employed by determined, obsessive, and eccentric workers to make their drab surroundings bloom. She also explores the stories of the great philanthropic industrialists who provided gardens for their workforces, the fashionable rich stealing the gardening ideas of the poor, alehouse syndicates and fierce rivalries between vegetable growers, flower-fanciers cultivating exotic blooms on their city windowsills, and the rich lore handed down from gardener to gardener through generations. This is a sumptuous record of the myriad ways in which the popular cultivation of plants, vegetables, and flowers has played―and continues to play―an integral role in everyday British life.

Genres: History, Gardening, British Literature, Nonfiction, Nature

424 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Margaret Willes studied modern history and architectural history at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She was an editor at three London publishing houses before becoming the Publisher at the National Trust, where she began the Trust's own book imprint. In addition to producing the list that included many illustrated books, she also acted as the author of works such as Memories of Childhood (1997) and Scenes from Georgian Life (2001).

Reviews

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lovely bit in this from a Ken Austen, born in 1926, reflecting on his family’s love of their allotment in great detail which then ends with “I hated it. It put me off gardening for life” and never has anything resonated with me more. Because gardens are a huge part of my family’s history - my grandad was a grocer/ market gardener and conscientious objector during the war, his many brothers included progressional gardeners for far more well off homes than their own working class ones and my dad took that love and ran with it. Many of my memories of my dad are him tending his large garden or watching TV harvesting his meticulously grown crops for freezing in the annotated chest freezer. My sister has embraced this love wholeheartedly, but for myself gardening is arse achingly boring and is up there with the times dad tried to get me into going fishing. I would struggle to think of anything more boring (also I hate getting dirty in any way, a very early and significant indicator of my autism)

So I read this book because of my fond memories of my family’s love of gardens and gardening, sitting around my grandad’s huge vegetable plots (tiny house, MASSIVE garden) reading a Doctor Who move while him and my dad sorted out broad beans or whatever and happy memories of watching my dad enjoy Gardener’s World and Gardener’s Question Time. As such my interest in gardens are pretty thin - I appreciate them and love people who tend to them, but after a while some of the horticultural stuff in this begins to wear me down a lot. But the social history stuff is absolutely fascinating, especially once it ties into the world of Mass Observation. And it’s a beautifully written and researched book. It’s absolutely a five stars if you know and care what the history of flowers are. I just enjoyed knowing that junipers used to be called “bastard killer”

But it also made me weirdly happy and nostalgic for Bedfordshire - it has several cameos - and my childhood, and I don’t always trust that sort of nostalgia so I’m happy for that to come out without any weirdness. Plus in the epilogue it refers to Incredible Edible here in Todmorden and it’s always fun to read a book where people you actually know turn up

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many books written about the great gardens and famous gardeners, but very few about ordinary, working class people who love gardening - this book provides some much needed redress. Willes obviously has a great depth and width of knowledge about her subject, yet she manages to convey this in a readable and understandable way, without being patronizing. She covers every aspect of gardening, from the under gardener at a big house, to the owner of a council-house window box, via jobbing gardeners, plant breeders, horticultural shows and self-sufficiency. Covering several centuries (although 'working class' is a recent term, she also considers what past centuries called 'the lower orders') to the present day, this would make a fascinating and important addition to any library of horticultural history. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in gardening and its history.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comprehensive book is a walk through centuries of gardening in all it's forms. It will excite and inform any student of the soil and point them towards the roots and subsequent evolution of what has been and remains, an economic and well-being necessity for millions. From the head gardeners of the well to do, to the agricultural labourer toiling under under the parish lamp after a long day in the fields, and the green fingered city dwellers in tenement and suburb, Willes places the reader alongside them all in their different eras and endeavours. A cracking read.

[Gareth Schweitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in class, history and gardens - this book is for you! Facinating!

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really in depth with lots of interesting quotes from primary sources.

[Sally Irvine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent detailed history of gardens, horticulture and society, but not always focused on wiring class! Early chapters about estates, great gardens and gardeners, plant hunters, and really only latterly got into role of horticulture fir lesser mortals. Probably because only latterly really gas much I act. And sadly the last century and current gets fairly cursory glance and becomes a bit if a list. However although disappointing I parts, it was a tour de force and a good reference book on the history of gardens and gardening.