This is an enchanting book. Cottage gardening is perhaps the most romantic graden genre, and also the most romanticised. Here the Anne Scott-James dismisses this on the first page! The history from the late mediaeval period onwards moves at a cracking pace, and the writing draws you along with the authors own research and discoveries. Individual chapters deal with such subjects such as growing for show and Florists societies. I think my favourite quote ( and one of my favourite fruits) is "It is impossible to overestimate the importance of gooseberries in Victorian cottage life ... two dozen bushes at least will not be too many for the average household." The author concludes with diffrent modern-day cottage gardens, including her own. Her practical experience and enthusiasm is apparent throughout the book however. For those wanting to recreate their own historically authentic cottage garden there is an appendix of plants mentioned in individual sources from 1400 to 1849. The author manages to cram in a welath of social history, practical detail and artistic & literary allusion into a small volume. ( )