Behind high redbrick walls at Chilton Foliat in Berkshire lies an extraordinary example of a traditional Victorian kitchen garden. This book traces its recent restoration from a neglected patch of weed-choked ground into a productive and well-ordered plot, cultivated with the use of Victorian tools and techniques and planted with 19th-century varieties of flowers, fruit and vegetables. The garden reflects the characteristics of the era - the inventiveness and interest in science, the constant quest for improvement and the strict social hierarchy.
Published to coincide with a BBC2 series starting in October 1991, this is a successor to the author's The Victorian Kitchen Garden and The Victorian Kitchen. It tells the stories behind flowers which Victorians grew and loved, and with the help of retired head gardener Harry Dodson explains how simple and exotic flowers were cultivated and used.
A sumptuous cookery book and the definitive guide to the life, times and tastes of the world's favourite Victorian cook Mrs Crocombe. As seen on English Heritage's The Victorian Way YouTube series. Mrs Crocombe is the star of English Heritage's wildly popular YouTube series, The Victorian Way. In delightful contrast to the high-octane hijinks of many YouTube celebrities, The Victorian Way offers viewers a gentle glimpse into a simpler time - an age when tea was sipped from porcelain, not from plastic cups; when mince pies were meaty and nothing was wasted; when puddings were in their pomp and no kitchen was complete without a cupboard full of copper pots and pans. Avis Crocombe really did exist. She was head cook at Audley End House in Essex from about 1878 to 1884. Although only a little is known about her life, her handwritten cookery book was passed down through her family for generations and rediscovered by a distant relative in 2009. It's a remarkable read, and from the familiar (ginger beer, custard and Christmas cake) to the fantastical (roast swan, preserved lettuce and fried tongue sandwiches), her recipes give us a wonderful window into a world of flavour from 140 years ago. How to Cook the Victorian Way is the definitive guide to the life, times and tastes of the world's favourite Victorian cook. The beautifully photographed book features fully tested and modernised recipes along with a transcription of Avis's original manuscript, plus insights into daily life at Audley End by Dr Annie Gray and Dr Andrew Hann, and a foreword by the face of Mrs Crocombe, Kathy Hipperson. It showcases the best recipes from Mrs Crocombe's own book, alongside others of the time, brought together so that every reader can put on their own Victorian meal. It's a moreish smorgasbord of social history an absolute must for fans, foodies and anyone with an appetite for the past. Please note this is a fixed-format ebook with colour images and may not be well-suited for older e-readers.
The varied tastes of the Victorians extended to their gardens and landscapes, and Victorian Gardens describes the wide range of garden designs and planting styles that were created during Victoria's reign. The Victorians' inventiveness and enthusiasm for technology and industrial developments transformed professional British gardening into a sophisticated and skilled profession. Public parks, carpet bedding, kitchen gardens and glasshouse displays are only a few of the era's innovative horticultural contributions that are still enjoyed today. Many of today's gardeners are rediscovering the vibrant planting schemes popular over a century ago and we can learn much from the detailed plant lists and gardening instructions that are recorded in Victorian books and magazines.
The kitchen garden was designed to provide a continual supply not only of fruit, flowers and vegetables, but also of plants that had medicinal and veterinary uses, plants for flavouring food and drink, and those providing dyes, perfumes, narcotics, disinfectants, poisons and pesticides. With the aid of heated glasshouses, there would be out-of-season delicies such as strawberries for Christmas, exotic tropical fruits, and even figs and grapes. Once found in the grounds of most large country houses in Britain and Ireland, many have sadly fallen into disuse and ruin. Their remains can still be seen, however: some have been converted to other uses, others simply abandoned, while a few have been restored to their former glory and productiveness. This highly illustrated book explores a horticultural history spanning hundreds of years, and provides an extensive gazetteer of kitchen gardens that can still be visited today.
In the style of Italian Food Lovers' Book of Days, this book is divided into the 12 months of the kitchen gardener's year. It is filled with: useful lore, from preserving to pressing flowers to astrological gardening; planting, growing, harvesting and cooking tips; and advice.
