Book Corner > Old Florists' Flowers

The Cottage Garden and the Old-Fashioned Flowers

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greenfinger:
Here is a book about het history of the cottage gardens in Britain with its old flowers. Old in the sense they were grown already in the 19th century and some a lot earlier. Roy Genders' book treats the subject through the centuries from medieval times until now. Here are flowers loved by Shakespeare and by Spenser, the columbine and pansy, the crocus and the paeony of Francis Bacon; John Clare's primrose; Keat's auricula, a.s.o. Each one is taken in alphabetical order for easy reference. Their history and culture is described and the writer tells how we may enjoy the same flowers in the smaller gardens of today.
Ref.: Pelham Books, London, 1969, 368 pp.

NightHawk:
Thanks for sharing this book with us, it sounds very interesting.  :)

In fact we have just ordered a copy through Amazon.co.uk on your recommendation.

Here's a link for anyone else who may be interested in the UK, it's available from £0.93 plus postage from various sellers -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0720714427/ref=dp_olp_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1205928268&sr=1-50

ideasguy:
Its very cheap!

I love that photo on the front cover. The cottage garden plants are indispensible, arent they. Its worthy of a good discussion, so all praise to Greenfinger for getting the topic started.

The columbine's love my garden. They self seed with abandon. My only complaint is they are a bit tall and not self supporting.
I see some nice smaller varieties on the market now - and will definitely give them a try. Time to dig out a few photos!
I'm very fond of the primroses - its hard to beat the bog-standard Primula vulgaris.

Any mention of Sweet Rocket, Andre? That one self seeds everywhere in my garden as well - I love it.

NightHawk:
I had some Columbines in the back garden at some point but they seem to have disappeared - probably hoed them out accidentally.  :(

I am going to sow some Primula Vulgaris shortly, in pots for both front and rear gardens.

I am also going to sow some Nigella varieties in my front garden, probably in the next couple of days and then sow more in three weeks or so, to hopefully extend the flowering period.

Somehow I have bought both annual and perennial poppies, so I need to get sowing these as well.

Someone  :) ;) ...... is going to be busy this weekend.

Kathy.

ideasguy:
Poor Laurie  ;)

Nigella are dead easy, Kathy (and lovely flowers)  - simply sow then outside in a raked seedbed.
I suspect Primula Vulgaris may be a bit more difficult. They may ned stratified (some surfin', if youre not sure about that) Dont molycuddle them. I'll let you do the research on this, but off the top of my head I think its best to let the seed trays sit outdoors, over winter perhaps, and they may be slow to germinate.
.

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