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.

Based on the BBC television series of the same name.

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.

Discover how to partner ornamental plants with edible ones for a garden that offers both storybook appeal and a plethora of culinary delights. Stylish and celebratory, The Elegant and Edible Garden takes food growing to a higher plane. Host of The Potager Blog (@potagerblog), author and garden stylist Linda Vater, shares her vision for creating a garden space where food and flowers grow side by side. Known as a potager, these gardens are formal in their framework yet flexible and personal in their edible yields. A potager garden is both lovely to look at and productive. Doubling as an outdoor living area, it is also the perfect place to entertain family and friends. Inside you’ll learn: How to grow flowers, fruits, veggies, and herbs together en masse The function of symmetry in a potager garden Ways to create visual harmony and match the style of the garden to its surroundings Tips for blending your family’s needs and lifestyle into the garden Advice on how to utilize focal points and garden ornaments in your garden’s layout The importance of rhythm, repetition, and harmony in potager design How to position garden structures with practicality and purpose in mind Where to put your potager for not just convenience but also to create a destination Best practices for growing your beautiful new garden organically Create a garden that rejoices in seasonality while still allowing your style and personality to shine. The Elegant and Edible Garden is a vision of the very best things a garden can offer: food, beauty, connection, and a place to breathe.

Gardening became a popular pastime in Victorian Britain with the rise of suburban gardens and a passion for the outdoors. New plant introductions from abroad brought a greater variety of plants, while improvements in technology made gardening more accessible. Gardening books and magazines spread the appeal and debate raged over the merits of colour and order versus wild and natural. The large and impressive gardens of country houses were emulated in suburban settings as the appeal of gardens and gardening spread to the masses, while the creation of public parks introduced green spaces to grey cities. As with architecture, Victorian gardens underwent a 'battle of the styles', and an exploration of the period reveals contrasting fashions for garish bedding, ornate Italian terracing, naturalistic planting, cool ferneries, colourful parterres, tranquil Japanese water features, and the occasional eccentric embellishment. The characters involved include such Victorian luminaries as John Loudon, Joseph Paxton and Charles Darwin, alongside the garden designers William Nesfield, Charles Barry and William Robinson, plant hunters Joseph Hooker, Robert Fortune and William Lobb, and the influential women Marianne North, Alicia Amherst and Jane Loudon. The pace of change makes the Victorian era of gardens an exciting time of exotic new plants, fiercely competitive head gardeners, impressive glasshouse engineering, strong personalities and contrasting ideals.

Illustrated with period drawings, engravings and colour photographs of the kitchen restored for the BBC television series on which the book is based, this is an insight into a bygone age. The upstairs/downstairs image is of maids in starched aprons overseen by an outwardly stern cook with a heart of gold, but what was life really like below stairs in Victorian times?