Author Archives: The Garden History Blog

Short of space in your home? Love indoor plants but haven’t got enough room to grow many? Want to have goldfish …or maybe frogs or snakes as pets? How about a budgie or a parrot? Any good at DIY? If … Continue reading →

In 1901 two highly respectable academic women – the first principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford and her deputy – met Marie Antoinette in the gardens of  Versailles. That’s quite a challenging thought  considering the Queen of France had actually … Continue reading →

Two weeks ago I wrote about the history of biological controls in gardening and noted that these days they were once again most people’s preferred way of tackling disease and pests. However no one in Victorian England – or indeed most … Continue reading →

It’s that time of the year again when, in most parts of the western world, shops have been stocking up on pumpkins for Halloween. I admit its not a celebration I particularly like but  even so I’ve often wondered why … Continue reading →

Like most gardeners I’m used to discovering that various crops have been attacked by insects. This summer it was particularly that old favourite the flea beetle on brassicas – no broccoli or rocket survived their depredations almost overnight. I don’t … Continue reading →