Walled Kitchen Gardens

Book excerpt: 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.