Rooted in the Soil: A History of Cottage Gardens and Allotments in Ireland Since 1750 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781846823268)

This book deals with the cultivation of vegetables and fruit in cottage gardens and urban allotments across Ireland since the mid-18th century. The debates engendered by these small patches of land connect directly to some of the biggest issues in Irish history. Throughout the period, gardens and allotments have attracted the attention of people often pejoratively described as 'do-gooders' - those who wished to encourage Irish people to improve themselves economically, but also politically, morally, and even spiritually. Activists included improvers, co-operators, socialists, Protestants and Catholics, nationalists, unionists, and, more recently, environmentalists. The book explores the different strategies adopted by these people and the kinds of plots and gardens that resulted from them.

Author: Jonathan Bell,Mervyn Watson
ISBN-10: 1846823269
ISBN-13: 9781846823268
Publisher: Four Courts Press
Language: English
Published: 06/13/2012
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover