The American Gardener (Modern Library Gardening)

There is nothing William Cobbett wrote, in his long and checquered career that was less than brilliant. A gardener on English estates from childhood, he knew the earth, from top to bottom, as well as he knew the political natures of his fellow man. Often sued for libel over his anti-Royalist pamphleteering, Cobbett took refuge in America, more than once, I believe. He was astonished to find that the knowledge of the land possessed by the average colonist was so abysmal that they often had no greens from the end of cabbage and spinach plantings in the early winter, until the appearance of wild nettles and dandelion greens in the late spring. With his usual sense of rightness and immaculate organizational and work habits, he set about changing that."The American Gardener" was his contribution to the flourishing of the American colonies and her peoples. Within its pages, is information still invaluable to any one interested in truly organic gardening and living a tasty life off of the grid. In the same vein, "The English Gardener" and "Cottage Economy" will also provide endless insight into the time and effort it took the average man to provide food for his family's table before the advent of the "Super Market".When I was a child in England, our green grocer's name was Reggie. In reading Cobbet, I at last have some insight into where the immensely flavorful vegetables in his big wicker basket originated; modern food production is, afterall, barely older than I myself. In the pages of Cobbett is found the precursor of my grandmother's Victory Garden. And, perhaps, for the fortunate reader, a well drilled pathway back to simpler times and tastier foods. The English Gardener (Bloomsbury Gardening Classics)

Great book. Nice reprint of older text. Good for any non-chemical gardeners.

I was just given a copy of the original 1856 edition that was owned by my Great-Great Grandfather, who was a market master in Iowa for several years in the mid 1850's. As a master gardener and square foot gardening instructor, I was fascinated with this book. It was actually written around 1819, (the date of the forward) and references several crops from that time period; not sure if the 1856 publishing was a later edition. This book contains very detailed instructions from the early 1800's on greenhouse construction, hotbeds, garden design and layout, as well as specific plants and flowers.Just as interesting is the social commentary, examples and advice. It's like having a time machine to 200 years ago. Interspersed with gardening knowledge, the author discusses women and their place in society, hiring and working with gardeners and laberors, and many other social topics of the day. What's particularly amazing the sophistication of the knowledge that they had at that time. Things that we think are newer ideas, such as building a greenhouse onto a house, was common advice in 1819.If you are a new gardener, you should probably bypass this one for now. If you are an experienced or master gardener, or teach gardening classes, then this will give you some interesting material that ties what we do into our heritage. It's a super fun read!

THE AMERICAN GARDENER is one in a series of historical gardening books edited by Michael Pollin and published by the Modern Library of Gardening. Although William Cobbett's newly republished book was first printed in 1856, it contains many observations contemporary gardeners will find both salient and wise. AG is divided into several sections: laying out gardens, managing hot beds and green houses (which will be of interest to those living in cooler climates); and propagating and cultivating all sorts of plants. Cobbett includes annotated plant lists covering vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers extant in the Northeastern US in the 19th century. In addition to cultivation tips, he includes descriptions of potential plant uses such as eating hops as a side dish or making wine from grapes.Newer gardeners may find Cobbett's book challenging because it mostly lacks illustrations, contemporary nomenclature and/or Latin terminology. However, Cobbett humanizes plant cultivation and encourages the new gardener with sage advice such as foiling those `vegetable devils' dock and dandelion by eating them as greens. Although some of Cobbett's plant references are a bit archaic, such as `Clove' or `Cowslip', a good reference book informs the reader that the first is a type of Dianthus akin to the Carnation (sometimes called "Pinks") and the second may be what moderns call Pulmonaria.I have find Pollen's gardening series appealing because these `historical' books allow me step back in time and observe how "organic" gardening and gardeners carried on in earlier days. Cobett's book is set in 19th century America-the halcyon days before the onslaught of super bugs that gargle with DDT, ravaging diseases, and genetically modified Frankenstein plants brought to you by large agribusinesses that constantly battle with natural processes. William Cobbett understood that real gardeners respect Mother Nature.