Illustrated Encyclopedia of Tartan A Complete History and Visual Guide to Over 400 Famous Ta... Book

Jenny Uglow has done splendid work in delving deep into the history of gardening and displaying it in all its twists and turns, or meanders around the shrubberies, or walks in the park.

However 'Little' history is a misnomer, and what was interesting when it was the Romans and Saxons, had become repetitive by midway through the book when we were already past the Regency period. This left the majority of the rest of the book to the Victorians. Yes, it was amazing the places they went and the things they brought back, but in the telling it became simple repetition with a few different names thrown in here and there.

It does become obvious that everything in garden goes around in circles, so that while the upper classes move onto bedding, the lower classes are thinking wild and interesting. Then they discover that bedding is what the upper classes are doing, and when the toffs notice, they start another trend, perilously close to wildflower gardening...

And as that's been going on since the 1700s, and it's still going on now, it's made me somewhat depressed about my own garden.

Most of Jenny Uglow's books I've read have been sparkling and to the point. This one is tedious, and rather long. Shame. I'll look more carefully before I get the next one of hers on my TBR list.