Rooted in the Soil

"In this book, Jonathan Bell and Mervyn Watson, following on from their acclaimed A history of Irish farming (2008), focus on the past 250 years, when cottage gardens, urban allotments, farm gardens and community gardens became an integral part of the story of Irish farming. These simple production units have taken on great social importance and the debates engendered by these often small patches of land connect directly to some of the largest issues in Irish history. This book assesses the significance of those gardens, their role in self-improvement, self-sufficiency and the reinvigoration of community spirit and pride. Many groups, such as improvers, socialists, co-operators and environmentalists, have played an important role in the development of vegetable gardens and gardening strategies. This book provides a new and unrivalled introduction to the various methods and techniques employed, and to 250 years of men and women ‘rooted in the soil’. "--