From potatoes to plums, and from raspberries to runner beans, the kitchen garden hides a wealth of secrets. This fascinating new book stretches to the roots of civilization and around the world to unearth the stories behind the food we grow and enjoy, not just on the plate but as wine, medicines and even love potions. The wild versions of our fruit and vegetables picked and eaten by our ancestors, some of which still thrive today, are the starting points for the tales of conquest, migration and trade – plus accident and dogged determination – that unfold in these pages, including:
• When tomatoes and potatoes first arrived in Britain from the Americas they were reviled as poisonous foods with evil associations.
• Lettuce is grown and eaten by astronauts in space stations orbiting the earth.
• Without the Spanish Inquisition our carrots might never have been orange.
• Peaches are native to China, where for centuries they have been symbols of immortality.
• Catherine of Aragon insisted her husband Henry VIII brought cucumbers from Italy for her salads.
• Every year, 1.92 million Kent grown strawberries are eaten annually at the Wimbledon tennis championships, a tradition dating to 1877.
• Cabbage was cherished by the Egyptians, who depicted it on their reliefs, and believed by the Greeks to cure drunkenness and venomous bites.
Such extraordinary facts make this a perfect book for gardeners and food lovers alike. Exploring cottage gardens and allotments, and the country house estates and nurseries where so many improved varieties have been developed, it also introduces the people who helped make their history. For gardeners, this perfect companion to 9781910821428 Flower Garden Secrets includes vital growing tips and heritage varieties to try.