Description
Book SynopsisShakespeare''s Gardens is a highly illustrated, informative book about the gardens that William Shakespeare knew as a boy and tended as a man, published to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare''s death in April 2016. This anniversary will be the focus of literary celebration of the man''s life and work throughout the English speaking world and beyond. The book will focus on the gardens that Shakespeare knew, including the five gardens in Stratford upon Avon in which he gardened and explored. From his birthplace in Henley Street, to his childhood playground at Mary Arden''s Farm, to his courting days at Anne Hathaway''s Cottage and his final home at New Place - where he created a garden to reflect his fame and wealth. Cared for by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, these gardens are continually evolving to reflect our ongoing knowledge of his life. The book will also explore the plants that Shakespeare knew and wrote about in 17th century England: their use in his
Trade Review
"This will find a wider audience than Shakespeare fans, just as titles such as Marta McDowell’s Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life and Kim Wilson’s In the Garden with Jane Austen appealed to readers interested in gardening history."
“a true celebration and exploration into a central part of [Shakespeare's] family life and private world”
“brush up your understanding of Elizabethan plants and gardening in this beautifully illustrated tour of Shakespeare’s gardens”
"This will find a wider audience than Shakespeare fans, just as titles such as Marta McDowell’s Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life and Kim Wilson’s In the Garden with Jane Austen appealed to readers interested in gardening history."
“a true celebration and exploration into a central part of [Shakespeare's] family life and private world”
“brush up your understanding of Elizabethan plants and gardening in this beautifully illustrated tour of Shakespeare’s gardens”
'the best of coffee table books: as well as looking beautiful it’s a fascinating read...it’s part biography, part social history, part present-day gardening guide. As Will, fond of a horticultural reference, would have said: “Here’s flowers for you…” ‘
Table of ContentsIntroduction
A biography through gardens; a literary flowering; a picture of Shakespeare
SHAKESPEARE’S WORLD • Tudor Gardens
The royal palaces; Dudley’s Kenilworth; patterns woven in silk and thread
THE STRATFORD BOY • Shakespeare’s Birthplace
The Shakespeares in town; useful herbs; the making of a Victorian garden
A COUNTRY CHILDHOOD • Mary Arden’s Farm
Food and Tudor vegetable growing; farming; the art of husbandry
YOUTH AND ROMANCE • Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
The rise of the cottage garden; wild flowers; Ellen Willmott and the Edwardian garden
THE GARDEN VISITOR • Shakespeare in London
The Inns of Court, gardens for pleasure; John Gerard’s herbal
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH • Hall’s Croft
The power of plants; medicine, drugs and cures; Doctor Hall and his patients
A MAN OF PROPERTY • New Place Garden
The search for Shakespeare’s last home; Nash’s House and the Great Garden
Endnotes
Bibliography
Chronology of Shakespeare’s works
Visiting details
Index
Acknowledgments
