Sarah Whittingham

As usual the Shire books are equally delightful and frustrating in equal measure. Delightful since they provide well-sourced information on the most obscure subjects, frustrating because they leave you wanting more.. As usual in a very few pages, this gives a good overview of one of the Victorians most enduring fads - that of fern collecting. Covering the social & technological developments which made cultivation possible, it is lavislhly illustrated and well-written. It has a handy list of some extant ferneries & conservatories woth seeing, but disappointingly no bibliography to speak of.… (más)