Catherine Rice has been researching aspects of working-class history in Scotland since retiring as an English language lecturer in Dundee.
It is a seminal work, and hopefully, it will stimulate many years of fruitful research. -- Agricultural History Review Throughout her book, Catherine Rice's own love of and understanding of gardening help the reader to comprehend the topographical, economic and practical difficulties involved in maintaining productive cottage gardens. She writes extremely well and with a deep understanding of the motivations of all those concerned in the development of cottage gardens. I cannot recommend this book enough to those interested in the history of gardening and equally to anyone wishing to understand the social and economic history of the Scottish countryside. Catherine Rice's thorough academic research, accompanied by well-chosen illustrations, detailed notes, a glossary, bibliography and index, is a triumph. -- Scottish Labour History Journal