The Victorian Kitchen Garden (Two Discs)

A very "cozy" series of mostly bygone gardening practices packaged into a pleasant and informative month by month study of what was required of the garden staff in typ... more >

A very "cozy" series of mostly bygone gardening practices packaged into a pleasant and informative month by month study of what was required of the garden staff in typical Victorian England. While it is not without good tips even for today's practitioner, it also provides the viewer with a sense of the "class" system of the times. It relates how the resident gardener had to satisfy the culinary needs of a typical upper class estate throughout the year. The series relates well the challenges the master gardener had to face in directing work crews and preparing in advance to meet the needs of the family in residence. The presentation is rather relaxing in its approach for the work is accomplished without any engined machinery, is unhurried and peaceful and consequently very pleasant to watch. There are no aggravating video effects to disappoint as most of the transitions are by slow dissolves. The occasional music accompaniment is equally tranquil and non-intrusive. Peter Thoday and his associate Harry Dodson, who provides plenty of experiential anecdotes, do a splendid job narrating the series with a very natural, seemingly unscripted, informal delivery. Even Allison, one of their assistants, looks like a young Queen Elizabeth. If you like to watch others work quietly and effectively at historic gardening activities, then this is such an excellent and consistent production throughout, it'll practically make you purr.
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Cast

Peter Thoday

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