Kitchen Garden Estate Traditional Country-House Techniques for The Modern Gardener or Smallholder

From 'growing your own' and cooking with herbs to harvesting honey and keeping chickens, there is plenty here to inspire the modern gardener. Peek behind the garden door at some of Britain's grandest estates to discover the traditional crafts of growing, cooking and self-sufficiency from past masters. Stunning historical walled gardens, orchards, dovecotes, fishponds, deerparks and vineyards across the country give a fascinating insight into how Britain's landscape has evolved over the centuries. Britain's great estates and country house gardens offer a wealth of inspiration to the modern gardener. From traditional walled kitchen gardens and their - sometimes surprising - fruit and vegetables, to keeping bees, chickens or even livestock, traditional methods have been used in kitchen garden estates since medieval times and have much to teach anyone who wishes to make their own outdoor space a model of self-sufficiency. Covering fruit and vegetables, herbs, orchards, beekeeping, fish ponds, dovecotes and poultry, dairy and the farmyard, the deer park and game, hops and vineyards, there is something for everyone, whether you have acres of land, an allotment or are simply growing herbs on your windowsill.

Helene Gammack has worked as sole gardener in a renowned plantsmans garden for 10 years and as a research assistant for the National Trust for the last two years.