This handy little guide will show you how to cook apricots and other fruits, how to keep birds and caterpillars away from your bushes, how to plant trees, and much more. Perfect for those new to cooking and gardening, this vintage manual from the 1890s abounds in easy-to-follow advice that's as solid today as it was generations ago.

Author Harriet Anne de Salis moved to the countryside from London and learned to garden by trial-and-error methods. Her firsthand experience at cultivating gardens and orchards and her commonsense housekeeping hints made her the doyenne of ladies' magazine columnists. Like its companion volume, Gardening à la Mode: Vegetables, this compact guide features alphabetized entries and an index for easy reference. Even experienced gardeners and cooks will find it a source of practical tips as well as Victorian charm.