Tales from the Tool Shed

This fascinating book by Bill Laws is an RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) production.  In it are short essays on tools from dibbers to daisy grubbers.  Each essay gives a history of the tool and its use over time.  You can dip in at any point and read about what interests you at the time.  The essay on dibbers, also gives a short opinion piece on the modification of seeds, such as F1 and GM.  Although they may seem unrelated, it fits okay with the history of the dibber.

There are some lovely pictures of vintage tools for those who enjoy gardenalia and practical tips on caring for tools.  The book is more than a history of tools.  It is a history of gardening in many ways and enjoyable read.  It’s like having 50 stocking fillers given to you at once and if you don’t think “I never knew that” at least once, I’ll eat my scythe.

Tales from the Tool Shed, Bill Laws (2014), Mitchell Beazley, £14.99,ISBN 978 1 84533 884 8

Tales from the Tool Shed, Bill Laws (2014), Mitchell Beazley, £14.99,ISBN 978 1 84533 884 8