K.R.G. Browne

The origins of 'How to Make a Garden Grow' lie in an article in 'The Strand' Magazine called 'A Highly Complicated Science'. The science referred to was that of gardening and the article by K. R. G. Browne was accompanied by nine of Heath Robinson's drawings, all of which were subsequently used in their book for the How To… series. Much of the subject matter for this book was drawn from Heath Robinson's earlier cartoons. For example, among his earliest work for 'The Sketch' was a series of drawings on the practicalities of gardening. This included a picture of 'root pruning' showing the gardener tunnelling down to the roots of a plant to prune them. Although the earlier drawing is much more elaborate, the idea is the same as that presented in 'How to Make a Garden Grow'.

Gardening was a very popular hobby in the 1930s. It was a good way to save on food bills, start-up costs were low and the work was healthy - all concerns for the British during the depression years. Heath Robinson's satirical cartoons and K. R. G. Browne's humorous text gently poke fun at contemporary gardeners and their foibles and furbelows. We see design schemes for gardens to suit all types of gardeners, concerned gardeners diligently tending a sick plant and ideas for games that can be played at garden parties. Above all though are the wonderful Heath Robinson gadgets, doohickeys and gizmos designed to help the earnest gardener deal with the many challenges of gardening. How do you avoid spraying the neighbours when trying to get rid of greenfly? What is the best way to trap earwigs or to keep cats off your vegetable patch? Heath Robinson has the answer.

Heath Robinson and Browne don't claim to be gardening experts but in 'How to Make a Garden Grow', as in all the How to… books, they have expertly captured both the spirit of their time and the essence of what it was (and in many ways still is) to be British. Look no further for advice on gardening - this book has it all neatly summed up in the most entertaining way. If you are also a married flat-dweller who has a car and plays golf (as many of us are) then you will find much to amuse and inform you in our other titles by Heath Robinson and K. R. G. Browne:
•How to be a Perfect Husband
•How to Live in a Flat
•How to be a Motorist
•Humours of Golf

All our Heath Robinson titles include a Foreword by Geoffrey Beare, Trustee of the William Heath Robinson Trust, which is working to build a Heath Robinson museum in North London.