Crocodiles in the Fernery, Pelicans in the Pond: Histories of Entertaining and Unlikely Garden Pets

Perhaps one of the less known facts about the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti is that he kept wombats in his garden to whom he addressed poetry. This is just one of the stories in this entertaining book that brings together two of mankind’s great loves: animals and the garden. This study unveils the armadillos owned by merchants in London in the 18th century that were fed on earthworms, as well as Queen Charlotte's zebra, which was accommodated close to her house at Buckingham Gate and renowned for its filthy temper, perhaps caused by nicotine addiction: it was fed on bread, meat, and tobacco. Here are quirky tales of animals in the garden through the centuries. With a wealth of little-known stories of animals, some benign, others less so, this is the perfect gift for avid gardeners and animal lovers alike.