Eestia Aja Ajalugu (History of Estonian Gardens), 2019. illus. 272 p. -In Estonian.

How have our home gardens developed? Is there anything truly Estonian? Why do some native trees still grow near the country house and spruce and lilac saplings that once marked their homelands? How did the old cute farm flowers and better fruit and other varieties reach the garden? Who has influenced the development of gardens?

We have studied horticulture by field, but so far there has been no overview of the development of home gardens, i.e the "History of the Estonian Garden". In addition to her work at the Estonian Open-Air Museum, Anneli Banner has studied just that, focusing on the period from the second half of the 19th century to the 1980s.

The topic is very important, because home gardens contain the aspirations and dreams of previous generations, gardens are cultural carriers. Orchards and ornamental gardens began to be established by peasants who became real owners. Horticultural income provided additional income. At the time of awakening, the garden already belonged to a successful home, in the pre-war Republic of Estonia, garden design was guided by national pride and the home decoration movement. During the Soviet era, you could feel like a master in your own country on a yard or a gardening cooperative's plot. These are all different aspects of the development of our home garden.

The author looks at how the economic and political circumstances and the wealth and social status of the gardener have changed the look of our gardens and what the garden has meant to people. In addition to the sources published in the publication, Anneli Banner has used materials from several museums and archives and information gathered during fieldwork.