Through Dorothy’s journals, we find that she enjoyed spending time in the garden at Dove Cottage and was often in the kitchen preparing food for the whole family. In her journal entries she would take the time to note what she brought in from the garden and when a whole day was “Baking Day” (in capital letters). In Not Just Porridge: English Literati at Table, food has become a new avenue for analyzing famous writers, including Anna Rudelli’s article, “Romantic Food at Dove Cottage: Dorothy Wordsworth’s Cookery and Kitchen Garden.” In this essay, we learn that though they may not have been wealthy during their Dove Cottage years, the Wordsworths had many happy meals together whether at home or packed for a hike (all dearly prepared by Dorothy). Despite their poverty at this time, their lush garden was such a blessing that “people thought that the Wordsworths were rich because their garden was full of flowers, plants and vegetables.”
