London: "Country Life" 1903. The original edition of a first hand account of the creation, at the hands of English expatriates, of what would become a legendary Venetian garden, giardino eden, on La Guidecca in the Venetian lagoon. Located behind the Redentore, this one-time vegetable patch was transformed by Frederic (great uncle of the Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden) and Carolyn Eden ( the sister of Gertrude Jekyll) into a little English pleasure ground of pollarded willows, roses, Madonna lilies, irises, etc. beginning in 1884. While importing their own native tastes, the Edens took care to respect the local character of their grounds, " Building on formal lines made by the canals, an abandoned orchard had been crossed with straight walks covered by 600-700 yards of square-topped vine-clad pergola." (Festing, S. GERTRUDE JEKYLL p. 154). Traditional structures and ornaments were used. Eden includes an interesting account of well-making on the island and in the garden. The prominence of the Edens in the expatriate community brought notable guests to the garden, as did the caché of later residents such as Princess Aspasia of Greece and her daughter and son-in-law, the King and Queen of Yugoslavia. Henry James, Anna de Noailles, Maurice Barres and Jean Cocteau are also associated with the spot. D'Annunzio set a scene there in his IL FUOCO. In LES DELICES DE L'ITALIE, Jean Louis Vaudoyer calls the garden "the most alluring place in the world to abandon oneself to melancholy." (as quoted in Weal, M.T., POSTFACE; A GARDEN IN VENICE ). The garden was locked up after the death of its last occupant, but garden historian John Hall obtained entrance and wrote a description for HORTUS, Autumn 2003. Small 4to (23 x 18 cm); (vi) +135 + (1) pp. with decorative head and tail pieces, initial letters and text figures, from older engravings, including some from the Dream of Polyphilis, + frontispiece and 16 full page illustrations from photographs, with tissue guards, hors texte.

London: for Tho. Woodward, 1726. First edition. Laurence's "most ambitious literary project..." (Henrey p. 421). With a handsome etched frontispiece by van de Gucht showing the Prince of Wales's Richmond Lodge or Ormonde Lodge. The work is dedicated to the Princess of Wales, later Queen Caroline to George II, who would eventually improve Richmond Lodge with Charles Bridgeman.. The lodge no longer exists. (Henrey,p. 421 ). Laurence (sometimes spelled Lawrence), who bears the distinction of having written the first original eighteenth century treatise on gardening, THE CLERGY-MAN'S RECREATION, 1714, was rector at Yelverton in Northhamptonshire where he turned an unpromising patch into a thriving fruit garden over the course of 20 years. The first book in this ambitious work concerns every aspect of agriculture from dung to brickmaking. Book II describes the characteristics and uses of a great variety of forest trees, timber trees, evergreens and flowering shrubs, all suitable for growing in England without "housing". Book Three is about the subject for which the author is perhaps best known, fruit culture. Book IV : the kitchen garden. Book V is devoted to the flower garden and includes "A complete catalogue of Flowers great and small perannual (sic) or annual, usually known or propagated in England, either in the naked Ground or Hotbed." With seven engraved printer's ornaments by Francis Hoffman. Henrey 945; Hunt 466; Johnson, A HISTORY OF ENGLISH GARDENING p. 156. Folio ( 34.4 x 21.2 cm); (xxiv) + 456 (i.e. 452) pp. + etched frontispiece + 2 copperplate engravings (with 3 impressions); with 7 engraved printer's ornaments by F. Hoffman.

London: P. Vaillant, and W. Mears and F. Clay 1721. First English edition, translated, with additions, by Richard Bradley. "This was the first treatise on cuttings and graftings, and it made Agricola famous." (Hunt 452). Georg Andreas Agricola was a German doctor from Regensburg whose discoveries regarding plant propagation aroused significant interest at the beginning of the eighteenth century. In a book entitled NEU- UND NIE ERHÖRTER DOCH IN DER NATUR UND VERNUNFFT WOHLGEGEGRÜNDETER VERSUCH DER UNIVERSAL VERMEHRUNG ALLER BÄUME, STAUDEN UND BLUMEN-GEWÄCHSE (1716-1717) he first published details of his methods, including the use of a plaster he called "vegetable mummy," to refute exaggerated claims made about his discoveries by another writer. Bradley prepared this English translation and added to it his own preface as well as a translation of the preface from the French edition. The text is illustrated with copies of the plates from the original German edition. These plates depict examples of the regenerative process described by Agricola along with the grafting techniques, tools and structures employed in the various operations. In publishing Agricola's discoveries in England Bradley was doing what he seemed to do best: publicizing the latest horticultural advances and theories at a moment close to their inception. Hunt 452; Henrey 411 Royal 4to (27 x 22 cm); (xxiv) + 300 + (iv) pp. + 22 plates (some folding) with 34 engravings.

Paris: Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie 1888. Second Edition. This thick catalogue assembles the vast collection of wood-engraved illustrations used by the Vilmorin-Andrieux firm in their seed catalogues and other publications. Electrotype printing blocks for all the images depicted could be ordered from the firm for use in illustrating retail seed and nursery catalogues. Instructions for ordering these are printed at the front in French, English and German. The numbered illustrations are printed on one side of the sheet only, "the other is intended for the illustrations which we may publish in the future and copies of which will be sent to all the purchasers of this album, to be pasted on the blank side corresponding to the numbers." Altogether at least 4000 images are included, the majority of which are devoted to flowers, although vegetables, herbs, trees, fruits, grasses, garden implements, etc. are also shown. The illustrations are accompanied by descriptions in French, English and German, and by prices in francs and sterling. 4to (27.2 x 21.7 cm); vi + 344 (+ xxiv index) + 345-744 pp. with over 4000 wood-engraved illustrations.

N.P. (Bruyères -Le-Chatel) (Simon Louis Frères & Cie.) ca. 1930. Quite a stunning presentation album of seed packet label samples with all the plants shown printed in full color against a black background. These are displayed, usually 6 to a page, on tan card stock printed decoratively in light gray with the monogram of the firm and simple frame outlines for the placement of the illustrations. Both vegetables and flowers are shown; the colors are vibrant and the detail, particularly with the vegetables, is both informative and artistic. All designs are labeled. If you want to be able to recognize all your French lettuces, you have only to study these. Unusual and very uncommon. Oblong album (26.5 x 36 cm); with color printed seed packet label designs tipped in to each of 70 unnumbered pages, usually 6 to a page, fewer on about 4 pages; in all, there are approximately 400 color printed labels, each measuring 9 x 5 cm.

Yokohama: Yokohama Nursery Co., 1909.. The annual descriptive catalogue for 1909-10 issued by this prominent Japanese nursery, the most important exporter and popularizer of Japanese ornamental plants to the Western nursery trade at the turn of the century. It presents extensive listings in all categories of plants including: lilies; paeonia moutan and albiflora; iris kaempferi; camellias, azaleas, orchids; Japanese maples; magnolias; flowering cherries, bamboos, palms, dwarf trees, etc. One of the color lithographed plates shows designs of porcelain pots. The remaining color plates are of lilies, roses, magnolias, viburnum and kudzu vine. There are also reproductions of sketches for stone lanterns and baskets for floral arrangements. The rather poor quality black and white photographic reproductions nevertheless show informative views of the grounds and activities at the nursery. There is also a listing of books, "colored hand-paintings" lithographs, and mounted herbaria specimens for sale. OCLC locates 1 copy (U.S. National Agricultural Library) of this year of the catalogue. Stabbed and tied, Japanese style, (26 x 18 cm); (iv) + 98 (1) pp. with 6 color lithograph plates and with illustrations from sketches and photographs.

(Paris:) 1759. Second and enlarged edition of this complete catalogue of the plants growing in the Jardin Des Apothicaires in Paris. First published in 1741. In addition to being a major source of medicinal plants in the city, this important Parisian physic garden, whose origins dated to the late 16th century, was used extensively by medical students and botanists for the study of plants and herbs. The printed catalogue was compiled specifically as a guide for those students and was sold at the gardens for their use. The listings provide Latin and common (French) names classified according to the system of Tournefort then in use by the apothecaries . The entries include Latin and common names together with, in most cases, citations of listings in earlier botanical works and brief notations regarding the primary medicinal properties of the listed plant. Jean Descemet, the famous Parisian physician, is often incorrectly cited as the author of this work. The correct attribution is to Pierre Descemet, who ran the gardens for many years before his death in( 1762 or 1763). His son, Jacques-Louis, succeeded him. (For a lengthy account of the gardens see: Constans, Martine, ed., JARDINER A PARIS AU TEMPS DES ROIS pp. 209-216). Pritzel 2168 incorrectly ascribing this to Jean; Cleveland 395 for the first edition of 1741. 8vo (18.3 x 11.7 cm); xxii + (ii) + 136 pp. with printer's ornaments.

Paris: Rousselon 1826. General catalogue of this important French nursery located in Paris. Son of the head gardener for the comte de Provence (later King Louis XVIII), Noisette started his own nursery in Paris in 1806. He focused, from the beginning, on the collection of choice and exotic plants from around the world. His brother Philippe, posted to America by the French government, was among the many correspondents who sent him seeds and plants from Asia and the Americas. Many of these were first introduced into European cultivation through Noisette's nursery, which attracted the business of numerous wealthy clients. Especially notable was Prince Nicolas II Esterházy, who engaged Noisette to lay out and plant his extensive properties in Austria. Although Noisette's large nursery had significant collections in all categories, he was most widely known for his rare ornamental plants, especially roses. Noisette roses are named for him, and his nursery carried over 1000 different varieties of rose, nearly all of them listed here. Noisette published two much smaller catalogues in 1825. The first of these, 27 pages, was devoted only to fruit trees. The second, devoted to dahlias, roses and other flowering shrubs, had only 19 pages. The present catalogue, with 101 pages of listings, appears to be the only general catalogue to have been issued by the nursery. It includes over 9000 varieties divided into four primary sections: hot house plants; plants for the orangery; hardy plants and shrubs; and hardy herbaceous plants. Over twelve pages are devoted just to roses. 8vo (21.5 x 13.8 cm); 8 + 102 pp.

London: B.T. Batsford 1911. First edition. Mawson's enormous success as a landscape architect led him to town planning projects in Bolton, Southport, Athens, Calgary and Vancouver. He served as president of the Town Planning Institute and became one of Britain's foremost early town planners. His CIVIC ART provided an impressive text book on his ideas for town planning, similar in character to the later editions of his better known ART AND CRAFT OF GARDEN MAKING, the fourth edition of which appeared in the following year and which greatly resembled CIVIC ART in format and style of illustration. Mawson stressed the need for a deliberate system of aesthetics for town planning and relied heavily on examples from his own practice to illustrate his theories. The volume is divided into four parts: the theory of Civic Art; the practice of Civic Art; examples of town planning; and examples of public parks and town gardens. Appendices concerning trees and shrubs are also included. Folio (35.6 x 26.5 cm); (vi) + 376 pp. with color frontispiece and one color plate, decorative chapter titles, numerous reproductions of plans, engravings, drawings, and photographs.

Gand: ca. 1840 1850. A "porcelain" trade card for the greenhouse builders Van De Cappell-De Pretter, rue de la Caverne, No. 50, Gand. The printing in gold and blue is by the Gand lithographers, G. Jacqmain. The card is illustrated with a view of a greenhouse in a gardenesque setting with fountain, house and two small human figures, all printed within a decorative Gothic-style frame. A lengthy caption informs the viewer that examples of the firm's "confection de serres en Fer" can be seen at the Verschaffelt nursery, at Van Houte's outside of Bruxelles, and in Paris at "MM les Barons Rotschild." Cartes porcelaines or "porcelain cards" were produced in the mid-nineteenth century lithography with a thin layer of white lead producing their beautiful porcelain-like effect. They were chiefly produced in Belgium between the late 1830s and the early 1860s and used as business or announcement cards. Their production was discontinued because of health hazards connected with the lead. Single sheet of glossy card stock, 10.5 x 14.2 cm., printed in colors.