Paris: Louis Janet, n.d. ( ca. 1837). A beautifully hand-colored edition of a very scarce book - this version rare, indeed.   This “gift book” was offered by its publisher to accompany a rare series of coloured lithographs entitled LA NAISSANCE DES FLEURS. It comprises brief essays and poetry on individual flowers by early nineteenth century French women writers  - and Jules Baget and Mrs. Hemans -  and is embellished with four exquisitely hand watercoloured lithographed plates from drawings by Pierre Joseph Redouté, Lucy de Beaurepaire, Olympe Arson and Jules Dumas. A. Roulliet was the lithographer.  The selection opens with Jules Baget’s poem entitled “La Naissance Des Fleurs” in which he praises artists, Redouté in particular, for their ability to preserve the fleeting beauty of flowers by their art. Madame La Comtesse de Brade writes on the history and lore of the tulip, the violet, the apple and the lily, while other contributors offer poems to individual flowers. Each water-coloured lithographed plate marks a season represented by a flower or flower bouquet surrounded by a decoratively printed hand- coloured border. The lettering of the title page is also hand-coloured.  In 1837, Fleury Chavant published LA COURRONE DE FLORE (Vicaire p. 1044) which resembles this title in every respect but for the publisher, and the title page. Fleury Chavant’s ads for lithographic work, noting this title, are included at the end of the text. In the Fleury Chavant imprint, the title page informs the reader that the book is designed to accompany LA NAISSANCE DES FLEURS, a series of 50 sheets imprinted with designs of flower drawings and poetry, but this is an elusive piece noted only as “original art “ in Bnf. As Louis Janet was famous for his production of gift books, we surmise this was an initial effort to produce one from the Fleury Chavant plates lithographed in blue. The plain silk-paper over boards binding here could possibly have been prepared for a decorative slipcover or box. We have located no copies with the Janet imprint in OCLC, COPAC, the European Catalogue or CCFr.  18 mo (16.4 x 10.5 cm);143 pp with hand-coloring on half title and title page;7 pp. ads included, all text printed in blue ink, with blue printed borders +4 hand-colored full page lithographed illustrations with tissue guards.

Lyon: Chez Reymann, 1807. First edition. The author was a garden architect and engineer from Grenôble and Lyon. His "Essay On Gardens" begins with a general discussion of contemporary European garden design, including observations drawn from visits to gardens in Germany, England and France, followed by reflections on garden design in general (especially the jardin anglais) and specific recommendations for the layout and planting of gardens and parks. The second section of the book presents the author's plans for the Imperial gardens to be built next to the planned Napoleonic palace on the peninsula between the banks of the Saône and Rhône near the center of Lyon. The folding engraved plan for this project shows an extensive landscape garden in the "style anglais" to the south of the palace and a smaller and more formal area to the north. Ganay 164. 8vo (21 x 13.5 cm); viii + 119 pp. + folding plan.

(Santa Rosa): (The Luther Burbank Society), n.d. ca. 1913. A booklet invitation to join The Luther Burbank Society issued for the Society by its Secretary, Robert John. This also serves as a prospectus for the twelve volume set, LUTHER BURBANK: HIS METHODS AND DISCOVERIES AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATION. Accompanying the pamphlet is a ca 1915 postcard showing the Luther Burbank display at the Gravenstein Apple Show held in Sebastopol. George Brittain, superintendent of Burbank’s Experimental grounds, is pictured in the postcard. Brittain is also featured in 6 of 7 original photos which accompany this pamphlet. The shots, described by penned notes on the back of each photo, are taken at the Burbank Experimental grounds. They range from Brittain’s arm displaying an 18 month old everbearing chestnut, Brittain with a large “Thornless Cactus,” to his working on grafting cherry trees. The final photo is of a “helper” in period dress with his grafting tools. With 7 Original photographs and a contemporary postcard. Small pamphlet, 15 x 12 cm; 24 pp. + 6 plates from photographs + final fold-out color photograph plate;WITH: 1 postcard and 7 original photographs measuring from 8 x 5.5.cm to 14 x 8 cm.

Paris: Emile-PAULE, 1920. First edition, presentation copy to Gordon Knox, signed by Forestier. “(Forestier’s) friends noted his talents and asked him to design their grounds, and as a preparatory study for this he planned seventeen imaginary gardens, which later formed the central portion of his book “Jardins”.” (Fox, Helen Morgenthau. in “Jean C.N. Forestier”, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, 1930, pp. 93). Forestier was Conservateur of the Paris parks, city planner, designer of modern gardens, such as the rose and iris gardens at Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne, and authority on the design of Spanish and Arabic gardens. In JARDINS, Forestier went beyond the imaginary gardens proposed for friends to cover details of his approach to terraces, lawns, stairs, fountains, bassins, benches and tilework. A long list of his recommendations for best roses is included. Additionally, he offers illustration and commentary on gardens that made his fame: that of Joseph Guy at Beziers; of Montjuich at the Barcelona exposition; and of La Casa Del Rey Moro in Andalousia. “In his designs, plants partially erase, rather than reinforce, the rigor of the plan. This play between the grace of the vine and the strict line of the post situated Forestier precisely at the juncture of the jardin à la française and the cubist/modernist garden.” (Imbert, THE MODERNIST GARDEN IN FRANCE, p. 25) A signed presentation copy Small folio (32.5 x 25.2 cm); 240 unnumbered pp., profusely illustrated from drawings and plans, full page and in text.

Paris, 1897. This clever and lovely Belle Epoque advertising piece for the florist, Augustin, at 108-110 Boulevard St.-Germain in Paris encloses a small oval mirror for the lady who needs to know at a glance where to order table decorations, garlands and bouquets for balls and "soirees." The piece consists of three decoratively shaped cards with color printed designs and advertising copy, front and back, tied together by a ribbon at the bottom - one fans open the cards to find the mirror at the back surrounded by color printed floral decoration. The front card is graced with a spring/summer colored illustration of a cherub sitting on fruited tree limb: here is advertised the company's greenhouses located at Petit Chateau de Champignolles, La Varenne. Also advertised are wreaths, both natural and artificial (some executed in pearls, porcelaine or dried flowers), some for the gravesite, available at a dedicated location at 77 Blvd. St.-Germain. The company announces that it maintains a permanent display of bouquets for engagements and weddings. There is also a half year calendar, January through June giving saints names with the dates and a notice of the number of increasing minutes of daylight each month through June. Three decoratively shaped cards (approx. 6 x 9 cm), color printed on recto and verso, with mirror on the last and thickest card; tied with ribbon.

Paris: Fleury Chavant, 1837. First edition. “Ce recueil est destiné à accompagner  La Naissance des Fleurs, ouvrage lithographique composé de 300 groupes de fleurs, par MM. Redouté, Baget, Dumas, etc.”.  Chavant’s NAISSANCE DES FLEURS  was a series of 50 individual “feuilles” issued by the editor Chavant with plates available separately for 1fr.50. (Chavant’s ads appear at the back of this text). This small book gathers together some of the  themes of the poets and prose writers who contributed to the NAISSANCE, with, in addition, 4 drawings lithographed by A. Rouillet from the work of J. P. Redouté, Olympe Arson, Jules Dumas and Lucy de Beaurepaire. Essays on the history and lore of individual flowers accompany poems on different flowers by contemporary authors. This is the “broché” issue, again, as described in the ads at the back. VICAIRE  Vol II, p. 1044. Scarce; we find three copies in OCLC, only one of which in the U.S. at Harvard/Houghton.  12mo (18 x 11.5 cm); 143 pp. with ads + 4 lithographed plates.

Paris: Librairie Jean Naert, 1925. First edition; No. 1 of 6 copies printed on Japan paper at the press of Jacques et Demontrond in Besançon. With a signed ink presentation inscription to le comte (René Philipon ) on the free endpaper and a posted note from de Ganay to Philipon laid in. An essay in praise of the beauties of garden, landscape and architecture at Chantilly and the interventions there of great designers, gardeners and architects by France’s distinquished bibliographer of French garden literature. Ganay 1925/9 “Bibliographie Des Travaux D’Ernest De Ganay” in Mosser & Sartre, BIBLIOTHèQUE ET JARDIN. ERNEST De GANAY. In OCLC we locate only the British Library copy. “C’est que Chantilly réunit tous les agréments.” 8vo (23 x 14.6 cm) 32 + (iv) pp. with printer’s ornaments.

N.P: Cymbalum Pataphysicum, 1985. Limited edition of 666 copies, this example #24 of 299 numbered copies bound in papier gris-ardoise. There are few vestiges left of Le Jardin des Surpises built in Attigny by the eccentric and multi-talented sculptor Renault. It was destroyed after the war and he rebuilt it some 300 meters away from the original site by re-cycling much of the sculpture. After his death, vandals destroyed most of what was left. This work is a catalogue of an “exhibition” devoted to the garden and Renault. Some biographical detail is provided and Renault’s work as an autodictact is mentioned in the context of “les inspirés,” such as le Facteur Cheval and Isidore or “Picassiette.” Given Renault’s work as a patissier  and cuisinier, an influence which showed in the sculptures of his gardens, connections with the work of Carême are also made. The photographic reproductions show the interiors of Renault’s Hotel des Deux Gares and of the Musée de la Guerre at Attigny. Photos of the garden include a view of the exterior of his second self-made house and a picture of Renault himself in the midst of his sculpture garden of animals, farm workers, etc. Shortly before his death he became a member of the Collège de Pataphysique, attaining the status of satrape shared by others such as Jean Dubuffet, Joan Miró, and Jacques Prévert. Uncommon.   A Pataphysicist’s Garden Bound printed typescript, 34 pp. printed on rectos only; 29.5 x 2lcm; 10 full page and 5 half page illustrations from photographs.

Paris: chez Desenne, Janvier, 1792. The gardens at Betz were built by Marie-Catherine Brignolé, princess of Monaco, between 1780 and 1789. They formed an important parc à fabriques, created at least partly by a collaboration of Hubert Robert and the duc d'Harcourt. Cérutti visited the gardens in 1785 and composed this poem while there to recite as an entertainment for his host and fellow guests. It narrates a promenade through the park in the course of which each of its many picturesque fabriques and features is carefully described. It is easily the most detailed and complete contemporary account of this important jardin anglais, which was abandoned during the Revolution and later lost to neglect. Though not originally written for publication, the poem was eventually published shortly before the author's death together with the extensive footnotes on the gardens which more than double the text. The present copy is marked as "Seconde Édition," although its imprint gives a date of January 1792, the same date as the first. Ganay 538. 8vo (19.4 x 12.5 cm); 72 pp. including three pages listing Cerutti's other publications.

Paris: Université De Paris IV Sorbonne, n.d.. ( 1982). A most uncommon master’s thesis or “Memoire De Maitrise”, U.E.R. D’Historie de L’Art et D’Archéologie. The directeur de mémoire was M. le Professeur Bernard Dorival.Gilles Ragot went on to become an art historian, specialist in 20th century architecture, and author and/or co-author of several authoritative books on Le Corbusier. His 2 part, 3 volume thesis covers 21 villas designed by Le Corbusier in the region and includes a a plans of the situations of the villas in the Parisian and Boulogne su Seine regions and extensive analysis of architectural features. The work is heavily illustrated with reproductions of photographs and plans. Master’s Thesis on Le Corbusier et Pierre Jeanneret by a future authority. 3 volumes, 29.2 x 21 cm; 205 ff; with plans and photographs reproduced.l

Edinburgh: W. H. Lizars, n.d. (ca, 1845). Lothian was gardener to W. A. Campbell of Ormsary. This scarce volume, the first English work devoted wholly to alpine plants, appears to be his only published book. It begins with instructions for the location and construction of rockeries, ponds and bogs and the arrangement of plants in the rockery. A second section gives directions for cultivation and treatment, arranged by season, with separate discussion of "tenderer and rarer" plants, as well as advice on cultivation in Wardian cases. The appendix lists nearly 1000 varieties of recommended plants. The illustrations include two engraved plates showing rockery layouts and four hand-colored plates of plants. The first English work devotd wholly to alpines 12mo (16 x 10.2 cm); iii-xiv + 17-84 pp. + decorative illustrated title and 6 plates (four colored).