Flora: An Illustrated History of the Garden Flower - Brent Elliott - Hardcover

Adrian Higgins

A pleasurable journey through the history of botany and horticulture.
—The Washington Post Book World

Carolyn S. Dunn

This book is a fascinating story of the grand obsession of the discovery and introduction of plants into European gardens ... Over 300 beautiful botanical color plates.
—Science Books and Films

Detroit News

A coffeetable book for the sophisticated green thumb.

Economist

A fascinating work of reference as well as a joy to behold.

James J. White

The book invites leisurely perusal of attractive artworks. . .
—American Scientist

Raymond Sokolov

Not a work of technical botany, but rests on deep knowledge enlivened by pictures by careful and often inspired artists.
—Wall Street Journal

Verlyn Klinkenborg

It's as though we were able to see the plant as it appeared on its first introduction.
—New York Times Book Review

Library Journal

Librarian and archivist of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Elliott (Victorian Gardens) presents spectacular examples of five centuries of botanical illustration taken from drawings and printed works in the RHS's collection. These are organized into five chapters corresponding to the five great sources of garden plants: Europe, the Turkish Empire, Africa, the Americas, and Asia and Australasia. Elliott introduces each chapter with a description of how the influx of new flowers from each area was incorporated into gardens and gardening design in Britain. His brief text for each of the beautiful, oversize illustrations focuses on the plants themselves; how and when they were first discovered, described, and named; how they were used; and how their popularity waxed and waned. This book makes no attempt to be a history of botanical illustration; indeed, the one flaw is that the sources of the illustrations are relegated to a list at the back of the book. The book concludes with a useful essay on plant names through history and short biographies of the illustrators. Recommended for all larger gardening collections. Daniel Starr, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.