Search Results: Gardening and garden design from E C Books

London : Simpkin & Marshall, 1825 Volumes I - VII of the 1st edition of Maund's Botanic Garden ranging in date from 1825 to 1836 (Vol VII is undated) with 167 of 168 fine hand coloured plates. It was originally issued in parts and these volumes are in what looks like an original publisher's cloth binding which is worn and disintegrating with some poor stitching, so this set has been priced to take account of rebinding costs. The book is in a square octavo format and text pages are printed on one side only. The contents are clean and bright with beautiful colouring on the plates (faults are listed in the detailed description below). There is some offsetting where particularly strong colour has been applied and shows through to the back of the plates. All have a decorative title page and an additional title page. Vol IV has a third title page part way through the book. All are unpaginated. Vol I has a dedication 'to the lovers of Botany', preface and index - the 9th plate has some… Read More

London: John and Arthur Arch, Cornhill. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green. Paternoster Row. & C Loddiges & Sons, Hackney, 1824 A scarce complete volume of Loddiges' Botanical Cabinet, with 100 hand coloured plates engraved by George Cooke. Conrad Loddiges founded a plant nursery business in Hackney and the family became famous for exotic and rare plants. The mauve rhododendron that has become common in Great Britain today was imported by Conrad Loddiges. The Botanical Cabinet showcases the rare plants that they imported and grew. This volume is volume X, dated 1824. In contemporary half leather binding with marbled boards and endpapers. Top page edges gilt. The spine has gilt compartments and elaborate gilt tooling. There are title and volume labels. Internally there is a decorative title page and then a series of plates, each followed by a brief description on a separate page. There are 100 plates of which 9 are folding. There is an index at the rear. The binding is in very… Read More

London: Elliot Stock, 1884 A very good copy of the 1st edition in full vellum binding with gilt titles and emblem to front board and spine. Page edges untrimmed. The vellum binding is sound and tight. There is some light marking to the boards - including a large spot on the front board. The spine has slight creasing and the front board has a slight warp at the top. Internally there is an ownership signature dated 1884 to the half title page. Contents are complete and very clean with occasional light spotting particularly to the top of the side margins. Endpapers with some light marking. The half title is browned as is the final blank. The last leaf has a design at the front and is unopened.

A Paris: De L'Imprimerie Royale, 1679 A fair copy of the 1st edition of the Description de la Grotte de Versailles bound with a very good copy of the 2nd edition of Labyrinte de Versailles, in contemporary elephant folio full leather binding. La Grotte has had 5 of the 20 plates cut out, but Labyrinte is complete. The binding is sound with raised bands and title label to spine. It is very worn, with a lot of wear to corners with leather loss and to spine joints, spine ends and edges. The surface of the boards is a little rough. All page edges red. There is an old bookplate to the front pastedown endpaper - Earl Vane, from the Library of the Rev. John Vane. Contents: 3 blanks; title 1679; blank verso; Description pp 1-11; Imprimerie to verso p 11; plates 13 single and 2 double; title to Labyrinte 1697; blank verso; Description pp 3-34; blank recto with Explication du Plan du Labyrinte to verso; plate 1; fables (quatrains by Isaac Benserade) and plates (Sebastien Leclerc) on opposing pages - 78 pp, 39… Read More

London: Printed by TN for George Marriott, 1676 A good copy of the second impression, corrected, 'with many Additions, and several new plates' in largely contemporary full leather binding. John Rea was an early to mid 17th century nursery gardener who is seen as a pioneer in methods of fruit growing and garden design. He lived at Norton's Ends, Kinlet, where he acquired and cultivated a large variety of garden plants, fruits and shrubs, including a major collection of tulips. This work was intended to provide an extensive catalogue of his plants together with the benefit of his horticultural knowledge and experience. The binding has the original full calf boards which are clean and with some scuffing and repair to build up the corners. The spine is newer and has raised bands with red title label and a date in gilt at the base. The spine has some scuffing. The free endpapers have been replaced. Contents: The Mind of the Front; engraved title; rubricated title; dedications 10pp; To the Reader 4pp; To… Read More

LONDON: Groombridge and Sons A VG copy in the original green decorative cloth binding with gilt plant pictures and titles to front board and spine, and blind stamped decoration to rear board. The boards have bevelled edges. This work is generally attributed to Shirley Hibberd. It is clear from the Preface that it contains work from a number of authors, so it is likely that Hibberd had the editorial role. A number of the colour plates appear in 1870's copies of the Floral World - again edited by Hibberd. It is undated but is probably late 1870's/early1880's. With title page in red and black inks; colour printed frontispiece and 35 further colour printed plates, and numerous black and white illustrations - some full page. The binding is slightly shaken with a little bumping to corners and wear to edges including spine joint edges. The original endpapers are present. The contents are generally very clean apart from the very occasional brown spot. Some of the plant outlines can be seen faintly… Read More

London : Printed by Richard Tayor for the Author, 1804 A good part set of the 1st edition of this rare and comprehensive work. This set consists of 252 hand coloured plates with their descriptions bound in 3 volumes, but, we have not been able to confirm that they are from Volumes I - V with 2 extra plates. According to research [Cleevely, Nelson and Oliver, 2003] the work was first published in 6 volumes (with 50 plates and descriptions per volume) the first 4 being published in the years 1805-1807, but the remaining 2 published later: V not before 1816 and VI in late 1828. Complete sets are the exception! This set is in contemporary half leather bindings with marbled boards. The spines have gilt lining and title and volume labels. Contents: Vol I: hand coloured title page; plain title page to vol I dated 1804; dissertation 2pp; mode of culture 2pp; introduction 2pp; 82 plates with accompanying text. Vol II: title page Vol II 1804; Dissertation continued; 84 plates with accompanying text plus text… Read More

Bruxelles, Paris: F Parent, Auguste Goin , 1857 A fair copy of the 1st issue of this Journal with 24 hand coloured plates. Scarce. The binding is quarter leather with a very worn spine and cobbled cloth boards. The front board has gilt initials. The spine has what might have been gilt compartments with gilt titles. All page edges gilted. Endpapers are silk and there is some splitting at the front endpaper joint. Contents: half title; title; text pp 1-288 with 24 plates and original page marker; index pp 289-292; Society Bulletins pp 1-44. The stitching is visible at p 2 and there is small piece of text missing from the middle of p 3/4 where the page was stuck at some point to the tissue guard of the following plate. It is still on the tissue guard and could be rescued by a professional binder. Contents generally clean with beautifully hand coloured plates.

London : R Chiswell in St Paul's Churchyard, T Sawbridge in Little-Britain and R Bentley in Russell-Street in Covent Garden, 1691 A very good copy of the 8th edition of Evelyn's classic work which was the first calendar produced for english gardeners (first published in 1664). John Evelyn (1620-1706) was, among other talents, a noted horticulturalist. In what appears to be the original binding which has been repaired so that it has a newer spine. The spine has a red title label and gilt lettering and decoration around raised bands. There is some wear to the edges of the boards but the binding is otherwise in very good condition. Internally the free endpapers look to have been replaced at some point. There is a black and white engraved frontispiece and title page with red and black inks. There is an ink marking at the top of the title page which has blotted onto the top of the frontispiece. With dedication to Abraham Cowley Esq; a dedicated poem by Abraham Cowley called 'The Garden' to… Read More

London: James Nelson & Co, 1860 A very good copy of the 3rd edition with 42 hand coloured plates. This copy has been rebound in plain buckram cloth with gilt titles to spine, and the endpapers have been replaced. The binding is sound and clean with some darkening to the spine and light corner wear. Contents: half title; title; contents and plate listings xii; introduction 2pp; text pp 3-211 with 42 plates; index pp 212-215. All the plates have tissue guards. Contents are in very good clean condition. The guard to plate 1 is torn and the bottom part is missing. Plate 13 has a wide gutter so the side edge is trimmed although the plant image is complete. There is some marking to the verso of p 215 (blank) and the occasional light mark or offsetting from the plates. The plates are clean and bright with the occasional stray paint spot or light mark.

Paris : Claude Barbin , 1695 A fair to good set in 2 volumes, in contemporary full leather binding.M Jean de la Quintinye was trained as a lawyer, but is famed for his skills in kitchen gardening. He was commissioned by Louis XIV to create a new kitchen garden for Versailles - which can still be visited today. He is said to be the first gardener to advocate pruning young fruit trees hard to ensure better growth and fruiting for the future. This set is in contemporary speckled calf bindings with raised bands and gilt decoration and titles to spines. The bindings are sound but worn, with wear to corners, edges and the top and bottom of the spines. The gilt is particularly worn on Vol I. Vol II has some cracking to the top of the front joint. Both have some library numbers to the front pastedowns and a small early ink signature to the fep. Both have a round stamp of the 'Societe de Lecture de Geneve' to the title page. Paper has light toning throughout. Text with decorative headpieces, endpieces… Read More

London: Reeve and Co , 1852 A very good copy in the original decorative cloth binding. Scarce. The binding has blind stamped design to both boards and gilt titles and blind stamped design to spine. It is bright with light pulling to spine ends and light wear to corners. Top corners have turned tips. There is a tiny cloth fray at the top of the front spine joint. Back board with some darker marking. Original yellow/cream endpapers with small pasted label of Alex Stables to front pastedown and his signature to the top of the fep. Contents are complete with 16 page publisher's catalogue at the rear. It is very clean internally with odd small spot or mark. The paper has some toning - with some sections darker than others. The rear endpaper joint has had some repair.

Paris, Rue S Jacques: Chez la Delaguette; Chez le Prieur, 1750 Second revised and enlarged edition of this popular work on the cultivation of peach trees. First published in 1745. Earliest French book entirely about the cultivation and management of peaches. In contemporary full leather binding with title label, raised bands and gilt compartments to spine. The binding is sound with some wear. Internally there is a small label pasted to the front pastedown and eividence of some writing on the fep. The contents otherwise are in VG and clean condition. 198 pages plus notes on 'Privil du Roi' at the rear.

Liverpool: Henry Fisher , 1820 A very good 2 volume set of the 1st edition, newly rebound in half calf with marbled boards. With 2 decorative frontispieces, 1 decorative title, and 106 hand coloured plates. The title pages are undated but Vol I has a preface dated 1820 and the 1st edition was produced between 1816 and 1820. This copy is in new half calf with gilt lines title labels and volume numbers to spines. The marbled paper matches the marbling on the page edges. New endpapers. All the plates are in very good clean condition and are well coloured. The paper quality varies with the paper in the first half of Vol II being noticeably toned and prone to light spotting. Contents - Vol I: frontispiece; decorative title; title; preface 2 pp; introduction, instructions on finding a plant, and text (to letters KYL) with 56 plates pp 1-790. There are a couple of ink corrections in the margins of pp 304-5 and 627. Paper lightly toned with light spotting circa p 700. Vol II: frontispiece; title; text pp… Read More