Flowers

This beautiful book of pressed flowers was compiled by newlyweds Ralph L. and Hetty G. Dixon, who collected the majority of the specimens along the banks of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath in Georgetown in the 1920s. Although the Dixons were amateurs, they took great care in the mounting and identification of their blooms, and it is thanks to this that most of the specimens remain intact. But the love story contained within these pages isn’t the only golden thing about the book; the locally collected flowers include golden corydalis and golden ragwort.

This charming and lovely limited first edition (number 748 of 1500 numbered copies) is considered a classic in the field. Louise Beebe Wilder, an important figure in American gardening history, was greatly influenced by renowned British gardener Gertrude Jekyll. Wilder’s description of plants and her designs and artistry are still relevant to today's gardeners. Wilder writes about the seasons during one year in her garden at Balderbrae in Pomona, New York, which she and her husband purchased in 1910.

The Kreuterbuch of Adam Lonicer (1528-1586), first published in 1557, is an early example of a bestseller—the book remained in print in various forms through 1783, which is a testament to its popular appeal. Although the name Kreuterbuch literally translates to “herb book,” and most of it is indeed about plants, a great deal of the book is devoted to describing the natures and uses of animals, metals, and gemstones.