The Ladies' Flower-Garden of Ornamental Annuals;

An attractive set of Loudon's botanical works, containing handsome hand-coloured lithographs.

Loudon began her literary career with a strange futuristic novel entitled The Mummy (1827), and only began to write botanical works after her marriage and working alongside her husband John Loudon, the horticultural publisher and writer. Aware that the abundance of technical terms in horticultural books were off-putting to new gardeners, particularly women, she went about making gardening an accessible recreational activity. A self-taught artist, Loudon ranks as one of the most successful female botanical illustrators. Her artistic style, which involved grouping flowers to form delicate bouquets, though unusual for the time was immediately accepted among gardeners. Her attractive illustrations, known for their bright colour, became extremely sought after and were often imitated in designs for decorative products.