Flowers and Herbs of Early America [Hardcover]

Lawrence Griffith (Author), Barbara Temple Lombardi (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2008

Hounds-tongue. Ragged robin. Costmary. Pennyroyal. All-heal. These plants, whose very names conjure up a bygone world, were among the great variety of flowers and herbs grown in America’s colonial and early Federal gardens. In this sumptuously illustrated book, a leading historic plant expert brings this botanical heritage back to life.

Drawing on years of archival research and field trials in Colonial Williamsburg’s gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, Lawrence Griffith documents fifty-six species of flowers and herbs and provides details on how they were cultivated and used. For each plant, an elegant period hand-colored engraving, watercolor, or woodcut is presented along with glorious new photographs by Barbara Temple Lombardi.

This book is a dazzling treat for armchair gardeners and for those who have visited and admired the famous gardens of Colonial Williamsburg. It is also an invaluable companion for twenty-first-century gardeners who will appreciate the specific advice of a master gardener on how to plan, choose appropriate species for, and maintain a beautiful, historic flower and herb garden.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a not-for-profit educational institution that operates the world’s largest living history museum.

Published in association with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (20081211)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gardeners enamored with heirloom seed collecting and what it tells us about our ancestors'' gardens might enjoy Flowers and Herbs of Early America. . . . The book is a beautiful compendium of cottage garden flowers, many of which have medicinal properties and are easy to grow."—Anne Raver, New York Times (Favorite garden books of the year)

(Anne Raver New York Times 20081211)

"Basically cottage garden plants from the New and Old worlds, they all have a humble honesty about them, drawn out in the lovely photographic portraits by Barbara Temple Lombardi. Some will be as familiar to us as our forebears . . . others remain delightfully novel. I can''t wait to get seed of some of them to try myself."—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post

(Adrian Higgins Washington Post 20081101)

This book is a dazzling treat for armchair gardeners and for those who have visited and admired the famous gardens of Colonial Williamsburg. It is also an invaluable companion for 21st century gardeners who will appreciate the specific advice of a master gardener on how to plan, choose appropriate species for, and maintain a beautiful, historic flower and herb garden."—The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles

(The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles 20090101)

"As curator of plants at Colonial Williamsburg, Lawrence Griffith draws on years of archival research and field trials to inform the content of this magnificent book. The multilayers of information—inspirational gardening quotations, details on habit, tips for growing and period engravings, watercolors and woodcuts—provide provocative visual counterparts to the stunning photography by Barbara Temple Lombardi."—Patty Craft, Horticulture Magazine

(Patty Craft Horticulture Magazine 20090101)

"Georgeous photos, interesting plant discussions, practical cultivation advice, medical uses, and glimpses into plant history are all part of this coffee table book. . . . Looking for a luxurious gift for a gardener? This is my first choice. The photos are magical even for non-gardeners and the text is a joy to read. . . . All this and it looks good on the coffee table!"—Cheval Force Opp, Washington Gardener

(Cheval Force Opp Washington Gardener 20090201)

"Gardeners will appreciate the advice provided on planting the seed, choosing appropriate species, and maintaining a beautiful period garden. . . . Recommended."—Choice

(Choice 20090327)

"Any gardener would love to have this book on his or her library shelf. . . . Early America never looked or read so first-class." —Anne K. Moore, GardenSMART

(Anne K. Moore GardenSMART 20090101)

"Gorgeous photos, interesting plant discussions, practical cultivation advice, medical uses, and glimpses into plant history . . . a luxurious gift for a gardener. . . . The photos are magical even for non-gardeners and the text is a joy to read . . ."—Cheval Force Opp, Washington Gardener

(Cheval Force Opp Washington Gardener )

"The multilayers of information—inspirational gardening quotations, details on habit, tips for growing and period engravings, watercolors and woodcuts—provide provocative visual counterparts to the stunning photography by Barbara Temple Lombardi."—Patty Craft, Horticulture Magazine

(Patty Craft Horticulture Magazine )

About the Author

Lawrence Griffith is curator of plants for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and former garden columnist for the Daily Press, Newport News, VA. He lives on the Middle Peninsula of Virginia. Barbara Temple Lombardi is a photographer for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. She lives in Williamsburg, VA.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1 edition (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300145365
• ISBN-13: 978-0300145366
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing Heritage Plants, May 17, 2009

By 

allanbecker-gardenguru (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers and Herbs of Early America (Hardcover)

The journey began a long time ago and it's not yet over. We avoid using toxic chemicals in our gardens, we conserve water and we re-cycle organic waste to feed our plants. We are not that far away from re-discovering the flowering plants of our ancestors who grew, ate and utilized whatever nature provided.

Lawrence D Griffith studies period plants and researches their cultivation and use. If we are on the threshold of a trend to garden as our ancestors did then his work is prescient. His collaborator, Barbara Temple Lombardi is staff photographer for the Williamsburg Foundation. Together they have unveiled the intrinsic beauty and usefulness of a collection of plants many of us choose to ignore.

This is a beautifully illustrated documentation of the flowering plants cultivated and admired by early settlers of North America in general and Virginia in particular. It includes annual flowers, biennials plants, perennials and herbs.

Readers will discover a few surprises. Aquilegia Canadensis, Rudbekia fulgida, and Echinacea purpurea are plants native to North America, discovered by the settlers, incorporated into their gardens and still growing in our gardens today. On the other hand, the family of plants not native to North America, but introduced here by early settlers from Europe include Lychnis chalcedonica and Scabiosa atropurpurea.

Mr.Griffith has experimented with most, if not all, of the plants he describes in this book and conveniently encapsulates everything we need to know about each one in a boxed summary accompanying the text. That allows readers, not interested in the anecdotal history of each plant, to use this book as a "how to" guide for growing heritage plants. Conveniently, for the enthusiastic gardener who will follow the example set by the author, the book also contains a list of sources for purchasing heritage seed, with addresses in Canada, the US and the UK.

Gardeners who do not use a camera are always amazed by the beauty that nature photographers find in the mundane. When we walk along a rural road, we ignore the common milkweed growing by the wayside. It is ugly, boring and ubiquitous. Yet, in this book, the photographer has transformed Asclepia syriaca into a work of art. That's what I love about beautifully illustrated books on gardening. They allow us to see something old, as if it were new, for the very first time.
Read my other reviews of books on gardening at [...]

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absotlutly Fantastic resource for flowers and herbs in early America!, November 11, 2008

By 

J. Bastian (King and Queen County VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flowers and Herbs of Early America (Hardcover)

This book is superbly written with some of the finest research by author Lawrence Griffith, and gloriously illustrated by photographer Barbara Temple Lombardi. Larry is not only a great writer but a great gardener as well! I would recommend a copy for yourself and your friends too.Flowers and Herbs of Early America

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sunapp, August 24, 2009

By 

sunapp "sunapp" (ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers and Herbs of Early America (Hardcover)

Thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful pictures and detailed information. The author is obviously knowledgable on subject material. Information is well put together and easy to follow. Hopefully there will be another book published with other varieties not mentioned in this one.