America’s Romance with the English Garden Paperback – Illustrated, April 17, 2013

This work was a very interesting exploration for me of the development of the gardening catalogue industry from its earliest days well into the twentieth century. The success of this industry inspired imitation by the likes of Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, L.L.Bean, the Nieman Marcus Christmas issue, Williams-Sonoma, and all the others that now crowd our mailboxes.I particularly enjoyed the sections that dealt with early horticulture and landscaping both in Great Britain and in Colonial America and the interaction between them. This part of the work dove-tailed with other readings which I have found to be fascinating: "The Natures of John and William Bartram" by Thomas P. Slaughter, "Earthly Joys" and "Virgin Earth" both by Philippa Gregory, and "The Brother Gardeners" by Andrea Wulf.

Love this book------on a topic not usually covered in garden books. It covers the history of the seed and plant mail order catalog business, starting in Victorian times. It also has examples of plants and shrubs popular in days past, and the ways they were promoted via early advertising, such as the popular Crimson Rambler Rose. Nicely illustrated with color photos and pages from old seed catalogs. Covers heirloom annuals, perennials, shrubs, bulbs, etc, and examples of 19th and early 20th century landscaping designs for the homeowner.

The book is full of information about seed salesmen of the 19th century and how they influenced gardeners in the US to emulate English gardens.this is a good read for gardeners, landscapers, and anyone else who has a love for and an interest in landscaping and gardening inNorth America.

I bought this because I know the authors sister in law and she told everyone about it. It's more academic than I thought it would be.

Amazing read.

Great book

I had high hopes for this book, but it reads like a dissertation, not a book intended for a general audience. There are some interesting facts and nice images, but no stories to keep it moving and keep your interest. I struggled to get halfway through it.

Anyone who enjoys reading about garden history and how we came to garden as we do will find this book to be a delight. Well researched but written with an easy flow and readable style, it delivers a depth of information pleasurably. Illustrations abound. Pictures of plants, gardens, and pages of seed catalogs illuminate the author's points. Americans came to adopt the key points of the English estate garden as the prosperous emerging middle class took up that pastime. This books tells how and why, with vivid portraits of the nurserymen who brought this all about, along with the plants they brought into fashion. Some of them we still grow. Everyone today who maintains a lawn is following in this tradition. Highly recommended.