English Botany, or, Coloured Figures of British Plants
James Sowerby
London: J. Sowerby, 1790

James Sowerby (1757-1822) was the first of a family of artists. He illustrated a large number of botanical works in addition to English Botany, including William Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Flora Londinensis. James Edward Smith (1759-1828) supplied the text. Curtis regarded English Botany as a treacherous undertaking, rivaling the Botanical Magazine. English Botany ran from 1790 until 1814, contained 2,500 plates in its 267 parts, and was an instant success, primarily for its illustrations. It remains valuable reference work, unsurpassed as an illustrated English flora.

The English Botany is a source of information on the methods of cultivation, particularly of flowers, used in the 19th century. The division into class, order, genus, and species is precise, broad and scientific for each plant. Details are in the abundance in the description, the measurements and the nomenclature. The index, in Latin, includes specifications in terms of species, subspecies and synonyms.

Each of the prints comes with a page of information on the flower you have bought, including its Latin name, plate number, and some informative text to teach you about the natural surroundings of your new piece.