A Florilegium: Sheffield's Hidden Garden

(Hardback)

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Description

This lavish book highlights a selection of the wonderful illustrations held in the archive of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Each illustration included in the book is accompanied by a plant profile, stating where the plant was found in the wild and explaining something of its history, uses and botany. The book also gives an introduction to florilegia dating from the early herbals, and a history of the Society's Herbarium and the Gardens themselves. Featuring over 100 colour illustrations and 67 plant profiles, it is a book for everyone to enjoy, whatever the season. The Botanical Gardens are in the heart of the City of Sheffield and are a much-loved venue enjoyed both by the people of Sheffield and visitors to the City. This book has been written by the Society's founding chair Valerie Oxley. Valerie developed the diploma in Botanical Illustration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield. AUTHOR: Valerie Oxley has inspired students from all over the world with her enthusiasm for natural history, and plant illustration in particular. She developed the first Diploma in Botanical Illustration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, where plant drawing is still taught alongside the related botany. Valerie is the founding chair of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. SELLING POINTS: . This beautiful book celebrates a selection of the plants at Sheffield Botanical Gardens, carefully drawn and painted by past and present members of The Florilegium Society . Will be of great interest to all botanical artists, botanists, gardeners and Sheffield enthusiasts, also natural historians . 100 colour illustrations from the Society's archive are reproduced; each plant's portrait is shown alongside its profile . It is a wonderful record for everyone who loves plants, botanical illustrations and the Gardens in Sheffield . This book has been written by The Florilegium Society's founding chair Valerie Oxley who is also the author of Botanical Illustration, Crowood 2008. 100 colour illustrations

Reviews

As someone lacking even a trace of artistic ability, perhaps the most astonishing thing is how all the illustrations manage to be in recognisably different styles, without in any way sacrificing botanical accuracy. So much beauty for a mere 25. -- Ken Thompson * Professional Gardeners Guild *
An illuminating record of the treasures of Sheffields Botanical Garden, recording the beauty and lifecycle of both native and exotic plants. -- Ambra Edwards * Gardens Illustrated Issue 304 *
The amount of visual information in each artwork and the different ways in which different artists accomplish that, paired with the accompanying plant profile text, give a satisfying experience of each plant as drawn by the Societys artists. Affordably priced, this hidden garden would be a good addition to any botanical or horticultural library and to the personal libraries of botanical art lovers. -- Charlotte A. Tancin Librarian Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation * Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Newsletter *

Author Bio

Valerie Oxley has inspired students from all over the world with her enthusiasm for natural history, and plant illustration in particular. She developed the first Diploma in Botanical Illustration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, where plant drawing is still taught alongside the related botany. Valerie is the founding chair of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Valerie Oxley has inspired students from all over the world with her enthusiasm for natural history, and plant illustration in particular. She developed the first Diploma in Botanical Illustration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, where plant drawing is still taught alongside the related botany. Valerie is the founding chair of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens.