Celebrate spring with floral illustrations on Google Books
Spring is in bloom in the Northern Hemisphere, with blue skies, birdsong and colorful flowers popping up around every corner. And thanks to Google Books, you can spring into the season no matter where you are in the world. Head to books.google.com to find beautiful floral illustrations you can enjoy free of charge — and all without the pollen.
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Pansies, from “The Ladies’ Flower-garden of Ornamental Annuals” by Jane Loudon. In her introduction, Loudon explains her methodology, which includes labeling the different names of each flower (Latin, English and common) and reporting where and how they grow — “in short, everything worth knowing of the plant.”
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Red poppy, from “The American Flora, Volume 1” by Asa B. Strong. “The American Flora” offers detailed descriptions of plants, along with their medicinal uses.
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Purple rudbeckia and yellow rose from “The New Flora Britannica,” illustrated by Sydenham Edwards. Along with illustrations of 133 plants, this book offers gardeners the best locations and habits to grow flowers to their fullest form.
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Clammy Eutoca, from “The Ornamental Flower Garden and Shrubbery” by John Lindley. Another book illustrated by Edwards, this book gives advice on how best to sow and propagate flowers.
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Convolvulus, from “Our Wild Flowers” by Louisa Anne Meredith. Meredith weaves information about the native flowers of Great Britain with stories and poetry.
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Large double daffodil, from “The Narcissus: Its History and Culture” by Frederick William Burbridge and John Gilbert Baker. From literary references to the flowers, to the pests that ruin the blossoms, this book is the definitive 19th century volume on daffodils.
For more floral finds, head to Google Books.
