This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

FIRST PRINTED IN 1860 on the eve of the Civil War, Ladies' Southern Florist by Mary C. Rion was the first book to provide gardeners in the South with a comprehensive list of ornamentals - trees, shrubs, flowers, bulbs, and roses - ideally suited to the southern climate. This small but pivotal work is equally significant as the earliest garden book in the South written by a woman. Prior to its publication, southern gardeners had to turn to English garden books or guides geared to northern gardeners, which offered little in the way of advice on growing plants in a region characterized by mild winters, hot and humid summers, and periods of extended drought. This facsimile edition of Ladies' Southern Florist not only offers a historical perspective of gardening but also serves as a wonderful resource at this time of growing interest in garden history, period gardens, and heirloom plants. While many of the 150 plants described by Rion had long been favorites, she also featured many newly introduced specimens that found instant favor with southern gardeners, including camellia (Camellia japonica), gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), and a wide selection