Garden Flowers, 1960 (DJ first edition)

Garden Flowers, 1960,  Series 536.

This is the 8th book in the Nature series, 536.  Garden Flowers was written b7Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald and illustrated by John Leigh-Pemberton.  Only the earliest editions of this book were published with a dust-wrapper.

It is a gloriously colourful book which many people will remember from school, library or home.  It displays the most common garden flowers through the seasons – though mainly Spring and Summer, for obvious reasons, in a very grand setting.  I used to wonder why Leigh-Pemberton had chosen to use the grounds of a stately home as the backdrop to his illustrations rather than something more domestic, something more ‘Ladybird’.  But when I found out a bit more about Leigh-Pemberton’s background, I realised that he probably HAD simply painted the flowers as he saw them in his own back garden!

This copy still has its original unclipped DJ which is is a little creased in places especially to the top back panel but otherwise in ‘very good’ condition (see photos).  Otherwise, wear is relatively light.  Inside the DJ the book is also in Very Good condition with clean, still bright pages and clean blue open-wing endpapers.  The illustration on the front cover under the DJ is green – consistent with a first ed.  There is a bookshop stamp to the back DJ flap.