THE RETIR'D GARDENER IN SIX PARTS. The two first being DIALOGUES Between a Gentleman and a Gardener. Containing the methods of making, ordering, and improving a fruit and kitchen-garden; with many new experiments. LIGER, Louis, Francois Gentil, Joseph Carpenter, George London and Henry Wise.

TITLE CONTINUED: Translated from the second edition printed at Paris of Le Jardinier solitaire. The Four last Parts treat of the manner of Planting and Cultivating most Kinds of Flowers, Plants, Shrubs, and Under-Shrubs, necessary for the Adorning of Gardens; Explaining the Art of Making and Disposing of Parterres, Arbours of Greens, Woodworks, Arches, Columns, and other Compartments proper for the most Beautiful Gardens and Plantations. Translated from the French of the Sieur Louis Liger. Heretofore Published, in Two Volumes, with several Alterations and Additions proper for our English Culture, by George London and Henry Wise. SECOND EDITION 1717, revised, now published in ONE VOLUME By JOSEPH CARPENTER. 8vo, approximately 195 x 125 mm, 7¾ x 4¾ inches, engraved frontispiece plus 20 engraved plates including 1 folding plate not numbered, plates bound out of order: 1,2, 8,7,9,3,4,6,5,10,11,13,12,14,15,16,18,19, 20, the plates are the same as in the first edition except for plate XVII (The figure of the round-headed elms) not included in this second edition (see below Henrey), 3 small text illustrations at rear, head- and tailpieces, small decorated initials, pages: [16],1-432, [8], rebound in half modern green calf at sometime over grey boards with dividing gilt rules, gilt lettering and decoration to spine and upper cover, gilt top edge, grey endpapers, bookmark still present. Binding slightly rubbed and scuffed, slight shelf wear, grey boards dull with pale stains, pale stain to top corners of 8 leaves, pages 225-240 with pale tide mark to top outer corners, just running into text, small pale brown stain affecting inner top margins, from frontispiece to page 106, including folding plate (see attached images), small pale stain to top corners of pages 321-336 with pale tide mark, 5 plates slightly trimmed at outer margins, no loss to images,1 plate without volume and page number, occasional pale age-browning and pale stain to margins otherwise a good only tight copy. George London is mentioned in John Evelyn's Diary as the gardener to Christopher Wren, and Henry Wise as the owner and great gardener of Brompton Park, where Evelyn took Mr Waller and where he admired the store of rare plants and the method he found in that noble nursery, and how well it was cultivated. See: Blanche Henrey, British Botanical and Horticultural Literature before 1800, Volume 3, page 78 under the name London, George, No 990; Rachel M. M. Hunt, Catalogue of Botanical Books, Volume 2, pages 18-23; H. Frederic Janson, Pomona's Harvest, page 205; ESTC T120320. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.