Gardening is a craft, a science, and an art... (from the Foreword)

{HISTORY}

First published in 1939 by husband and wife horticultural experts, Louise & James Bush-Brown, America's Garden Book was the ultimate reference tool when it came to learning about all aspects of creating a beautiful garden. From soil prep, to plant selection, garden construction projects to maintenance schedules, and everything in-between, no stone was left unturned when it came to setting gardeners up for success.  

For 28 years, Louise Carter Bush-Brown (1897-1973) served as director at the country's first horticulture school for women located in Ambler, PA.  She was also the author of several gardening books and the founder of the Neighborhood Garden Association of Philadelphia which planted flowers and trees in dense urban environments around the city. 

James Bush-Brown (1892-1985) was a noted author, professor, and landscape architect. Born into an artistic family of sculptors, painters and architects, James fostered a deep love of nature, history and the visual arts throughout his life.  He met Louise while teaching at at the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women. Together, these two collaborated on multiple commercial garden landscape projects, and wrote the bestselling 20th century gardening bible of all bibles, America's Garden Book consisting of over 1200 pages and 34 chapters devoted to the act and the art of gardening for all levels of expertise, novice to professional.

To get a sense of the wide range of information offered in America's Garden Book, these are a sampling of the topics included... how to trim your hedges, how to design and layout a garden, which shrubs prefer wet soil, which annuals have a long blooming season, which flowers provide the greatest opportunity for color harmonies, how to treat weeds that grow in your lawn, how to build a concrete pool, how to avoid monotony in foundation planting,  how to incorporate steps into the garden, what annuals are ideal for seashore gardens, how to protect climbing roses in winter, which herbs grow best by seed, by cutting or by division, how to delay the harvest of cabbage until you are ready to cook it, how to grow trees and shrubs from seeds, which insects and pests attack delphinium, and when is the best time of year to to apply a blanket of winter mulch.

This book was so timely, and so helpful, and so precise in its expertise, that almost twenty years passed before it received its first revison. And when it was updated in the late 1950s it was just to introduce some modern gardening practices and layout designs. In the 1990s it was revised again by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and still remains a trusted authority for home gardeners. 

Both James & Louise left a gardening legacy that has withstood the test of time, but it was Louise's work with her Neighborhood Garden Association that made a significant impact to cities and towns across the country. 

By turning vacant lots into pocket parks, and encouraging residents and business owners in economically depressed areas to explore container gardening in pots and window boxes, Louise's NGA was responsible for not only beautifying neighborhoods but also promoting a sense of pride and belonging within each community. This beautification program  began with inner-city neighborhoods in Philadelphia but quickly spread across the country, turning Louise and her love of flowers into a beacon of hope, beauty, inspiration and encouragement to areas that saw few natural pleasantries in their urban landscape.  

We loved Louise's inspiring story so much, we are including a vintage midcentury newspaper article with this book about her work with the Neighborhood Garden Association and its impact.

Photo of Louise Bush-Brown courtesy The Sentinel, March 16th 1967

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1939 First Edition 
• 1222 pages including detailed index
• Illustrated throughout with photographs in color and black and white, and with a bevy of line drawings, diagrams and charts

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition, this book is bright and clean throughout. The coverboards contain some light tanning on the outer spine as well as the illustrated endpapers. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 8.5" inches (length) x 5.75" inches (width) x 2.25" inches (thickness) and weighs 3.6 lbs.