Like all living things, plants have their friends - those with which they prefer to grow. Edwin Steffek

{HISTORY}

Combining the beautiful art and expertise of three leading botanical experts, this vintage wildflower gardening book features flower portraits by Mary Vaux Walcott (1860-1940) and Dorothy Falcon Platt (1881-1971) alongside horticultural information by Edwin Steffek (1912-1985). 

Although they lived and worked at different times during the 20th century, the collaborative effort that brought Wild Flowers and How to Grow Them together to become the first practical book on wildflower cultivation is absolutely ovely in scope and presentation.

First published in 1954, Edwin shares a wealth of information from all angles on how to successfully grow, cultivate, transplant and propagate wild plants in a range of environments and soils.

Ahead of his time in appreciating the natural benefits wildflowers represent to the environment and to the birds, bees and insects that rely on them, Edwin's mission with this book was to educate and inspire home gardeners.  By considering not only the aesthetic and natural beauty that wildflowers bring to an individual garden but also highlighting their overall significance in the environment was trailblazing information shared at a time when few horticulturalists were directly talking to or enlisting the help of the backyard gardener and the amateur hobbyist in the field of conservation. 

Detailed information on over 70 different wildflower varieties includes visual descriptions, the locations where each type of plant grows, the season in which each plant blooms, the culture in which each plant thrives,  and notes on similar or related species. Black and white photographs help gardeners identify which plant is which and a selection of botanical illustrations by Mary and Dorothy highlight the colorful beauty of these natural bloomers. 

Throughout his career American writer, editor and gardener, Edwin Steffek worked both in the garden and in the publishing industry discussing a wide variety of botanical topics. He was the author or editor of over 40 different published books, the national director of the Men's Garden Club of America, and on the editorial staff at House Beautiful, Popular Garden and Horticulture magazine.

Artists Mary Vaux Walcott and Dorothy Falcon Platt focused on botanical illustrations of wildflowers during their early-to-mid 20th-century careers. Read more about their work here. 

Photo of Mary Vaux Walcott courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute circa 1924. Photo of Edwin Steffek by Harvard Studios.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1973 edition, 8th Printing 
• 192 pages
• Contains the original dust jacket
• Illustrated throughout

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this book is bright and clean throughout. There is light foxing on the foredge and a gift inscription dated July 4th, 1978 written in marker on the front inside endpaper.  The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 9.25" inches (length) x 6.75" inches (width) x .75" inches (thickness) and weighs 1.3 lbs.