Historical Seed Catalogs: Illustrated catalogue : Spring of 1894 by Pittsburgh Nurseries (1894) – 36 in a series

Historical Seed Catalogs: Illustrated catalogue : Spring of 1894 by Pittsburgh Nurseries (1894) – 36 in a series

The image is a vintage pink-colored illustrated catalogue cover for "Pittsburgh Nurseries," established in 1840. The title "Illustrated Catalogue" is prominently displayed in bold, black letters at the top. Below the title, the text "Spring of 1894" is written in a smaller font, accompanied by a decorative illustration of birds and floral elements. The central illustration features a pastoral scene with a river and trees, framed by a decorative border.

At the bottom of the cover, the name "John R. & A. Murdoch, Florists" is written in an ornate, black font. The address "508 Saithefield Street, Nurserymen, Seedsmen, Pittsburgh, PA" is provided, along with the telephone number "239." The cover also includes a library stamp in the top right corner, indicating it was received by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on September 11, 1923. The overall design is characteristic of late 19th-century advertising, with a focus on nature and pastoral imagery.

Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8BHistorical Seed Catalogs: Illustrated catalogue : Spring of 1894 by Pittsburgh Nurseries (1894) - 36 in a series

Historical Seed Catalogs: Illustrated catalogue : Spring of 1894 by Pittsburgh Nurseries (1894) - 36 in a seriesHistorical Seed Catalogs: Illustrated catalogue : Spring of 1894 by Pittsburgh Nurseries (1894) - 36 in a series

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Important Notice

Since the issue of our last Spring Catalogue we have sustained a severe loss in the death of our Mr.. Alexander Murdoch, who departed this life on the ninth day of February, 1893. Mr. Murdoch has practically had entire control of the business for the last quarter of a century, and under his able management it has increased from a few scattered greenhouses and 15 or 20 acres of cultivated land to the largest established nursery business in Western Pennsylvania. Since Mr. Murdoch’s death the business management of the firm has fallen upon Mr. John R. Murdoch, assisted by his sons and nephew, and their every aim is to uphold the firm’s reputation for honest dealing, thereby assuring their patrons the same satisfaction which was always guaranteed in their dealings with the late Mr. A. Murdoch. Every effort is being put forth to keep their cut flower and seed trade what it always has been, the very best. But owing to the exorbitant increase in the tax assessments of their nursery property, it has become too valuable to be used for this purpose, and the present management feel justified in closing out this department. With this object in view they earnestly request that all intending purchasing, call and inspect their nurseries in the Twenty-second Ward, During this spring and next fall it is their intention to dispose of their immense stock of fruit and shade trees, vines, plants, shrubs and ornamentals of all kinds as rapidly as possible, and every one wishing to buy should not miss this opportunity to beautify their homes at prices which are sure to prove inducive.

Dazzling Dahlias – 3 in a series – Dahlia ‘Tahoma Lady’

Dazzling Dahlias - 3 in a series - Dahlia
 
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An interesting link found among my daily reading

Historical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers (1773) – 46 in a series

Archive.org has a host of old gardening books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. I happened across a few in my Pinterest feed and gone completely down the rabbit hole in this treasure trove of information. Sure some ideas might be out of date, but you never know what you might find when you explore these catalogs. I’ll be sharing more catalogs as I find them in the coming weeks. –Douglas

Historical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers (1773) – 46 in a series

Historical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers, ,  (1773) - 46 in a seriesHistorical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers, ,  (1773) - 46 in a series

Historical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers, ,  (1773) - 46 in a seriesHistorical Garden Books: A dissertation on oriental gardening by Sir William Chambers, ,  (1773) - 46 in a series

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P R E F A C E

AMONGST the decorative arts, there is none of which the influence is so extensive as that of Gardening. The productions of other arts have their separate classes of admirers, who alone relish or set any great value upon them: to the rest of the world they are indifferent; sometimes disgusting. A building affords no pleasure to the generality of men, but what results from the grandeur of the object, or the value of its materials : nor doth a picture affect them, but by its resemblance to life : a thousand other beauties, of a higher kind, are lost upon them: for, in Architecture, in Painting, and indeed in most other arts, men must learn before they can admire; their pleasure keeps pace with their judgment : and it is only by knowing much, that they can be highly delighted.



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Captivating Cactus: Time to plant (cactus) via Botanical Bright on TicTok [Video]

Captivating Cactus: Time to plant (cactus) via Botanical Bright on TicTok [Video]

Follow Captivating Cactus and Striking Succulents on Facebook

Announcing Our New Guide to Garden Shed Design via Gardenista

A garden shed should be a sanctuary. Your safe space. At its most modest, a shed is the little building in the backyard, preferably covered with vines, where you can slip off on your own to hang your hat on a hook, re-pot an overgrown scented geranium, and organize all your sharp-edged tools.
Read Announcing Our New Guide to Garden Shed Design – Gardenista via Gardenista



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!


An interesting link found among my daily reading

Historical Seed Catalogs: Money growers manual by Johnson & Stokes; (1892) – 35 in a series

Historical Seed Catalogs: Money growers manual by Johnson & Stokes; (1892) – 35 in a series

The image is a vintage advertisement poster from 1892, featuring the title "Johnson & Stokes Money Growers Manual." The poster has a decorative and ornate design typical of the late 19th century. At the top, the name "Johnson & Stokes" is prominently displayed in large, red, stylized letters. Below the title, the year "1892" is written in green.

The central figure is a woman dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono, holding a parasol with a yellow and orange pattern. She is standing next to a vase filled with white flowers, placed on a small table draped with a yellow cloth. A crane is depicted flying in the background, adding to the East Asian theme.

The bottom of the poster features the text "Money Growers Manual" in a bold, gray font. The overall color scheme includes shades of red, green, yellow, and white, with a cream-colored background. The poster appears to be in good condition, with some minor signs of aging, such as slight discoloration and a few creases.

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Historical Seed Catalogs: Money growers manual by Johnson & Stokes; (1892) - 35 in a series

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HERE are reasons why sensible people should buy their seeds of JOHNSON & Stokes. More than one hundred thousand such people have found by experience what these reasons are ; but many thousands of new cus tomers, who are seeking such a house, ought to know, too.

Growing seeds of the right sort is a difficult business. It requires rare facilities and experience just to grow good seeds. But we undertake more than this. The best sort of a seed business must be carried on doubly, so to speak, — it must grow plants, and it must grow seeds. It must grow the plants first, to find out whether the seeds of those plants are “worth growing.

Few seed houses will take the trouble to do this. We make it a chief feature of our business. What we do is not merely to grow seeds : it is to grow the right seeds, from tested stocks. Our customers get not merely seeds that will grow : they get seeds that it will pay them to grow.

Gardening 101: Coleus via Gardenista

Coleus: Plectranthus scutellarioides
 
Is coleus a plant you have to learn to love? Garden trends ebb and flow—and bright, dramatically colored foliage can be an acquired taste. I used to dismiss these tropical plants because I thought their brightly tinged leaves screamed gaudiness and were unbelievably hard to mix with other flowers. No longer. Now I think of them as plant gems that can add a burst of dramatic color; whenever I spot them I snap them up for my clients’ container plantings.
Read Gardening 101: Coleus via Gardenista



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library


An interesting link found among my daily reading

Dazzling Dahlias – 2 in a series – Dahlia ‘Contraste’ via Gardenia.net

Dahlia 'Contraste' via Gardenia.net
 
Dahlia ‘Contraste’ produces profuse and spectacular dark red flowers adorned with contrasting pure white tips. The fully double flowers, up to 8-9 in. wide (20-22 cm), are borne atop strong stems from summer to frost and provide an amazing focal point in the garden or in a vase. Bred in France as a cut flower, this dahlia grows up to 36 in. tall (90 cm) and is an excellent choice to create a lovely garden display or for showing.

Read Dahlia ‘Contraste’ via Gardenia.net



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!


An interesting link found among my daily reading

How To Use A Bulb Auger (And Plant Bulbs In Minutes) via The Impatient Gardener

I wish I had had one of these when I was planting my own bulbs. It is slow going with a trowel in hard soil but this could have made all the difference. — Douglas
 

Last spring Mr. Much More Patient looked out the window at our still-gray landscape and asked why we didn’t have more daffodils. They are a good bulb to grow here because no critters will touch them. Still, I don’t want to add too many more to the gardens, as keeping them healthy requires leaving the foliage standing to die back naturally, and I don’t love that look in my garden. (In fact I often cut off the leaves before I should, knowing full well this will affect their life span.) But we do have a lot of wooded areas that are quite bright in spring and would look lovely with some color. And I’d never have to worry about the foliage looking tatty. 

So I told Mr. Much More Patient we could have mass quantities of daffodils if he didn’t balk at the cost and would agree to help plant them.

And that’s how we ended up planting 400 daffodils this week.

Read How To Use A Bulb Auger (And Plant Bulbs In Minutes) Via The Impatient Gardener



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!


An interesting link found among my daily reading

Historical Garden Books: Detail des nouveaux jardins à la mode by Georges-Louis Le Rouge, Sir William Chambers (1776) – 45 in a series

Archive.org has a host of old gardening books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. I happened across a few in my Pinterest feed and gone completely down the rabbit hole in this treasure trove of information. Sure some ideas might be out of date, but you never know what you might find when you explore these catalogs. I’ll be sharing more catalogs as I find them in the coming weeks. –Douglas

Historical Garden Books: Detail des nouveaux jardins à la mode by Georges-Louis Le Rouge, Sir William Chambers (1776) – 45 in a series

Historical Garden Books: Detail des nouveaux jardins à la mode by Georges-Louis Le Rouge,  Sir William Chambers (1776) - 45 in a series

Historical Garden Books: Detail des nouveaux jardins à la mode by Georges-Louis Le Rouge,  Sir William Chambers (1776) - 45 in a series

Download in Text, PDF, Single Page JPG, TORRENT from Archive.org



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!