FIRST PRINTED IN 1860 on the eve of the Civil War, Ladies' Southern Florist by Mary C. Rion was the first book to provide gardeners in the South with a comprehensive list of ornamentals - trees, shrubs, flowers, bulbs, and roses - ideally suited to the southern climate. This small but pivotal work is equally significant as the earliest garden book in the South written by a woman. Prior to its publication, southern gardeners had to turn to English garden books or guides geared to northern gardeners, which offered little in the way of advice on growing plants in a region characterized by mild winters, hot and humid summers, and periods of extended drought. This facsimile edition of Ladies' Southern Florist not only offers a historical perspective of gardening but also serves as a wonderful resource at this time of growing interest in garden history, period gardens, and heirloom plants.
While many of the 150 plants described by Rion had long been favorites, she also featured many newly introduced specimens that found instant favor with southern gardeners, including camellia (Camellia japonica), gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), and a wide selection of roses. Whether enjoyed for its historic merit or employed as a guide for selecting traditional time-tested plants, Rion's work celebrates the timeless joys, pleasures, and rewards of gardening in the South.

Introduction by: James R. Cothran, Debra McCoy-Massey