William Lawson

Published: 1618 facsimilie edition 2003
Format: hardback
Pages: 136

Status: Available

William Lawson (1553-1635) was a clergyman in a country parish in North Yorkshire and was a keen, experienced gardener who distilled the fruits of his knowledge into these two books, among the treasures of early gardening literature.

The facsimilie edition of William Lawson's A New Orchard and Garden with The Country Housewife's Garden (1618) with a new introduction by Malcolm Thick, has much to delight the reader.  The illustrations are deservedly famous, beautiful woodcuts which have been used again and again in books on the history of gardening.  The layout of the book, with neat margin notes and elaborate printers ornaments, takes us back to the seventeenth century.

While making lots of suggestions about the practice of gardening and growing fruit trees, Lawson is particularly interested in the layout and design of orchard, pleasure garden and knot gardens.  The Country Housewife's Garden is precious for its attention to the role of women; as cooks, lovers of fine flowers and keepers of the medicine cupboard and was the first gardening book written for women.  There is also a full chapter on beekeeping.  At the end of the two main works, there are two contemporary pamphlets on grafting and on picking, packing and transporting fruit.

This historic book has been reprinted many times but never before as a facsimilie edition.

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