The Garden Museum purchases 1664 – First Edition of ‘The Compleat Gardeners Practice’

The Garden Museum in South London, with the help of The Friends of the National Libraries & the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, have purchased a 1664 first edition of Stephen Blake’s ‘The Compleat Gardeners Practice’.  The book has only come up for auction twice in the last 35 and both in the 1970’s, but what was particularly important about this copy was that it was garden designer Rosemary Verey’s personal copy.  It includes 30 engraved plates one of which shows ‘The True Lovers Knott’ which was used as the basis of the design for her garden at Barnsley House.

The Garden Museum is located on Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 7LB