All about Flowers

“Discover the history of one of the largest Victorian-era mailorder seed catalogs in the United States as well as bygone trends in gardening in this well-researched book by Thomas J. Mickey. Mickey takes an insightful look at how (James) Vick transformed the seed business and beautified thousands of American gardens. Readers will also learn about 19th-century landscape design elements and plants that are still used in today’s gardens.” — The American Gardener

“A well-researched…. fascinating account of a long-forgotten, energetic man who single handedly changed the face of
American horticulture.”

— Judith B. Tankard, Hortus

“Showcasing a nineteenth-century entrepreneur’s bold, innovative marketing that helped transform flower gardens into one of America’s favorite hobbies, All about Flowers … is a beautifully illustrated and impressively informative history that will have special appeal to the legions of dedicated flower gardeners and students of nineteenth-century American capitalism.” — Midwest Book Review

“Replete with colorful floral illustrations, this book about James Vick and his nineteenth-century seed company shows how he used innovative mass marketing and regular customer correspondence to build one of the largest and most respected seed companies in the United States. As a writer, horticulturist, and businessman, Vick deserves to be recognized as a man whose knowledge and influence spread worldwide during his lifetime. This book is long overdue.” — Beverly Gibson, horticulturist, Landmark Society of Western New York

“Illuminating reading for those interested in the history of horticulture and landscape design, or nineteenth-century American culture.” — Library Journal

“Thomas Mickey has brought to life the work of nineteenth-century flower seedsman James Vick through historical documents, catalogs, customer testimonials and charming illustrations. In All about Flowers, Mickey reveals where our enduring love for flowers came from and examines the role flower gardening played in the Victorian era, particularly for women.” — Susan Mulvihill, coauthor of Northwest Gardener's Handbook: Your Complete Guide

“All about Flowers makes an indispensable contribution to the history of US ornamental horticulture.” — Geraldine A. Laufer, coauthor of Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers