Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South

"Through these pictures and his graceful prose, Cothran has achieved nothing less than the reclamation of the South's rich garden history. It is a splendid accomplishment that anyone with an interest in Southern history will enjoy."—Mobile Register

"[An] eye-pleasing an well-documented large-format volume, which offers a broad overview of the cultivation and engineering of scenic, formal and wild ornamental gardens and the trees, shrubs and flowers that formed them. . . The reader certainly will be able to apprehend landscaped gardens with a deeper appreciation as a result of this scholarly and unusual study."—The Post & Courier, Charleston

"Garden scholars and historians of our region and beyond will welcome this in-depth look at the past."—The Times Picayune

"It's wonderful to see garden history of the South get a full, scholarly treatment"—The Charlotte Observer

"James R. Cothran is one of a vanishing breed of landscape architects who are academically and practically trained in both horticulture and design, rather than just the latter. These talents are strongly evident in Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South, a carefully researched and clearly written compendium of studies of the antebellum gardens of the lower and middle South. The plants and other details that enriched these gardens, along with fascinating accounts about the people who created them, bring this beautifully illustrated text to life. This book is a must for the serious scholar of landscape history, as well as the interested amateur."—Rudy J. Favretti, fellow, American Society of Landscape Architects, and professor emeritus, University of Connecticut

"James R. Cothran's latest book offers a thorough survey of the rich and varied documentation on southern gardens of the antebellum period. Cothran's passion for the topic inspires this extraordinary compilation, which will prove informative and useful for historic plant enthusiasts, professional garden historians, and gardeners of all sorts."—Peggy Cornett, director, Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, Monticello

"Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South fills a niche in southern garden history. Cothran is a meticulous researcher and has compiled the extraordinary garden history of this era into an eminently readable volume. Gardeners, historians, and landscape architects will all find this a useful tool to add to the bookshelf."—Gordon W. Chappell, director of landscape, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and coauthor of The Gardens of Colonial Williamsburg

"Currently there is widespread interest in heirloom plants, historic gardens, and landscape restoration. This handsome book, with its wealth of information and numerous illustrations, supplies much needed data on the gardens of the antebellum South, an area about which very little garden history has been written."—Flora Ann Bynum, secretary-treasurer, Southern Garden History Society, and chairman, landscape restoration committee, Old Salem

"Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South is a beautifully illustrated volume that features botanical prints, lithographs, garden plans, historic photographs, and contemporary photography to reveal the rich garden history of the South. A pictorial splendor as well as a treasure trove of cultural history, this volume is unique in its field. James R. Cothran invites plant enthusiasts, gardeners, and individuals interested in the history of the South to experience the glorious gardens that flourished in the region from 1820 through 1860. He describes the distinguishing features of antebellum gardens, sources for seed and plants, and dissemination of gardening information and fashion. Cothran also identifies landscape plans executed and plants cultivated during the golden age of horticulture in the South. Cothran provides profiles of prominent gardeners, horticulturalists, nurserymen, and writers who, in the decades preceding the American Civil War, were instrumental in shaping the horticultural and gardening legacy of the South."—Southeastern Naturalist

Winner, 2014 Nathan Bedford Forrest History Book Award
2004 American Society of Landscape Architects Award of Honor, Communications Category
2004 Silver Medal, Foreword Magazine Book of the Year for Gardening
2004 Annual Literature Award from the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries
2004 Lilla M. Hawes Award of the Georgia Historical Society for Best Book on Local History
2004 Helen Hull Award for Literary Achievement, National Garden Clubs
2004 American Society of Landscape Architects–Georgia Chapter President's Award
2005 Helen Kohn Henning Award, Historic Columbia Foundation