Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden Earle 1897 Sixth Edition Victorian Gardening
 
Bibliographic Details
Title: Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden
Author: Mrs C. W. Earle (Maria Theresa Villiers Earle)
Appendix: By Lady Constance Lytton
Publisher: Smith, Elder, & Co.
Place of Publication: 15 Waterloo Place, London
Printer: Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square, London
Date: 1897
Edition: Sixth Edition
Illustrations: Illustrations in the appendix, including three illustrations of Japanese flower arranging.
Pagination: xii, 381 pages, with publisher's catalogue at rear.
 
Historical & Bibliographical Context
Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden was first published in 1897 and became an immediate success, establishing Maria Theresa Earle as an influential writer on gardening and domestic life. 
Rather than being simply a gardening manual, the work combines observations on gardening and horticulture with domestic advice, cooking, furnishing, education, health, books, art and the everyday experiences of a late-Victorian woman. Its monthly arrangement gives the book something of the character of a personal gardening journal, making it particularly valuable as a record of Victorian domestic culture.
Earle's approach was influential. Her garden at Woodlands in Cobham, Surrey, was admired by her artistic and literary circle, and her writing subsequently influenced later garden writers including Gertrude Jekyll. 
This sixth edition is particularly interesting bibliographically because the book had already achieved considerable popularity by 1897. Surviving bibliographical records confirm a London 1897 edition, while contemporary bookseller records identify copies specifically as sixth editions. 
The appendix on Japanese art of arranging cut flowers was contributed by Earle's niece, Lady Constance Lytton. Lytton would later become well known as a writer, political activist and suffragette, making her association with this early gardening work of additional interest to collectors of women's history and Victorian social history. 
 
About the Author
Maria Theresa Villiers Earle (1836–1925), writing as Mrs C. W. Earle, was a British horticulturalist and author whose observations on gardening and domestic life made Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden a highly successful late-Victorian work. Her writing and garden influenced later figures including Gertrude Jekyll. 
 
About the Illustrations
There are illustrations within the appendix dealing with Japanese flower arranging, complementing Lady Constance Lytton's contribution and adding visual interest to this early edition.
 
Binding & Exterior
Original green cloth over the boards and spine, with gilt lettering to the spine and a blind-stamped decorative border to the boards. The binding remains intact and robust, although there is cosmetic wear consistent with age and use. There is discolouration and staining to the spine, several marks, bumping and light rubbing to the corners, small rips at the head and tail of the spine, and a few very small rubbed areas.
The book retains its original green ribbon marker, an attractive period feature, although the ribbon is fragile where it attaches at the top.
 
Interior Condition
The green pastedowns and endpapers remain present. The pages are thick in consistency, and many remain uncut, including portions of the contents, preliminary and concluding leaves, and pages 109–112. This provides an interesting indication of the book's original production and subsequent handling.
The paper is very lightly tanned and generally neat and clean, with only occasional small or light marks which do not affect the text. There are only a few small edge tears, again without loss of text. The pages are predominantly uncreased.
There is a light crack in the gutter between a few leaves, but the binding remains structurally sound. All pages are present and have been checked. There are no ownership inscriptions or annotations.
 
Physical Details
Pages: xii, 381 pages, plus publisher's catalogue
Dimensions: Approximately 21.8 × 14.8 × 4.7 cm
Weight: Approximately 728 grams