A wonderfully timeworn copy of Black’s Gardening Dictionary, an old practical reference for the garden, filled with advice on plants, cultivation, soils and the everyday business of growing.

The binding is particularly lovely, with faded red cloth corners and spine surrounding marbled paper boards. Inside, the pages have mellowed to a deep warm cream, with the dense alphabetical entries giving it all the appeal of an old working reference book. The period advertisements to the endpapers are a charming detail in their own right, including wonderfully specific remedies for spraying fruit trees and washing greenhouse plants.

This is very much a book that wears its age visibly. There is considerable foxing and browning throughout, along with rubbing, fading and wear to the binding. For us, that is a large part of its appeal. It feels like a gardening book that has spent decades within reach of muddy hands.

A lovely present for a gardener, particularly tucked into a Christmas parcel with seeds or a pair of secateurs, and equally appealing simply stacked amongst old books in a country kitchen or potting shed.

Title: Black’s Gardening Dictionary

Publisher: A. & C. Black

Date: Early 20th century

Binding: Cloth and marbled paper-covered boards

Condition: Well-used antique condition with extensive age-related toning, foxing and spotting throughout. The binding has rubbing, fading and general wear consistent with age and use. Please refer closely to the photographs.