Louis Van Houtte's "Flore des Serres et des Jardins de L'Europe" or "The Gardens of Europe" gorgeous botanical prints from 1845-1875

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Flore des Serres et des Jardins de L'Europe
Louis van Houtte and Charles Lemaire, editors
Ghent, Belgium (1845-1883)

Gorgeous original 140-year-old multi-stone color lithographs with some handcoloring

Fold-out "double" plates measure approximately 9.5 x 13 inches (approx. 24 x 33 cm)
Single plates measure approximately 6.5 x 9.5 inches (approx. 16.5 x 24 cm)

Louis Benoit van Houtte, Belgian horticulturist, was born at Ypres on June 29, 1810, and died at Ghent May 9, 1876. He was associated with the Jardin Botanique de Brussels from 1836 to 1838. In 1839, after an expedition to Brazil, he went to Ghent where he founded the Ecole d'Horticulture and the horticultural journal Flore des serres et des Jardins de l'Europe. Flore des serres was an extensive work with over 2000 colored plates. It contained 23 volumes published from 1845 to 1883, some coming out after his death.

He also established a nursery there with managing partner the nurseryman Adolf Papeleu. Van Houtte's knowledge of botany, his commercial aptitude and language skills made the Establishment Van Houtte very successful. About 1845 he began sending out plant collectors to bring back orchids and other exotic plants from South and Central America. His company propagated many plants for European greenhouses. The first Victoria to be cultivated on the Continent grew there in a specially built greenhouse and the first confirmed water lily hybrid, N. Ortgiesiano-rubra, was created there by Eduard Ortgies. By 1870 Van Houtte owned the most flourishing nursery in Belgium, with an area of 14 hectares and 50 greenhouses. After he died in 1876 his son continued the business.

Louis Benoit van Houtte

Please click on a thumbnail to see most of the plate (the fold-out doubles are too large for a complete scan).
Please note: the enlarged scans tend to look darker than the actual print. The paper is generally much brighter than what appears on the scan.
These are truly gorgeous prints and the scans do not do them justice!

BELOW ARE THE FOLD-OUT "DOUBLE PRINTS" FROM Flore des Serres et des Jardins de L'Europe
WITH ORIGINAL CENTER FOLDS, AS ISSUED.

(click here for "single" plates)

Hoya Imperialis

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

[leaves on right continue and are complete]

$179.95

Gardenia Stanleyana

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Tacsonia Insignis

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Lilium Humboldti

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

[image continues on both left and right]

$179.95

Lilium Neilgerricum

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

Lilium Speciosum Rubrum
[Lilium Lancifolium Rubrum]

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Lilium Eximium

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Crinum Scabrum

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Solandra Loevis

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Lilium Szowitzianum

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Camellia Reticulata Flore Pleno

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

Gladiolus Gandavensis

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Jonesia Asoca

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Azalea Indica

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Luculia Pinceana

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Rhododendrum Falconeri

Double-Double print!
13.25 x 19 inches or about 33.5 x 48 cm
With orginal horizontal and vertical folds, as issued

$279.95

Daphne Blagayana

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Clematis
clematis viticella rubra grandiflora
clematis Mrs. James Bateman

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Poinciana Gilliesi

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Doryanthes Palmeri

[see enlargement for margins]
9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

Primula Sinensis Fimbriata

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Thibaudia Pulcherrima

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Napoleona Whitefieldii

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Naegelioides Suave Roseum

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Eucodonioides

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Eucodonia Naegelioides Lilacinella

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Naegelioides Scintillans

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Naegelioides Bicolor

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Eucodonia Naegelioides Diamantina

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Naegelioides Colibri

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Naegelia Sceptre Cerise

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Naegelia [gesneria]
chromatella
cymosa
Lindleyana
rosea punctatissima

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

Plectopoma Myriostygma
Ruban Rose

9½ x 13 inches
fold-out double

$179.95

"Double-page lithographs"
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

"Single-page lithographs"
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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