Loudon
was an outstanding landscape gardener and
horticultural writer. He rented a large farm where he
took pupils in agriculture but after making
considerable profit on this venture, gave up the farm,
dismissed his pupils and traveled extensively in
Europe.
His works on every branch of horticulture raised
the field to a higher position than it had ever
enjoyed. He gave clear, accurate and complete
information concerning the details of the various
practices.
Encyclopedia of Gardening (1822) and
Arboretum et Fruitcetum Britannicum (1838) are
examples of his industry and became valuable works of
reference. Other books included:
Encyclopedia of Plants(1802)
A Short Treatise on Hothouses (1805)
A Treatise on Country Residences (1806)
Hortus Britannicus (1830)
The Suburban Gardener (1838)
The Suburban Horticulturist (1843)
Self-Instruction for Young Gardeners (1845)
He began to publish the monthly Gardeners
Magazine in 1826 and continued with it until his
death. Its circulation declined after 1831 with the
appearance of Paxton's Horticultural Register.
At one time he actually edited five monthly
publications. He became so heavily in debt in
preparing and publishing Arboretum that he
resumed work as a landscape gardener, while two of his
sisters learned wood engraving and his wife began to
write books on her own account. He published a work on
the laying out of cemeteries in 1843. His last book,
Self-Instruction for Young Gardeners, was
dictated to his wife until midnight of the day before
he died. He had taxed his health far beyond his
capacity in order to pay off his debts. Probably few
horticultural writers have worked against such severe
physical handicaps.
