Collection - Horticultural Nursery Trade Seed Catalogue Collection

• Textual record

This collection is comprised of 13,298.70 cm of textual records.

The Centre for Canadian Historical Horticultural Studies at Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) has approximately 30,000 horticultural trade seed catalogues, making it the largest collection of its kind in Canada. The collection contains catalogues from over 42 countries with Canada and the United States making up the largest portion.

These catalogues offer a wealth of knowledge about Canadian and international horticultural history, touching on topics including seeds, cultivars, equipment, prices, and nursery locations. Catalogues were issued by companies several times a year and provide us with fascinating insights into plant timelines, introductions, and horticultural trends.

The Canadian portion of the collection formed the basis of an art installation in the tunnel leading from RBG Centre to Hendrie Park. Images from this collection are also displayed on the walls of RBG's Garden Greenhouse Cafe. These, and many other images from the collection showcases botanical art and artists.

This collection consists of catalogues; price lists; flyers; correspondence; envelopes, product information booklets; CDs; line drawings; seed packets, trade cards, and photographs.