The Botanic Garden; A Poem in Two Parts

1791

de Beer Ec 1791 D, copy 2

London: Printed for J. Johnson

Poet and botanist Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) united his professional pursuits in the two works that comprise The Botanic Garden: ‘The Loves of the Plants’, a versification of Linnaean classifications, and ‘Economy of Vegetation’, a reflection on contemporary scientific theories. Darwin incorporated extensive scientific learning into his poetry and in the accompanying notes. His insights into natural history and evolutionary thought anticipated the theory of natural selection of his grandson, Charles Darwin.