Flower Garden, Valleyfield

From Humphry Repton, 'Observations on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening' (London, 1805).

Humphry Repton (1772-1818) was a landscape designer. He is regarded as the greatest English landscape designer to follow 'Capability' Brown. Repton produced illustrated books featuring watercolours on hinged flaps (or 'slides', Repton's term for his flaps) to show 'before' and 'after' views. These manuscripts, bound in red morocco leather, became known as 'Red Books', and were produced to sell his concepts to prospective clients. Repton produced over 400 Red Books for various clients. 'Observations on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening', one of several books published by Repton, uses a selection of examples from his Red Books to summarise his approach to landscape gardening.

The RHS Lindley Library owns the original Red Book for Waresley Park in Cambridgeshire (1792).