author
Samuel Arnott
1852–1930
A Scottish gardener, civic leader, and keen plant writer, he helped popularize bulbs and alpine plants for everyday gardeners. His best-known book, The Book of Bulbs, reflects a practical love of gardens and careful observation.
1 Audiobook
The Book of Bulbs
by Samuel Arnott
About the author
Born in 1852, Samuel Arnott was a Scottish gardener and public figure associated with Maxwelltown and Dumfries. Records from the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society describe him as an active member of the society, a council member, and the first specifically named editor of its Transactions for several volumes in the years 1907 to 1910.
Arnott is remembered as a knowledgeable horticultural writer with a special interest in bulbs and alpine plants. His book The Book of Bulbs, now available through Project Gutenberg, is a clear, practical guide to growing and arranging bulbous plants, and it helped preserve his reputation as an enthusiastic and accessible gardening author.
He also had a public life beyond writing: archival and reference sources identify him as a gardener and politician, and a painted portrait of him survives under the title Samuel Arnott (1852–1930), Provost of Maxwelltown. He died in 1930, leaving behind a small but lasting place in Scottish horticultural history.