‘Le Jardin du Roy’ by Pierre Vallet (c.1575-1657) is the first important florilegia to be published. It was printed in Paris, 1608, for Marie de Medici (1575-1642), Henri IV’s consort and intended as a floral pattern book for embroidery. Considering this it is remarkable that they are as natural as they are. Encouragement for the work undoubtedly came from Marie de Medici who missed the wonderful gardens of her beloved Tuscany and surrounded herself with flowers at Court in Paris. Vallet was born in Orléans and soon found himself in the capital where he first worked as an engraver, then a designer of embroidery patterns. Vallet prepared the original drawings and the plates for this work. The engraving was skilfully prepared utilising etching, engraving and stipple methods in their production. Dunthorne (1938) 253; Hunt (1958) 187; Nissen BBI (1966) 2048; ‘Oak Spring Flora’ (1997) no. 8.