Garden Flowers Card Game, Pepys Series
First Published: 1961, Pepys Series by Castell Brothers Ltd., St Cross Street, London
Illustrator or Designer: Dora Ratman
Contents: 44 Cards + Rules Booklet
There are 4 suits of 11 cards, all illustrated individually, there are three suits of Garden Flowers (Red, Blue & Yellow) and 1 suit of Weeds (Black), the 'worst' weeds have the highest numbers.
Garden Flowers cards: Blue - Love in a Mist, Iris, Campanula (Bellflower), Aster, Agapanthus, Viola, Scabious (Mourning Bride), Gentian, Crocus
Garden Flowers cards: Blue - Clematis (Virginia Bower), Sweet Pea. Yellow - Hypericum (St. John’s Wort), Butterfly Gladioli, Nasturtium, Tulip, Potentilla, Primula, Marigold
Garden Flowers cards: Yellow - Hemerocallis (Day Lilly), Trollius (Globe Flower), Rudbeckia (Cone-Flower), Daffodil. Weeds - Daisy, Plantain, Shepherd’s Purse, Dandelion, Nettle
Garden Flowers cards: Weeds - Dock, Spear Thistle, Couch Grass, Ground Elder, Bindweed, Horsetail. Red - Heuchera (Alum-root), Monarda (Horse-mint), Geranium (Cranesbill)
Garden Flowers cards: red Anemone (Windflower), Aquilega (Columbine), Echinacea, Gallardia, Salvia (Sage), Fuchsia, Chrysanthemum, Rose.
Dora Ratman provided the original illustrations for the cards, she was a well known botanical artist who had her worked reproduced in, and sometimes given as free gifts with, the magazine Amateur Gardener in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She also provided illustrations for many gardening books.
I have been unable to find out much about Dora Ratman's life or career. The British Dental Association's Dental Museum own a portrait of Dentist S. I. Blairman by Dora Ratman but I cannot find other examples of her work in museums or galleries.
Some auction houses refer to Dora Ratman RA but the Royal Academy do not have her listed amongst their previous Academicians.
Game & Version Details
 | Garden Flowers - Card Back |
 | Garden Flowers - Rules Front |
 | Garden Flowers - Rules Back Games Advertised: Wild Flower Sevens British Birds British Towns |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Back |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Top |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Side Left |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Base Envelope style |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Side Right |
 | Garden Flowers - Box Back With Flap |