Mary Pirie

[1] She also mentions her belief that "the regular operations of nature are a convincing proof that all things are made by divine hand".

[3] In later life, after publishing her books Pirie remained unmarried and lived with her servant Christina Ogilvie as of the 1881 England, Wales, and Scotland Census.

[10] Pirie was a botanist who wanted to inspire that love in others, both her works are aimed at encouraging people from all walks of life to be interested in nature.

[6] One example of Pirie's style is in the details of the romantic story told about the mignonette, reseda odorata and how it became part of the Count Walsheim of Saxony's coat of arms.

[3] Pirie's 1864 work was dedicated to Viscount Reidhaven and in the preface she states that it is designed to "encourage and aid youth in the study of animated nature".

[13] Nowadays, Pirie's books are available across the world with 7 copies of 'Flowers, Grasses and Shrubs with Anecdotes and Poetical Illustrations' in North America and 3 copies in the United Kingdom according to OCLC records; including one in Pirie's native Scotland in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.