[1] His first work was The Beauties of Surrey, published in 1849, described as being "a particular description of about one hundred and twenty seats of the nobility and gentry, in the County of Surrey, comprising all that is interesting in the departments of horticulture, floriculture, arboriculture, park and pleasure ground scenery, from visits made in the spring of 1849".
He had spent the first part of 1849 visiting gardens at country houses in Surrey, and decided to write up the results for others to enjoy: "Now that railroads, the annihilators of space and time, afford such facilities for visiting various and distant places in the country, it is assuredly an advantage to be provided with a description of the different Seats, to select that neighbourhood where the particular information that each person may choose to seek would be best found.
In 1850, he published the sequel, The Beauties of Middlesex: Being a Particular Description of the Principal Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, in the County of Middlesex Comprising a Great Deal that is Interesting in the History Architecture and Internal Adornments of the Mansions Etc., and in the Gardens, Parks, and Pleasure Ground Scenery, from Visits Made in 1849 and 1850.
: English grammar, geology, botany, vegetable physiology, horticultural chemistry, physical geography, entomology, land measuring, architectural drawing, letter writing, penmanship, the measurement of artificer’s work connected with gardening, etc".
At the time of publication, Keane was based at The Old Horticultural Gardens, Edwardes Place, Kensington.