Jane Wells Webb Loudon was born in Birmingham, England, in 1807. She had a modest career writing children's books and poetry until 1827, when she published, anonymously, a futuristic novel titled The Mummy!, which attracted much attention. Its editor, John Claudius Loudon, a prolific writer on horticulture and landscape architecture, favorably reviewed it in The Gardener's Magazine.
Loudon finally met Jane in 1830, her secret authorship was revealed, and they were married later that year. From then on, she concentrated on horticultural writing and helping her husband. His health was poor, and he suffered a stroke before his death, in 1843. Jane's specialty was ladies gardening; she published a number of books on the subject, selfillustrated by colour lithographs, and continued to publish until her death, in 1858.
