Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale): flowering plant, leaves and floral segments. Coloured etching, c. 1836.

Philip Miller was the gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden. During his tenure, he helped to develop the garden into one of world class renown. His work as a botanist earned him election to membership of the Royal Society and to a number of Europe's leading botanical societies. As the plant collections grew so too did the published works of Miller, notably The gardener's dictionary, first issued in 1731