Besler, a pharmacist from Nuremburg, was appointed by Prince - Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen in 1598 to oversee the extensive gardens surrounding his castle in Eichstatt. In 1606 Gemmingen asked Besler to draw up a catalog in the form of a florilegium, complete with illustrations of the vast botanical collection. There were more than 1,000 plant s represented in the catalog and the species were grouped according to the season in which they bloom. The plates were drawn very accurately, but a
