I am delighted to share my review today of A Short History of FLowers by Advolly Richmond. This is a stunning book and a proper little treasure trove of interesting stories.
I received a copy of this via the Amazon Vine program and my review is my own.
Garden and social historian Advolly Richmond (of Gardener’s World ) unravels the surprising histories of 60 flowers that shape our gardens.
Have you ever wondered where your favourite garden flowers came from? Where their names derived? Or why some cultivars go in and out of favor? Every flower in your herbaceous border has a story, and in this book Advolly Richmond takes you on a tour of the most intriguing, surprising and enriching ones.
Tales of exploration, everlasting love and bravery bring these beautiful flowers to life. Advolly has dug down to uncover the royalty, scholars, pioneers and a smuggler or two that have all played a part in discovering and cultivating some of our favourite species. From the lavish and exotic bougainvillea, found by an 18th century female botanist in disguise to the humble but majestic snowdrop casting a spell and causing a frenzy. These plants have played pivotal roles in our societies, from boom to bust economies, promises of riches, and making fashion statements. These unassuming blooms hold treasure troves of stories.
With specially commissioned artworks from award-winning botanical illustrator Sarah Jane Humphrey, which sumptuously bring each flower to life – this is a beautiful compendium for every garden lover.
MY REVIEW
This is an absolutely gorgeous book about flowers, their origins and how some of them became a staple plant in our gardens. I love my garden and there are some plants I remember from my childhood that my Mum would grow and others that would only be seen in specialist gardens. Now, plants are more accessible and there is even more choice and variety with hybrids and new designs.
The author is a well-known face on the TV show Gardeners World and she has chosen some of the ones that have a story behind them, it could be a love story or a lonely expedition, but it is a story of how they became a favourite in our gardens.
This is a gorgeous book and one that has stunning illustrations of the flowers, the illustrations are the sort you would find in older horticultural books rather than the showy photographs that we now have. There are also black line illustrations scattered throughout that correspond to a story or tell about a naturalist.
I adore this book and it is one you can sit and read cover to cover, or just flick through. It is a treasure trove of facts, stories and trivia and is one for fans of horticulture, gardening and flowers. It is one I would definitely recommend.