Promotional Information

The lotus, lily, sunflower, opium poppy, rose, tulip and orchid: one of our finest horticultural historians considers a septet of flowers that have enflamed hearts and minds in cultures around the world.

About the Author

Also a published novelist, Jennifer Potter writes about the history and culture of plants, plantsmen and gardens. She reviews regularly for the Times Literary Supplement, and has been variously a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, a Hawthornden Fellow and an Honorary Teaching Fellow on the Warwick Writing Programme. Her most recent books include Strange Blooms and The Rose, A True History, both published by Atlantic Books.

Reviews

This literary delight will surely become compulsory reading for flower enthusiasts everywhere...
Accompanied by magnificent colour plates and botanical etchings, this book is a voyage of discovery. A thoroughly rewarding read.

* The Lady *
Jennifer Potter is a wonderful writer on the history and culture of plants, plantsmen, and gardens... Any gardener, of the practical or armchair variety, will love this beautifully written survey. * Good Book Guide *
Endlessly beguiling... Potter's range of reference is huge, from Dante to Ginsberg, from the flower-and-bird paintings of the Song dynasty to Manet and from early Christianity to Hindu creation myths... Every page yields up some delicious nuggets * Gardens Illustrated *
Fascinating and highly readable * The Garden *