A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature by Bobby J. W

Description: A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature by Bobby J. Ward This is a perfect bedside book for the literate gardener and makes a terrific gardener's gift book. It is an entertaining survey of 80 plant genera, with a multitude of references to, and extracts from, myth and literature from Shakespeare to the Victorian language of flowers. Based on prodigious research, it includes much literature that has fallen into undeserved obscurity, as well as selections from the great poets. It is a delightful study of the influence of the world's flora on humanity, from the mundane to the mystical. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description This is a perfect bedside book for the literate gardener and makes a terrific gardeners gift book. It is an entertaining survey of 80 plant genera, with a multitude of references to, and extracts from, myth and literature from Shakespeare to the Victorian language of flowers. Based on prodigious research, it includes much literature that has fallen into undeserved obscurity, as well as selections from the great poets. It is a delightful study of the influence of the worlds flora on humanity, from the mundane to the mystical. Notes Delightful study of the influence of the worlds flora on humanity, with extracts from myth and literature. Flap Bobby Wards introduction begins: "Flowers and gardens have been objects of contemplation for writers from the beginning of recorded history." Here, he has compiled the written results of these musings. Ward carefully sets forth the popular history of each plant, following the threads of charming, descriptive names that evolved over the centuries. The historical introduction enlightens his readers with little-known facts of folklore, mythology or botany. Juxtaposed with the obscure is the familiar: stories that awaken in us instinctive reactions of warm comfort and sometimes cold dread, reactions not learned but rather the genetic heritage of our ancestors.The selections fall into four categories: mythological themes (i.e. the story of narcissus), historical significance (the white and red roses as symbols for the houses of York and Lancaster), ecclesiastical and religious symbolism, and the use of flowers in poetic associations (love, superstitions, the Victorian "language of flowers"). Not intending to be exhaustive or systematic, Ward describes the process as "much like tending a small garden when one has a vast amount of seed and plants with which to fill the limited space. What to sow and what to toss?" This "garden" includes writers both famous and obscure, and quotes from plant-lovers as diverse as poets, doctors and farmers. A Contemplation Upon Flowers will inspire you to look at your own garden in a new light, and to consider new additions based on what William Blake or the ancient Romans said about them. Author Biography Bobby J. Ward is past president of the North American Rock Garden Society. He has a degree in plant physiology, received his PhD in botany from North Carolina State University, and is a retired environmental scientist. A dedicated gardener, he has long been interested in plant names and plant lore. His book A Contemplation Upon Flowers won the Quill & Trowel Award of the Garden Writers Association. Bobby grew up on a farm in eastern North Carolina where his early interest in native plants started with observing the plants around him. In college, he had the opportunity to learn more about general biology, including botany, becoming interested in it as a career. He began his professional life as an environmental scientist working for 25 years at a major electrical power company. During these years, Bobby drifted toward horticulture and gardening as an avocation, so when he retired he already had his next career as an author and gardener in place. Bobby has traveled to Chile, Canada, the U.K., Mexico, South Africa, the Czech Republic, and extended regions of the United States to interview modern explorers and to see the landscape and locations where they do their species collecting. In his spare time, Bobby enjoys reading, traveling, and a sweet, peaceful dedication to his private gardens. Table of Contents Acanthus 27 Aconite 31 Adonis, Anemone & Pulsatilla 35 Amaryllis 42 Arum 45 Asphodel 49 Aster 53 Begonia 57 Bellflower 60 Broom 66 Buttercup 70 Camellia 77 Carnation 80 Clematis 85 Cockscomb 89 Colchicum 90 Columbine 93 Cornflower 97 Crape Myrtle 100 Crocus 102 Cyclamen 108 DaVodil 113 Dahlia 117 Daisy 121 Daylily 129 Euphorbia 131 Evening Primrose 134 Fern 138 Forget-me-not 142 Forsythia 146 Foxglove 147 Fritillary 153 Gentian 157 Geranium & Pelargonium 162 Gladiolus 167 Guernsey Lily 170 Heath & Heather 173 Hellebore 180 Hepatica 186 Hibiscus 189 Holly 192 Hollyhock 198 Honeysuckle 202 Hyacinth 208 Iris 215 Ivy 221 Jasmine 228 Laurel & Daphne 231 Lilac 237 Lily 243 Lily of the Valley 250 Lychnis 255 Marigold 259 Marsh Mallow 264 Morning Glory & Bindweed 268 Nasturtium 272 Orchid 275 Peony 279 Periwinkle 285 Phlox 289 Pimpernel 292 Poppy 296 Primrose 301 Queen Annes Lace 306 Rhododendron & Azalea 307 Rose 311 St. Johns Wort 318 Salvia 322 Sedum 325 Snapdragon 328 Snowdrop 331 Speedwell 339 Stock 342 Sunflower 345 Tulip 353 Verbena or Vervain 358 Violet, Pansy & Viola 362 Wallflower 369 Waterlily 372 Weeds 376 Wisteria 381 Yarrow 384 Zinnia 388 Calendar of Flowers 391 Saints of the Spade 393 Bibliography 401 Index of Persons 416 Index of Plants 434 Review A Contemplation Upon Flowers is an exceptional read, full of enticing, well researched, beautifully crafted words that bring to life many of the plants we already grow in our gardens. As a lecturer and plantsman, I found myself unable to put it down - each page revealing a multi-dimensional, highly entertaining, take on the plants we as horticulturists have already come to appreciate. I will find Bobby Wards work eminently useful in my writing, lecturing and for simply embracing more exuberantly the historical interaction between the plants I grow and the human condition. A requisite adjunct to any botanical or horticultural reference book currently available! -- Dan Hinkley Pacific Horticulture 19990901 At a time when the outpouring of new gardening books, good, bad, and indifferent, seems to be unabating, it has been a joy to read an authoritative work that is totally different and absorbing. Bobby Wards book is the result of five years of meticulous research into old botanical books and herbals, early gardening books and travel writings around the world, the works of the major and minor poets, classical novels, and much more. The result is a compendium of over eighty plant genera, each describing the earliest references to the plants in history and in legend, in poetry and in prose, including their earliest uses in herbalism and medicine. One of its great joys is the abundance of quotations, that are long enough to give a feel for the work from which they are taken, especially the poetry, and there is a comprehensive bibliography for those who want to discover more. I found it fascinating to be given such a deep insight into the feelings engendered in past generations by the old favourite plants which we now take for granted, especially at a time when growing new plants is the primary aim of most gardeners. -- Jack Elliott Trillium 19990901 If a gardeners curiosity about plants seems to increase the longer one plants, prunes, and propagates, this excellent meditation on plants will help appease such inquisitive tendencies. Booklist 19990801 Ward is meticulous in identifying the particular plants referred to in the literary selections he quotes. Library Journal 19990801 From casual flirtations to lifelong affairs, Bobby Ward probes our relationships to the flowers of gardens, fields and forests. With the relentless fervor of the paparazzi, he delves into literature past and present to unveil the joyful as well as the dark emotions that plants incite. His sumptuous commentary brings to life writers who exult the triumphs and lament the tragedies that have inextricably bound us to ornamental plants throughout history. -- C. Colston Burrell Horticulture 19990901 A Contemplation Upon Flowers may inspire you to view your own garden in a different light, and to consider new additions to your borders based on what William Blake or the ancient Romans said about them. -- Tim Morehouse Cincinnati Enquirer 19991218 This is a highly entertaining compilation and a most worthy addition to the flowers-folklore field. Taxon 19991101 Here is a book that is different, a book that will delight gardeners who wish to know more about the flowers they grow. It is not about their botany or cultivation but about the love and respect or occasionally even fear they engendered in the past. -- Jack Elliott Trillium 20000201 This is a great resource for further delving into literature with a horticultural flavour. Victoria Times Colonist 19991216 Another good reference to savor. -- Karen Baar Diversion 19991201 He has built a charming paper garden by excerpting from and commenting on hundreds of literature references to many of our favorite flowers. -- Lucio Russo Cactus and Co. 19991226 The book is easy to use as compared with other such titles, in part because it is arranged by type of plant, and because Ward weaves it all together, gives historical and botanical context, with his commentary. -- Valerie Easton Garden Notes 20000301 Luscious trivia, and a great deal more, can be found in Bobby J. Wards A Contemplation Upon Flowers. Country Living Gardener 20000401 Combine poetry, literature, botanical information together with a generous measure of love of flowers and the result is this entertaining book. And, this book will provide untold hours of pleasure to any plant lover, as the reader returns again and again to discover more with each visit. -- Terry Peters North Shore News 20000305 This book provides yet another delicious escape from work weather and worry for gardeners who love to trace the history of plants, following their travels and remarking their shifting popularity. -- Nancy Brachey Charlotte Observer 19990916 A Contemplation Upon Flowers is such a beautiful and entertaining look at folk fancies and plant facts that youre inspired to start writing poetry about whats in your own garden. When you read author Bobby Wards delightful touches of humor and references about his own garden, you simply want to put on your gardening rags, run out into the backyard, and start growing goodies. -- Don Denevi Palo Alto Daily News 19991106 A book that will delight gardeners who wish to know more about the flowers they grow. -- Jack Elliott Trillium 19990310 Its an Alistair Cooke/cardigan sweater sort of book for gardeners with a scholarly bent. Mr. Ward has sorted through a massive amount of literary bric-a-brac and compiled an entertaining, if questionably useful, volume of scientific and literary trivia about plants. -- Peter F. Sleight Morning Star 19991008 An informative discourse on garden plants of myth and literature-beautifully illustrated with 17th century botanical engravings and wood cuts. -- Ann Armstrong Port Townsend Leader 19991015 Gardeners and literature buffs will thumbthin the pages in no time. MarciaAdams.com 20000322 A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature offers new terrain for a garden romp. -- Gloria Mazure Albany Times Union 20000312 The book captures the historical significance of each flower. -- Marty Figley Michigan Observer and Eccentric 20000330 This book offers much information and entertainment. Library Journal 19990828 Rich with literary references, this book would be useful for public speakers or writers, but anyone who appreciates plants will enjoy dipping into it for simple reading pleasure. -- Marge Howard-Jones California Garden 20000515 A fascinating compendium of thoughts about flowers. Avant Gardener 19990901 The book is the result of several years of research and promises to give readers more than that amount of pleasure. -- Suzanne Hively Cleveland Plain Dealer 19990813 Altogether a pleasing book for dipping into, with charming prose and poetry that discusses beliefs about plants such as ivy and lilies, primroses and poppies, daisies and buttercups. -- Judy Glattstein Home Monthly 19990901 This is a timeless book than can be picked up and enjoyed again and again, and I will. -- Marjorie Daughtridge Pinehurst Pilot 19990913 If you enjoy herbal lore and history, this is a perfect book to read in the hammock amongst the poppies, roses, honeysuckle, and evening primrose. American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter 20001005 Whimsical, scholarly, informative, and entertaining. -- Barbara Blossom Ashmun Fine Gardening 20001027 This book is pure joy for the avid gardener. -- Lynette Walther Palatka Daily News 20000830 A Contemplation Upon Flowers can mesmerize the mind. -- Nell Lewis Greensboro News and Record 20001125 This work besides being pleasurable reading may have particular value as a source of tales and quotations ... -- Joann Karges Sida, Contributions to Botany 20000328 One can open this book on any page and find something very special. -- Betty Mackey Hunt 20010413 [An] exquisitely penned book, sure to be treasured by any literary gardener. -- Pam Beck Raleigh News and Observer 20011201 The scientific to religious history of our living antiques is explored in this exquisitely penned book, sure to be treasured by any literary gardener. -- Pam Beck Raleigh News and Observer 20011202 Thoroughly delightful. -- Valerie Sudol Newark Star-Ledger 20080312 Prizes Winner of Garden Writers Association Quill and Trowel Award 1999 Long Description From Shakepeares The Tempest to the Victorian language of flowers, from Mohammed to Milton, this book entertains and informs us with references to plants in myth and literature. Review Text " A Contemplation Upon Flowers is an exceptional read, full of enticing, well researched, beautifully crafted words that bring to life many of the plants we already grow in our gardens. As a lecturer and plantsman, I found myself unable to put it down each page revealing a multi-dimensional, highly entertaining, take on the plants we as horticulturists have already come to appreciate. I will find Bobby Wards work eminently useful in my writing, lecturing and for simply embracing more exuberantly the historical interaction between the plants I grow and the human condition. A requisite adjunct to any botanical or horticultural reference book currently available!"-Dan Hinkley, Pacific Horticulture, Fall 1999 Review Quote Whimsical, scholarly, informative, and entertaining. -- Barbara Blossom Ashmun "Fine Gardening" (10/27/2000) Excerpt from Book Foxglove The glove of the wee people The twenty species of foxglove are distributed naturally in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. They are biennial and perennial members of the Scrophulariaceae or figwort family. Foxgloves commonly found in gardens include Digitalis purpurea , with its purple-spotted throat; D. lutea , the yellow or straw foxglove; and D. grandiflora , with apricot-pink flowers, and its numerous cultivars. Less common are the rusty foxglove, D. ferruginea , and D. lanata , the Grecian foxglove of the Mediterranean. One species from the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain is D. dubia , named because of the original doubt that it was a true foxglove. The genus name, derived from the Latin word for finger, digitus , alludes to the flowers resemblance to a glove or finger. The plant was so named by Leonhard Fuchs in 1542. In 1629 John Parkinson wrote, "We call them generally foxglove in English but some (as thinking it to be too foolish a name) do call them finger-flowers, because they are like unto the fingers of a glove, the ends cut off." The English name foxglove appears to be a corruption of folks-glove, the glove of the fairies or wee people. But some suggest that such a correlation is silly. The plant is also called fairy-fingers, and regardless of the etymological origin, these quaint names richly provide the plant with legends. In some areas the plant is known as fox fingers, and associated stories suggest that the flowers are the gloves worn by foxes to keep dew off their paws. To northern Europeans, however, the shape of the flowers did not suggest a glove or finger, but rather a bell. An old Norwegian legend refers to digitalis as fox-bell ( revbj Details ISBN0881927279 Author Bobby J. Ward Short Title CONTEMPLATION UPON FLOWERS Pages 446 Publisher Timber Press (OR) Language English ISBN-10 0881927279 ISBN-13 9780881927276 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 809.933 Illustrations Yes Year 2005 Publication Date 2005-07-31 Imprint Timber Press Subtitle Garden Plants in Myth and Literature Place of Publication Portland, OR Country of Publication United States Residence Raleigh DOI 10.1604/9780881927276 Audience General/Trade UK Release Date 2005-07-21 AU Release Date 2005-07-20 NZ Release Date 2005-07-20 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:117431606;

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