A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature (edition 2005)

by Bobby J. Ward (Author)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
68	1	388,456	(4.13)	2
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.… (more)

▾Book information

Member:	varielle
Title:	A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature
Authors:	Bobby J. Ward (Author)
Info:	Timber Press (2005), 447 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
Tags:	Flowers

Work Information

A Contemplation upon Flowers : garden plants in myth and literature by Bobby J. Ward

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

jeanthepipper, SiannaSue, pianistpalm91, HernandezD, dhenn31, AnnabelleCrump13, Den85, themixers, davenportfamily

▾Tags

▾LibraryThing Recommendations

▾Lists

None

▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 2 mentions

▾Member reviews

The author, not content with being in the company of plants, indulges literature as well. He has tracked down literary and scientific references to flowers, with full botanical credentials. (

)

keylawk | Nov 12, 2010 |

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (2 possible)

▾Series and work relationships

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Quill & Trowel Award

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Canonical title

A Contemplation upon Flowers : garden plants in myth and literature

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

In the cottage of the rudest peasant;
In ancestral homes, whose crumbling towers,
Speaking of the Past unto the Present
Tell us of the ancient Games of Flowers.

In all places, then, and in all seasons,
Flowers expand their light and soul-like wings,
Teaching us, by most persuasive reasons,
How akin they are to human things.

And with childlike, credulous affection,
We behold their tender buds expand--
Emblems of our own greater resurrection,
Emblems of the bright and better land.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Flowers", 1839

Dedication

TO

Roy C. Dicks

Compeer in both my literary and literal gardens

First words

ACANTHUS
Climbing sprays of lithe acanthus

The thirty species of the perennial Acanthus were originally distributed across the Mediterranean, into Asia Minor, and throughout tropical Africa and Australia.

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Elizabeth Fox, Baroness Holland

▾Book descriptions

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.

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Haiku summary