Blooming Flowers: A Seasonal History of Plants and People

An evocative and richly illustrated exploration of flowers and how over the centuries they have given us so much sustenance meaning and pleasure From the meaning of carnations in Sex and the City to the use of sunflowers in the cleanup of Chernobyl from Henry VIIIs ban on saffron dye in Ireland to the modernist reinventions of roses this is no ordinary flower book and Kasia Boddy is no ordinary writer.Ali Smith author of Spring “Fresh novel . . . and unclassifiable.Publishers Weekly The bright yellow of a marigold and the cheerful red of a geranium the evocative fragrance of a lotus or a saffron-infused paellathere is no end of reasons to love flowers. Ranging through the centuries and across the globe Kasia Boddy looks at the wealth of floral associations that has been passed down in perfumes poems and paintings; in the design of buildings clothes and jewelry; in songs TV shows and childrens names; and in nearly every religious social and political ritual. Exploring the first daffodils of spring and the last chrysanthemums of autumn this is also a book about seasons. In vibrant detail and drawing on a rich array of illustrations Boddy considers how the sunflower poppy rose lilyand many othershave given rise to meaning value and inspiration throughout history and why they are integral to so many different cultures.