The Story of Flowers

Throughout history, flowers have been an integral part of human survival and culture—used as food, for medicine, to express feelings, as symbols, to commemorate and celebrate, and to decorate. Their shapes, colours, scents, and textures have always attracted us, as they do animals and insects.

Flowers are used as luxury spices (saffron), and as colouring and flavouring agents—marigolds fed to chickens make eggs more yellow and lavender was Elizabeth I's favourite flavour of jam.

Flowers are full of symbolic meaning: violets represent modesty, daisies purity, and daffodils unrequited love. They have always played an important role in culture through myths and legends, literature, and the decorative arts.

This delightful new book, The Story of Flowers, brings together 100 of the world's flowers to tell their remarkable stories. Each flower is richly illustrated in colour and accompanied by facts about each species and what role it has played in our culture and history.