Peonies Tne Imperial Flower ~ Jane Fearnley Whittingstall
Preloved, hardcover book with gold embossed writing and dust jacket. A beautiful coffee table book.
A celebration of the exquisite beauty and extraordinary diversity of the peony - its romantic history, its role as a source of artistic inspiration and its place in the contemporary garden.
Peonies are spectacularly beautiful, easy to grow. They feature widely in Oriental mythology and art, as motifs on exotic silk robes and on delicate porcelain.
This book traces their introduction from China and Japan to Europe and North America, and describes their Edwardian heyday and their use in gardens today. But it is much more than a celebration of the peony's beauty, diversity and historical significance. Superbly illustrated, it is also a practical guide to help readers choose the right colours and varieties for their garden and integrate them with their planting plans.
Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall has selected 200 of the best peonies for garden planting with suggestions for special peony features, including a scented peony walk, and information on how to grow and look after peonies. There are comprehensive lists giving details such as plant sizes, flowering seasons, colour and fragrance, winners of the American Peony Society's Gold Medal and the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit together with international listings of peony gardens and nurseries.