Heirloom Flowers: Vintage Flowers for Modern Gardens

DISCOVER THE COLORFUL, FRAGRANT WORLD OF HEIRLOOM FLOWERS

Heirloom flowers, with their exquisite colors and scents, graceful forms and hardy constitutions, are often easier to grow and more fragrant than modern varieties. Sweet William and Black-Eyed Susan, Love-in-a-Mist and Love-in-a-Puff, Kiss-Me-Quick and Angel's Tears, Bells-of-Ireland and Lady's Eardrops: the names are as much a pleasure to the ear as the flowers are a pleasure to the eye. Growing an heirloom garden is an infinitely rewarding experience, providing an abundance of old-fashioned flowers to gather for fresh and dried bouquets and a haven for butterflies and hummingbirds. Each blossom is a beautiful reason to conserve and preserve diversity.

Heirloom Flowers profiles more than 100 of the most sought-after varieties, both cultivated and wild, providing their specific qualities, growing conditions, cultivation tips, and historical and cultural information. The comprehensive resource section gives lists of seed suppliers, seed-saving networks and organizations, historical societies, and gardens to visit.

Illustrated by stunning full-color photographs throughout, Heirloom Flowers is a beautiful reminder of our botanical heritage and an inspiration to gardeners everywhere.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 188) and index.

Tovah Martin is an award-winning writer, gardener, and photographer. The gardening editor for Victoria magazine, she writes for many other publications as well. She lives in Roxbury, Connecticut.

CONTENTS

Foreword by Diane Whealy of the Flower and Herb Exchange

Part One: Our Floral Heritage

What are heirloom flowers?
Wildflowers — our earliest heirlooms
The cottage garden legacy
Where have all the heirlooms gone?
Spreading the word

Part Two: The Directory of Heirloom Flowers

Using the Directory
Contents
The flower profiles
Favorite heirloom flowers to bring lasting joy to your gardens

Resources

Nurseries: Garden Plants and Seeds
Native Plants and Seeds
Organizations
Further Reading
Index