Growing Heirloom Flowers – Chris McLaughlin (2018, Cool Springs Press, The Quarto Group, Minnesota)
This has got to be one of my favourite gardening books of the year so far! And it’s not just the eye candy aspect, although that’s a huge part of it – Nadeen Flynn’s photographs are absolutely sumptuous and I can’t stop flipping through the pages in wonder. It’s the inspiration that practically drips from every page, making me want to rush out to try everything in my own garden.
Beginning with a definition of heirloom flowers and notes about seed saving, Chris McLaughlin launches into detailed chapters covering cutting flowers (dahlias, larkspur, glads), fragrant flowers (nicotiana, lilacs, bee balm), flowers for handcrafting (calendula, lavender), and traditional cottage flowers (blue flax, cosmos). A few recipes and beautiful DIY projects make delightful additions. This is a gorgeous, informative book I know I will keep returning to.
Flowery Prose. 