100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names [Hardcover]

Diana Wells (Author), Ippy Patterson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1997 | ISBN-10: 1565121384 | ISBN-13: 978-1565121386 | Edition: 1

Illustrations by Ippy Patterson. From Baby Blue Eyes to Silver Bells, from Abelia to Zinnia, every flower tells a story. Gardening writer Diana Wells knows them all. Here she presents one hundred well-known garden favorites and the not-so-well-known stories behind their names. Not for gardeners only, this is a book for anyone interested not just in the blossoms, but in the roots, too.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The title of this book is somewhat misleading, as Wells (contributing editor of the gardening magazine Greenprints) does not focus strictly on the simple derivation of plant names. (Another recent book on plant names, Martha Barnette's A Garden of Words, Times Bks., 1992, provides much more etymological detail.) Wells instead describes the mythology and history behind 100 favorite garden plants, emphasizing the exploits of botanists and plant explorers who brought them out of their native habitats. Their exploits make for engrossing reading, though it is sobering to learn how many of them suffered from disease and assault, lost their hard-earned collections, or were killed outright just trying to bring back plants for our gardens. Not an essential purchase but definitely worth a place in most horticultural or botanical collections.?Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

From abelia to zinnia, here is a short history--and illustrations--of 100 common flowers. Take the poppy, for example; the botanical name Papaver is from the Latin, possibly going back to pap, a milky food that could have associations with the opium poppy's milky juice. The field or corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, takes its botanical name from the Greek rhoeas, possibly from the root rho, meaning red. Wells, who keeps a six-acre garden on a farm near Philadelphia, reminds us that corn poppies thrive in soil that has been freshly turned, because the seeds need light to germinate; and this is the sad reason they flourished in the battlefields of France during World War I--the ground had been churned up by guns and soldiers. This is a delightful book for browsing when it's too cold to be out in the garden. George Cohen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books; 1 edition (January 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565121384
• ISBN-13: 978-1565121386
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Wells is the author of 100 flowers and How They Got Their Names and contributing editor to the journal Greenprints. Born in Jerusalem, she has lived in England and Italy and holds an honors degree in history from Oxford University. She now lives with her husband, an artist, on a farm in Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful little book!, March 15, 2001

By 

"vera_lynn" (Southeastern VA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names (Hardcover)

I got this on a lark because (1) I adore plants and (2) as a linguistics major, I adore words. This book turned out to be a tasty treat on both counts.

The author promises word origins & faithfully provides with every entry, along with a sketch rendering of the plant. But --though it pains me to admit it-- not EVERY plant is blessed with a thrill-packed tale of linguistic derivation, so Ms. Wells wisely digresses, peppering her descriptions with attributed stories of interesting events and rumors associated with each plant. The overall effect is a gossipy piece with enough hard information to keep most armchair "researchers" happy.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First quick but comprehensive study of flower naming, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names (Hardcover)

Gives the origins, migration, hybridization and folklore with fascinating obscure stories that some of us have not read before. Explanations of how folklore began and how some of these flowers were discovered and migrated to where they are now in the world. Interesting observations of reasons why flowers were carried to, named and accepted in various countries.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rose is not just a rose!, November 13, 2000

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names (Hardcover)

If you are interested in the origins of names, you will thrive on the information in this book. The pages are illustrated by Ippy Patterson and the cover itself it just beautiful. If you love flowers, you will enjoy learning about abelias, zinnias, roses, etc. The fascinating stories behind the flowers names will intrigue you.

You will learn about the origins, hybridizations, and migrations of your favorite floral beauties. This is a horticulture history and a journey into myths and folklore. If you love gardening, this will open your eyes to the history behind all the plants in your garden. Now you will not only know the names, the flowers will now each have a story to tell. Some helpful gardening advice is also included. You will also learn why Empress Josephine carried a rose, which flower Thomas Jefferson was afraid to plant at Monticello and what the connection is between Queen Victoria, the Amazons and water lilies.

This delightfully illustrated hardcover book presents 100 well-known garden favorites. I hope that they will keep expanding this book to include even more stories of all our favorite flowers. Look for essential oil of rose for emotional healing.

~The Rebecca Review