Sarah Jane Humphrey – illustratör

Unravel the extraordinary histories of 60 flowers that shape our gardens.   Have you ever wondered where your favourite garden flowers came from? Where their names derived? Or why some cultivars go in and out of favour? Every flower has a story and in A Short History of Flowers, Advolly Richmond guides you through the most intriguing, surprising and enriching ones.  For example, you’ll find stories of: The 18th‑century woman who disguised herself as a man to collect bougainvillea on a global voyage. The snowdrop that sparked Victorian mania. The daffodil rediscovered after centuries missing from cultivation. The lily of the valley that became Christian Dior’s lifelong lucky charm. The Californian poppy that travelled from Indigenous medicine to royal heraldry. Featuring specially commissioned botanical illustrations by award‑winning artist Sarah Jane Humphrey, each entry highlights the plant and the story it tells, bringing its history vividly to life.  Whether you’re a keen gardener or simply curious about the plants that surround you, this book invites you to see your garden, and its flowers, in an entirely new light.

'The stories are all so very different, some of them being quite compelling and tender featuring an interesting variety of voices and nationalities with a wide range of characters and settings' - Advolly RichmondA group of botanists in search of rare species dismiss local custom at their peril. Love in all its wildness and wonder is found clinging to crumbling chalk cliffs and growing through cracks on city streets. A scientist takes a radical step to understand her houseplant. A poet remembers her beloved flowers, and the longing for a magnificent tropical garden outlasts death.From tokens of love to neolithic burial gifts, bridal bouquets to seasonal wreaths and healing potions to artistic masterpieces, flowers and plants have a multitude of meanings and a long and complex relationship with humans. They brighten our homes and delight us in garden and countryside, convey our emotions and symbolise the stages of our lives. Throughout the anthology, interactions with the natural world bring opportunities for new beginnings, transformation, and a chance to heal.This rich and wide-ranging collection celebrates the deep connection that exists between people and plants in fourteen short stories as varied, diverse, and global as the botanical world itself.