A collection of poetry and prose that dives into the heart of a growing teenage girl. It talks of how she hurt, how she learned, and how she grew from her many life experiences. This young girl had to hurt and learn in order to really truly know that she had a mind full of flowers and that she should never sacrifice that for anyone.
Inspiration, planting ideas and expert advice for a beautiful garden all-year round Colour and scent are the hallmarks of Sarah Raven's style – and they are simple luxuries that everyone can bring into their garden. A Year Full of Flowers reveals the hundreds of hardworking varieties that make the garden sing each month, together with the practical tasks that ensure everything is planted, staked and pruned at just the right time. Tracing the year from January to December at her home, Perch Hill, Sarah offers a complete and transporting account of a garden crafted over decades. Sharing the lessons learned from years of plant trials, she explains the methods that have worked for her, and shows you how to achieve a space that's full of life and colour. Discover long-lasting, divinely scented tulips, roses that keep flowering through winter, the most magnificent dahlias and show-stopping alliums, as well as how to grow sweet peas up a teepee, take cuttings from chrysanthemums and stop mildew in its tracks. This is passionate, life-enriching gardening; it's also simple, adaptable and can work for you. Sarah has made the garden central to her life – this book shows you how you can too.
This beautifully-illustrated gift book reveals the hidden meanings of over 50 popular flowers. Did you know that the type of flowers you give can speak volumes? The Secret Language of Flowers is a fascinating insight into the Victorian tradition of using flowers to convey secret messages in a society where feelings often had to be suppressed. Samantha Gray reveals how over 50 blooms acquired their meanings in folklore and how they became the language of courtship, love, friendship, beauty, and more—discover how lily of the valley symbolizes the return of happiness, how bluebells stand for constancy and everlasting love, and how daffodils represent high regard and chivalry. With stunning illustrations by artist Sarah Perkins that capture all of the beauty of flowers, this is an exceptionally lovely and fascinating gift book.
Why should there be just one answer...? asks Phiz Tarleton, the hero of All Flowers Die. Phiz, also known as The Optiontunist due to his passionately inquisitive nature, is in search of all life's options. But when his eager questioning leads to his teacher's fatal heart attack, he blames himself for cutting short the options of another. Greatly affected by this tragedy, Phiz carefully manipulates his destiny to preach the importance of gasping all that life has to offer. As the leader of the successful rock band, Brian's Sandbox, Phiz attempts to spread his message through his music. But when circumstances beyond his control thwart his plans, Phiz's mission takes a devastating turn, resulting in his most poignant gift and ultimate sacrifice.
The City Imperishable's secret master and heir to the long-vacant throne has vanished from a locked room, as politics have turned deadly in a bid to revive the city's long-vanished empire. The city's dwarfs, stunted from spending their childhoods in confining boxes, are restive. Bijaz the Dwarf, leader of the Sewn faction among the dwarfs, fights their persecution. Jason the Factor, friend and apprentice to the missing master, works to maintain stability in the absence of a guiding hand. Imago of Lockwood struggles to revive the office of Lord Mayor in a bid to turn the City Imperishable away from the path of destruction. These three must contend with one another as they race to resolve the threats to the city.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system with nowhere to go, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an unexpected encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness. Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more. Praise for The Language of Flowers "Instantly enchanting . . . [Diffenbaugh] is the best new writer of the year."—Elle “I would like to hand Vanessa Diffenbaugh a bouquet of bouvardia (enthusiasm), gladiolus (you pierce my heart) and lisianthus (appreciation). In this original and brilliant first novel, Diffenbaugh has united her fascination with the language of flowers—a long-forgotten and mysterious way of communication—with her firsthand knowledge of the travails of the foster-care system. . . . This novel is both enchanting and cruel, full of beauty and anger. Diffenbaugh is a talented writer and a mesmerizing storyteller. She includes a flower dictionary in case we want to use the language ourselves. And there is one more sprig I should add to her bouquet: a single pink carnation (I will never forget you).”—Washington Post "A fascinating debut . . . Diffenbaugh clearly knows both the human heart and her plants, and she keeps us rooting for the damaged Victoria."—O Magazine "Diffenbaugh effortlessly spins this enchanting tale, making even her prickly protagonist impossible not to love."—Entertainment Weekly
We’ve all seen red roses, blue irises, and yellow daffodils. But when we really look closely at a flower, whole new worlds of beauty and intricacy emerge. Using a unique process that far surpasses conventional macro photography, Robert Llewellyn shows us details that few of us have ever seen: the amazing architecture of stamens and pistils; the subtle shadings on a petal; the secret recesses of nectar tubes. Complementing Llewellyn’s stunning photographs are Teri Dunn Chace’s lyrical, illuminating essays. By highlighting the features that distinguish twenty-eight of the most common families of flowering plants, Chace gives us fascinating insights into the natural history of flowers, such as the relationship between pollinators and floral form and color. At the same time she gives us a deeper appreciation of why and how flowers have become so deeply embedded in human culture. Whether you’re a nature lover, a gardener, a photography buff, or someone who simply responds to the timeless beauty and variety of the floral world, Seeing Flowers will be a source of enduring delight.
"These poems, which range across rural Florida and Georgia as well as Los Angeles and New York City, include considerations of homesickness, memory, music, alcohol, love, and loss. Winner of the John Ciardi Prize for Poetry, selected by John Hodgen"--
Classic fairytales get a refreshing satirical twist in this collection of illustrated stories in which gnomes, pixies, and other fairy folk share tall tales of the strange and unbelievable human world and its inhabitants. Brimming with keen observations and wild assumptions on human anatomy, customs, languages, rituals, dwellings, and more, The Land of Stone Flowers is as absurd as it is astounding, examining contradictory and nonsensical human behaviors through the lens of the fantastic: from the bewitching paper wizards who live in humans' wallets to their invisible hats, known as "moods," which cloud their view of the world. Bursting with intricate and evocative illustrations, The Land of Stone Flowers will draw readers into a world of fantasy and fable that slyly reveals many hidden truths about human existence.
We all want happiness in life. However, true happiness is hard to find and seems to be elusive. The happiness we get is fragile, temporary, stimuli-driven, and fully dependent on externalities. It vanishes as soon as the external stimuli vanish. But our soul yearns for happiness that is lasting and profound. Ancient wisdom suggests that happiness is indeed a superficial virtue. Numerous scriptures, philosophers, saints, and thought leaders have pointed out that there exists an enduring form of happiness. This form is inner peace. Peace is the happiness of the soul. Our soul seeks peace. It can blossom, glow, and remain happy only if there is peace within. This book in your hands today is the culmination of ten years of contemplation, experimentation, and research on peace and happiness. It encompasses experiences from the author's own life journey and the journey of many others. There are thirty-one practices given in this book to bring lasting peace and happiness. They are called ‘The Peace Approaches’. If you adopt some of these Peace Approaches, no matter how distressing the external environment is, or howsoever anxious you feel within, you will be able to feel inner calm and happiness that is profound and enduring.