This charming celebration of the peony reads like a “very smart love letter to cultivating beauty” and features 60+ vintage-inspired full-color botanical illustrations ( Seattle Times ). “Delightful…Next time you are lucky enough to be someone’s houseguest, consider arriving with a bouquet of either one of the Little Book of Flowers.” -The New York Times Peonies are queens of the spring garden, a romantic flower long popular in bridal bouquets (symbolizing prosperity and a happy marriage). In bloom for only a few weeks, they have passionate fans who love them despite—or perhaps because of—their short season. They can live to be 100 years, and are one of the easiest flowers to grow, with many different shapes and colors available, and a delicate scent. This charming little hardcover book includes: 60+ full-color botanical illustrations - basic botany and history - everything you need to know to grow gorgeous blooms in the garden - tips for creating beautiful arrangements and preserving flowers - quotes, lore, and notable gardens and growers Like a bouquet of peonies, this book is an affordable little luxury for gardeners and flower lovers — the perfect hostess gift or Mother’s Day present. It’s part of the collectible mini gift book series Little Book of Natural Wonders. "Next time you are lucky enough to be someone’s houseguest, consider arriving with a bouquet of either one of the Little Book of Flowers. . . Each book includes snappy discussions of the origins of the species, cultivation techniques and suggestions for display. The charm lies in Poole’s art. . . there’s a distinctly retro appeal to the watercolors here, which slow you down to linger over crinkled petals and bombshell flower heads. These books don’t pretend to be encyclopedic; rather, Weaver is discerning in her choices." —New York Times "In 'A Little Book of Flowers,' a new series of single bloom titles, author Tara Austen Weaver weaves together basic botany and culture. Each posey-size volume reads like a very smart love letter to cultivating beauty. . . Charming illustrations by Emily Poole and numerous quotes tug at our horticultural heartstrings, while a serviceable glossary and resource section at the back of each book indulge our yearning to grow more flowers and deepen our knowledge of the natural world." —Seattle Times, Pacific NW Magazine TARA AUSTEN WEAVER is a freelance writer, editor, and author of The Butcher & The Vegetarian and Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow . Tara's food blog, Tea & Cookies , established in 2006, was selected as one of the top 50 food sites in the world by both the Times of London and The Independent and has been featured on The Food Network, Saveur, Oprah.com, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Reddit, and Bonappetit.com. She is a trained Master Gardener, Permaculture Designer, and Master Composter/Soil Builder. Emily Poole is a freelance illustrator, born and raised in the mountain town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration and is currently located in Eugene, Oregon. She has created work for the Teton Raptor Center, World Wildlife Fund Guyana, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Origin of the Species   "Had I but four square feet of ground at my disposal, I would plant a peony in the corner and proceed to worship." —ALICE HARDING, THE BOOK OF THE PEONY   Gardeners are a fanciful lot, prone to exaggeration and lyricism, but when it comes to the peony, it’s not a stretch to say she is the undisputed queen of the spring garden. Peonies are showstoppers, from the herbaceous (bush) peonies festooned with blossoms so multi-petaled they look like pom-poms, to tree peonies studded with crinkled tissue paper–like blooms that seem improbably fragile, to the grace of a single stem set in a vase, flower petals changing color as they slowly unfurl. It’s no wonder that peonies have won hearts around the world. With all this star power, you might expect peonies to be divas, requiring careful attention and lots of it, but they aren’t. Peonies are one of the least demanding flowers you can grow; they require little maintenance yet offer up a stunning display each spring, and do so for decades. I’ve never met a gardener who regretted planting a peony. The only regret I know is not having room for more. When we say “peony,” we’re actually speaking of three different flower types. All peonies are perennials that lose their foliage in winter, but the genus can be divided into three types: herbaceous peonies that die back entirely, tree peonies that bloom on woody stems, and intersectional peonies that are a cross between the two. While intersectional peonies are relatively new—introduced in the 1960s—herbaceous and tree peonies have a history that goes back thousands of years. Peonies are considered native to Asia, North America, and Europe, where their territory wraps around the Mediterranean.