"Vintage roses encompass both the true 'old' roses and the best of the 'modern' roses, developed to celebrate the classic, ageless, enduring beauty of the old varieties. The 60 specially selected specimens include those that have the best visual appearance and most fragrant perfume, and are also easy to grow and produce beautiful flowers for cutting"--Amazon.com.

Peonies are spectacularly beautiful, tremendously popular, and easy to grow. This exquisite book provides a wealth of information and much useful advice for gardeners everywhere.

Peonies is for gardeners; those already seduced by their opulent blooms and those soon to be. It uncovers the origins of the species, and the roles they have played in Asian and Western societies, and highlights the efforts of hybridisers to develop modern varieties.

A young Chinese woman falls in love with a Jewish man in nineteenth-century China in this evocative novel by the Nobel Prize–winning author of The Good Earth. In 1850s China, a young girl, Peony, is sold to work as a bondmaid for a rich Jewish family in Kaifeng. Jews have lived for centuries in this region of the country, but by the mid-nineteenth century, assimilation has begun taking its toll on their small enclave. When Peony and the family’s son, David, grow up and fall in love with one another, they face strong opposition from every side. Tradition forbids the marriage, and the family already has a rabbi’s daughter in mind for David. Long celebrated for its subtle and even-handed treatment of colliding traditions, Peony is an engaging coming-of-age story about love, identity, and the tragedy and beauty found at the intersection of two disparate cultures. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Pearl S. Buck including rare images from the author’s estate.

“A luscious and colorful immersion into the world of the peony.” —Petal Talk The bold blooms, pretty colors, and heady fragrances of peonies make them one of the most popular flowers, both in gardens and floral arrangements. Peony—by leading experts David Michener and Carol Adelman—makes it easier than ever to grow them home. This lush book shares the history of the plant, explores the different types available, and includes complete growing information for 194 of the best varieties. Helpful lists detail the best peonies for specific needs.

The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light “Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard #1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays In his debut book, internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms. A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill. The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, have sex, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms. In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find: • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.

"One of the reasons for writing this book is to draw attention to the urgent necessity for the immediate adoption of efficient methods of protecting Moutan peonies in their natural habitat." -- P. 15. "In the Far East the tree peony is the flower at the head of the floral hierarchy, and is an important part of Chinese and Japanese cultural heritage.... This is the first time that photographs and descriptions of tree peonies found by the author growing wild on the Chinese mountains have been published.... The tree peony is difficult to propagate but, once established, it is practically indestructible...." -- Dust jacket.