Lilacs

Gorgeous bouquets in shades of purple, lavender, blue, white, and pink flood your memory with the heady scent of grandmother’s garden.

This seventh book in the Gibbs Smith flower series is filled with the perfume of love and memories of home. Lilacs are frequently associated with the Easter holiday, which occurs during the peak of its bloom time. Lilacs have been a source of inspiration for artists throughout history; Impressionists Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet both made famous paintings depicting the beauty of lilacs. Lilacs are ubiquitous both within curated gardens and in the wild. They became a popular garden flower choice in the eighteenth century, particularly across North America, and lingering shrubs and blooms in the wild are a telltale indication of where earlier dwellings might have stood.

Naomi Slade’s Inspirational commentary with no-fuss gardening notes shows that anyone can grow lilacs in a garden, container, or pot. Georgianna Lane’s exquisite photos feature more than 60 varieties—from Common Lilac Syringa, or French Lilac ‘Romance’ to Madame Lemoine, and many more. Colors range from purple, pink, and burgundy to white and yellow.

Naomi Slade is a well-known journalist and photographer specializing in gardening, environment, and lifestyle. A biologist by training, naturalist by inclination, and with a lifelong love of plants, she contributes regularly to a range of British publications including The English Garden and House and Garden. She is the author of Hydrangeas and Dahlias. She lives in the UK.

Georgianna Lane is a floral, garden and travel photographer whose work is sought for books, calendars, and more. Her work has been featured in Country Living, House Beautiful, Flower, Romantic Homes and Victoria. She is the photographer of the complete Beautiful Varieties for the Home and Garden series. She lives in Paris.