Visions of Loveliness: Great Flower Breeders of the Past

Taylor (The Global Migrations of Ornamental Plants) tells all in this compendium of plant breeders, which updates Richard Gorer’s The Development of Garden Flowers from 40 years ago. Based on solid research, Taylor’s stories cultivate deeper appreciation for the flowers bred over centuries. The tales reflect a Western point of view, but refer to floriculture in countries around the world. The first of the book’s three parts deals with the history of plant breeding; part two reviews important plant breeders in Europe (Benary, Foerster, Lemoine et al.) and the U.S. (Ball, Burbank, and Burpee, among others). Part three covers shrubs from azaleas to roses, and herbaceous plants from begonias to marigolds. Taylor omits the histories of irises or tulips because others have written books on those subjects. Taylor, a “snapper-up of unconsidered trifles,” discusses plantsmen and women as if they were fascinating neighbors (her vignettes of the Hemus sisters and their sweet pea cultivars are delicious), and although her anecdotes are blessedly breezy, her encyclopedia is exhaustive. (Dec.)