Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants: Now Available!

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This excellent book is full length and contains a laundry list of fascinating legend and folklore about botanical species- it specifically dwells a lot on Greco-Roman, Arthurian, and then modern (largely European, sometimes American) lore. It is of great interest noting how humans have lopsidedly created stories about some species so much more than others; the rose, the oak, and maize especially.

It's hard to single out a story that was my own favorite because there are so many; Saint Patrick of course comes to mind; the explanatory story of how he converted Ireland involves explaining the trinity using a shamrock as opposed to conversion by force (I like the fictional, botanical account better.)

266 pages.

American Medicinal Flowers: Now Available!

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This short bulletin is a handy little guide to North American species wild-gathered for medicinal purposes in its era. It has been illustrated by Rita Metzner because my own renditions would not be appropriate for a work meant to be roughly a short field guide. I've released a couple of these agricultural pieces before by the same author and have another lined up being edited as we speak.

The species are common; datura, elder, raspberries, and so forth; for each a basic description of usage is given- it should be noted that the apothecarian recipes derived from such herbal material are still in use in folk medicine, homeopathy, and in the third world.

29 pages.

Flower Lore: Now Available!

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This is one of the most comprehensive works I've edited- a near 200 page compilation of lore all related to the botanical, paired frequently with poetry and Shakespearean verse, with more than a few references to civics (at the time the idea of a national flower was apparently hotly debated- it does mention my own state, Vermont, choosing the red clover as state flower- which it still is!)

The number of references within mythology are impressive- especially Greek mythology and some of the Christian iconography of yesteryear- including of course perhaps the most famous with Saint Patrick and the four leafed clover. As an interesting aside there's one little patch of white clover here on my property that spawns four leafed clutches at about a hundred times the normal rate (must be a mutant) and once I found one with seven in there. Altogether, this is a fine work, and right down my alley as a botanical enthusiast and lover of spiritual folklore.

190 pages.