May 2025 Book List: April Showers Bring May Flowers!

May 8, 2025 | Announcements

By Research Librarian Jessica McClain

This oft-quoted proverb dates back to a 16th century work by English poet and Farmer Thomas Tusser. The lines appear in a sonnet included in the piece “A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie” as “And Aprill his stormes, to be good to be tolde:/As May with his flowers, give ladies their lust.” While the saying has been simplified over the years, a quick look outside reminds us that Winter has run its course as trees and gardens burst into bloom. Please enjoy this selection featuring flowers and gardening from the Athenaeum’s circulating collection.

Members, find the listed titles on display in the Sawtelle Reading Room through the month of May.

The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree

FICTION

This romantic comedy from American philanthropist and socialite, Brooke Astor, explores the triumphs and tragedies that befall two older widows as they explore the risks and rewards of love in middle age.

Astor, Brooke. The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree. PS3551 .S68 L3 1986

White Chrysanthemum

FICTION

White chrysanthemums symbolize grief, lamentation, and mourning in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture. This novel tells the story of two sisters separated by World War II. It explores the enslavement of Korean women by Japanese soldiers as comfort women during the war, the toil of wartime on women, and the human ability to heal over time.

Bracht, Mary Lynn. White Chrysanthemum. PR6102 .R323 W55 2018

No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence

BIOGRAPHY

Wilson presents us with the first biography of renowned Southern gardening writer Elizabeth Lawrence. It explores many aspects of her life including her work as landscape architect, her poetry, her care for her mother, and, of course, her work as an independent garden writer.

Wilson, Emily Herring. No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence.

Two Gardeners: Katherine S. White & Elizabeth Lawrence—A Friendship in Letters

BIOGRAPHY

This collection of over 150 letters spans over 20 years and allows the reader a glimpse into the friendship that developed between Katharine S. White, an editor at The New Yorker, and southern garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence, both avid gardeners and avid readers. If you’re a lover of gardening, reading, or women’s friendships, this book is a small delight.

Wilson, Emily Herring, ed. Two Gardeners: Katherine S. White & Elizabeth Lawrence—A Friendship in Letters. SB455 .W52 2002

How to Know the Wild Flowers

NON-FICTION

First published in 1893, this book was the first field guide to flowers issued in North America. The text of the Dover Edition is based on the revised and enlarged edition of 1900 and includes changes to common and scientific nomenclature to bring it up to date with contemporary field guides. Even with these changes, the text retains its unique, rather non-technical approach to flowers, focusing on common names, colors, and folklore rather than presenting a more scientific view.

Dana, Mrs. William Starr. How to Know the Wild Flowers. SB420 .D36

The Golden Age of Flowers: Botanical Illustration in the Age of Discovery 1600-1800.

NON-FICTION

Fisher explains several of the developments that took place during the 17th and 18th centuries, leading to an increased popularity of botanical illustrations including the advancement of metal engraving, the development of the Linnaean plant classification system, and the voyages that led to the introduction of new plants from far off places. This collection of 100 botanical prints from this period is arranged alphabetically by flower and includes text describing their geographical and botanical origins, name derivations, and popular qualities.

Fisher, Celia. The Golden Age of Flowers: Botanical Illustration in the Age of Discovery 1600-1800. N6407 .F57 2011

The New England Gardener’s Year: A Month-by-Month Guide for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Upstate New York

NON-FICTION

This text presents a practical reference guide that focuses on native plants, organic gardening methods, and the integration of gardens into natural landscapes. It discusses the various microclimates and gardening situations found throughout New England and advocates gardening in tune with nature, positioning gardeners as caretakers of the natural world.

Manley, Reeser and Marjorie Peronto. The New England Gardener’s Year: A Month-by-Month Guide for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Upstate New York. SB453.2 .N3 2013

Emily Dickinson’s Gardens: A Celebration of a Poet and Gardener

NON-FICTION

McDowell brings the reader through the gardens and flowers that inspired the poetry of Emily Dickinson. This illustrated volume includes excerpts from Dickinson’s letters and poetry, historical details of her life, and advice for creating an inspirational garden of one’s own.

McDowell, Marta. Emily Dickinson’s Gardens: A Celebration of a Poet and Gardener. PS1541 .Z5 M217 2005

The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice

NON-FICTION

The summer of 1941 marked the beginning of the siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) by German soldiers. This book details the decision made by botanists at the world’s first seed bank to protect the collection and future biodiversity at great risk to their own lives.

Parkin, Simon. The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice. D764.3 .L4 P37 2024

Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers

NON-FICTION

During the 19th century, flowers became a form of coded communication, particularly in the US and Great Britain, where proper etiquette denied open displays of emotion. This beautifully illustrated edition provides a listing of different plants and their meanings, as well as a variety of bouquets for situations from marriage, to apologies, to bitter ends.

Roux, Jessica. Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. GR780 .R68 2020

IMAGE: Greenhouse filled with flowers at Maplewood Farm located between Maplewood and Woodbury avenues, Portsmouth, NH. The farmhouse, built c1830, was purchased by brewing magnate Frank Jones in 1866 and extensively renovated for his summer use. He purchased adjoining land to raise the size of the farm to 400 acres, and used much of the acreage for horticulture as well as stabling and pasturing his race horses. The man behind the flowers is possibly the head gardener. PS2717_23.