Oriental Flowers

The aesthetic and symbolic properties of plants and gardens are enjoyed the world over, but this book focuses on 200 plants of particularly high esteem in The Orient. Oriental Flowers presents these specimens with beautifully hand-drawn plates. The Chinese revere the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum as the "four gentlemen", believing that they possess noble qualities; and for the Japanese, cherry blossoms symbolize love and hope, This has led to a tradition of painting plants that developed into a significant style. The book is rooted in this tradition and includes a how-to section.