SOME FLOWERS - Tapa dura

In "Some Flowers", first published in 1937, Vita Sackville-West took the step of choosing 25 of her favourite flowers and describing their appearance, origins and characteristics - the best ways to grow them - in a series of expressive pen portraits. The flowers she selects are not those which only have an effect en masse, but those which are lovely in shape, colouring, marking or texture. She describes native British species such as the Meadow Fritillary, and imports such as the half-hardy annual Salpiglossis. Whereas in the original edition of this book black and white photographs did less than justice to both flowers and text, here the water-colours of Graham Rust provided a fuller complement to Vita Sackville-West's descriptions.