Liontooth
Sara Sharpe
Liontooth is a beautifully written and gloriously illustrated fable for grown ups who love their gardens. It's like no other book about gardens, and makes the perfect gift.
"Sara Sharpe's strange and poetic book puts into words and pictures the unexpressed romantic feelings many gardeners have for the old English names of plants. She has woven a delightful and original fairytale." Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall, The English Garden
"A delightful gardening fairytale for all romantic gardeners." Country Living
The tale of Sir Liontooth who lays down his sword to make the perfect harmonious garden only - nearly - to lose everything most precious to him illustrates poignantly the ephemeral quality of happiness; and the plot's rich herbaceous mix of love, treachery and civil war reveals a bitter-sweet acceptance of its fragility.
"It was early on a summer's morning. Sir Liontooth awoke and yawned, went out onto his balcony and looked at the garden. A wind ruffled the manes of the Indian Horse Chestnuts; he heard the growl of Dogrose and saw the soft grey Lambs' Ears prick as a Panther Lily passed...Butterflies hung on the Butterfly Bush. Woodpigeons, plump as priests, prowled the lawns. Snap-snap-snap-snap! Sir Liontooth paused by the Snapdragons whose jaws were never idle. Then he strolled on to the lake and through the loving wilderness where the Elders stood half-asleep in their parliament and the wild pigs Swinecress and Sowthistle rootled in Nettles. He climbed the hillside and looked back through the early morning mist at his harmonious garden and knew - with absolute certainty - that he had never, ever been so happy."
Sara Sharpe's passion has always been to celebrate the old common names of the flowers and trees of these islands. Liontooth is also a jewel of typographical elegance and illustration; and its rare 19th century botanical paintings and drawings, including over 150 remarkable full-colour illustrations taken from Maund's Botanic Garden of 1827 and the extraordinary Les Fleurs Animees of J.J. Grandville from 1857, have been exclusively sourced.
"Sumptuously illustrated...a volume to treasure." The Lady
"Hers is an enchanting book, lovingly and artfully designed and produced." Arts Newsletter
Sara Sharpe also supplies key planting notes.
Details
- ISBN 0954947630
- Publication date: 20th March 2006
- Size: 251 x 191 (Quarto) Hardback, sewn binding, embossed cover, dustjacket
- Pages: 96
- RRP: £17.99
- Over 150 full-colour illustrations
