History of Iris
In 1958 Buckner Hollingsworth's, "Flower Chronicles" was published by Rutgers University Press. Each chapter summarizes the history of an individual flower. IRIS "Namesake of a goddess; symbol of a Bronze Age religion; heraldic device of the kings of France; "soveraigne" remedy for a vast number of ailments from weak eyes to insanity; flavor for various beverages hard and soft; basis for countless perfumes and powders; ornament of our gardens. The Who's Who item of the iris is a long and distinguished one." Hollingsworth gardened on acreage for 25-years and when she and her husband moved to a small house lot in the town where they managed a museum, she used her extra time to research favorite plants. Folklore, herbology, medicine and poetry are included, along with historical references. Did you know that Iris is the flower of the fleurs-de-lis? Or that it is pictured in frescoes from 3 or 4 thousand years ago? Early medical practitioners used...