Parsleys, Fennels, and Queen Anne's Lace

Herbs and Ornamentals from the Umbel Family

Parsleys, Fennels, and Queen Anne's Lace is the gardener's introduction to the characteristics, cultivation, and history of one of the most distinctive families of the plant kingdom. These plants were well known to the Greeks and Romans — it was the juice of a member of the umbel family that Socrates was forced to drink — and the family was the first to be studied as such botanically, by Robert Morison in 1672. Yet even today the many herbs and ornamentals of this family are not as well known or appreciated as they should be. Parsleys, Fennels, and Queen Anne's Lace is for anyone interested in herbs, whether for their culinary value or as ornamentals.

Media reviews of this book:

"Lawton has honed a style that provides succinct, straightforward, no-nonsense information with a mastery of the language that makes readers enjoy reading about the subject at hand."

—St. Louis Gateway Gardener, December 2007

"Will earn [an] arm's-reach position on many bookshelves."

—Mary Ann Fink, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 1, 2007

"[Will] help homeowners and gardeners decide which plants in [the Umbrel] family are best for herb gardens and flower beds."

—Jill Sell, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2007

"This book is for anyone interested in herbs, whether for their culinary value or as ornamentals."

—Quill and Trowel, June 2007