Blue Heaven: Encounters with the Blue Poppy by Terry, Bill

Blue Heaven: Encounters with the Blue Poppy, Terry, Bill. Published by TouchWood Editions, Victoria B.C., 2009. First Edition. Card covers with French flaps. 8vo up to 9½" tall., 184pp. with index. In fine, unread condition.

Bill Terry-a leading North American authority on Asiatic Poppies-tells the story of the enchanting Himalayan Blue Poppy. It begins in 1924 in Tibet, where the renowned plant explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward came upon "a stream of blue poppies, dazzling as sapphires in the pale light." Soon the blue poppy was introduced to cultivation and proved challenging, stubborn, even believed to be impossible to grow. Terry debunks this myth, relating his own encounters with the blue poppy and showing how, given a suitable climate, a patient and persistent gardener can raise this most alluring of perennial plants. Gorgeous photographs accompany the text throughout, leading to a visually stunning collection of images and stories, illuminating this rare and precious flower.