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Art + Botany: J.J. Grandville's Les Fleurs Animées

Published in 1847, Les Fleurs Animées imagines a world where the flowers reclaim the meanings bestowed upon them by a covetous Victorian audience, and become actresses in their own drama. In J.J. Grandville's engraved illustrations, an exotic Lady Tulip bewitches, while fair young Forget-Me-Not mourns her loneliness.

The Bulbs of Summer

By Lindsey Taylor

Summer bulbs, which go in when the soil warms in spring, can be the easiest and most satisfying way to give your garden a hit of exotic color and fragrance during the hottest months of the year. Now is the time for gardeners in most parts of the country to make plans for and order summer bulbs, in order to get them in the dirt in April or May.

Snowdrop Mania Links

By Claire Lui

If you're curious about how people develop snowdrop mania, we've compiled a list of articles about the people, the societies, and the culture behind the madness. Links include a first-person tale from the man who sold a snowdrop for almost $600 this year (on eBay, natch), a gathering of the 'Immortals' among the snowdrop collectors, and photos of Hitch Lyman's astounding American collection of snowdrops.

Notes from a Flower Farm: A Passion for Purple Flowers

By Katherine Anderson

Our latest Notes from a Flower Farm column, by Marigold and Mint, is a beautiful series of bouquets, all made with purple flowers. Whether arranged in groupings of single specimens or layered in a hand-tied bouquet in a range of tonal hues, these purple flowers are showcased in all of their glory in these gorgeous arrangements. Plus: Tips and tricks for keeping violet flowers at their best.

Witch Hazel

By Michele Owens

Witch hazel, which blooms in the middle of winter, is a natural remedy for the wintertime blues. With flowers that resemble delicate bits of yellow, copper, or red ribbon, witch hazel is not only a burst of color, but can also produce a delicious and powerful fragrance in the icy air. Plus: We list six of our favorite witch hazel varieties.

Botanic Superlatives: The Best Kisser

By Anna Laurent

Attracting the birds and the bees with its puckered lips, the Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus) wins our prize for best kisser.

Rose-Scented Geraniums

By Kevin Lee Jacobs

Our slide show is all about how to grow rose-scented geraniums in the winter and in the summer, indoors and out; how to propagate cuttings into new plants; and how to use the fragrant leaves in cocktail and dessert recipes. Plus: How to perfume your bath with the leaves!

Botanic Superlatives: The Flower with the Most Expensive Perfume

By Anna Laurent

The bewitching fragrance of jasmine vines is a difficult-to-bottle scent. Capturing jasmine's essence is considered a superlative feat of aromatic alchemy, which is why jasmine is an ingredient in some of the world's most expensive perfumes.

Bee-Made Flower Nests

By Claire Lui

Bees in Turkey and Iran layer flower petals to create a brightly colored nest. Inside, a mother bee will lay an egg, and when the baby bee hatches, it stays inside the nest, where it feeds itself on nectar and is protected by its petal home.

The Language of Flowers

By Carola Cassaro

The Victorian language of flowers meant that you could express a wide range of sentiments with a simple floral nosegay. On Valentine's Day, the sweetest of holidays, we take a look at some popular flowers to include in a bouquet and how they speak the language of love.