Using eight varieties of ornamental plants as thematic material, the stories in this flourishing collection present their characters’ circumstances in horticultural terms, developing analogies to the techniques and processes of floriculture specific to each plant. Born on a family-run nursery, the author writes with an insider’s eye, constructing the richly detailed setting of an agricultural community in interaction with the larger contexts of society and the natural environment. Each story is a finely executed tribute to the concerns of nurserymen, their families, and their considerable professional knowledge, gifting readers a unique literary angle on life in an overlooked community.