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.

Author Biography

Barbara Perry Lawton, an award-winning writer, author, speaker, and photographer, has over 1,500 published articles to her credit. She currently writes for Gateway Gardener and Outdoor Guide and for nearly 20 years contributed a weekly column to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She has written several gardening books, including Magic of Irises. She has earned regional and national honors for her writing and photography, and has served as president of the Garden Writers Association. In 2004 she was named a "Woman of Worth" by the Older Women's League, and in 2006, she was named one of "24 Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisans" by St. Andrews Resources for Seniors. Just recently, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Missouri Affiliate of National Federated Press Women. Barbara currently volunteers as a Master Gardener at the Plant Doctor Desk and Horticultural Answer Service at Missouri Botanical Garden, is a member of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Stream Team, and is an editor of Cape Albeon's Cottage Review.