A child's garden of books

This lovely image is from "Alpenblumenmärche" ("Alpine Flower Fairy Tales"). It is a German book of poems written and illustrated by Ernst Kreidolf in 1922 that highlights specific Alpine flowers and seasons.

If you wander into the Lenhardt Library at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe between Friday and Feb. 2, you may come across it as part of an exhibit of 11 rare 19th- and 20th-Century children's books about nature and plants from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, Argentina, Australia and France. There will be a free talk on the subject December 13 at 2 p.m.

In the summertime, there's too much to see outdoors at the garden for many of us to spend time indoors. But winter is a perfect time to check out indoor exhibits and talks.

Which is all just an excuse to reproduce a pretty picture.

Got a garden question? I recommend you call or e-mail the Plant Clinic of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, the Master Gardeners of the University of Illinois Extension or the Plant Information Service of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe .

All contents of this post are copyright Beth Botts. Feel free to link or share a brief excerpt with a link, but please do not reproduce photos or any other part of this blog without my express permission.