207. Happy Father’s Day—Publishing another Book with Dad

(It is a sample cover; the final cover will be slightly different)

“Enjoy Flower II” is in the final stage of  proofreading. It’ll be in press soon. What will be a better gift to my dad on Father’s Day than publishing a book with him?

Both my parents were professors of botany in China. When my mom had a stroke many years ago, she lost her ability to use her right hand and leg. What kept her going was my dad’s love for her and her passion for flowers. So both my dad and I took tons of pictures of flowers, just to make her happy and alive. As a botanist, my mom used those pictures in a scientific way and made a number of slideshows to share with friends. By the time my dad was diagnosed with late stage cancer, a good friend and student of my parents suggested us to publish a book using those flower photos and their scientific knowledge. This was a great way to remember my dad, to record my parents’ love for each other, for me, and my love for them! The beautiful flower book turned out to be more than just a “coffee table book”. It was a love story—their love for each other and our love as a family. The sad part is my dad never had a chance to see the published book!

After “Enjoy Flowers” published (in China), my mom and I started another project—“Enjoy Flowers II”. After all, we still had a lot of pictures and I have never stopped taking more photos. Working on the book became a goal for my mom and it kept her alive. Unfortunately, she passed away before the book was finished. So it was up to me to finish what we started together and that is what I did in the past year or so.

It is now three and a half years after my dad passed away, and more than a year and a half after my mom passed away, “Enjoy Flower II” is in its final stage of being published. As I wrote in the acknowledgement, I thank my dad and mom from the bottom of my heart, for their love, their care, their support, their help, their encouragement… It is such a fortune and privilege to be their daughter! If there were an afterlife, I hope I could be their daughter again! By then, we would meet amongst our beloved flowers, again!

Here are some of the pictures in “Enjoy Flowers II”. Happy Father’s Day, dad!

须苞石竹 Dianthus barbatus

百日菊 Zinnia elegans

西洋蓍草Achillea millifolium

君子兰 Cliviaminiata

红距耧斗菜  Aquilegia skinneri

灯笼花 Abutilon pictum

天赐玉和天王球的杂交种 Gymnocalyciumpflanzii x G.denudatum ‘Argentiniensis‘

假昙花  Hatiora gaertneri

牡丹 Paeonia suffruticosa

郁金香 Tulipa gesneriana

火红雪轮 Silene virginica

巴氏花 Sabatia bartramiana

荷包牡丹 Dicentraspectabilis

拟蝶唇兰 Psychopsis papilio

杏黄银树 Leucospermum cordifolium ‘Aurora’

帝王花 Protea cynaroides

凤凰木 Delonix regia

帝王袋鼠爪 Anigozanthos ‘Regal Claw‘

多枝草海桐  Scaevola ramosissima

班氏银桦 Grevillea banksii

澳大利亚圣诞树 Nuytsia floribunda 

大舌菊 Leptinella pusilla 

耀眼豆 Swainsona formosa

繸瓣花 Thysanotus tuberosus

五翅莓  Agapetes serpens

欧洲银莲花  Anemone coronaria  

罂粟  Papaver somniferum