Flower Guide for Holiday Weekends in Eastern Canada and Northeastern USA

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

One of the basic functions of a field guide is to help the reader narrow
the possibilities when attempting to identify a flower. There are many
variations on how to do this, such as sorting by plant height, by
colour, or by leaf type. Larsen and Roots take a different
approach—sorting by the long weekend when the flowers are most likely
to be in bloom. This approach recognizes that Canadians go for relaxing
drives in the country on long weekends. What could be more logical than
organizing the most common wildflowers into groupings likely to be
spotted on those leisurely drives? They’ve even put an emphasis on
flowers that can be seen along the roadside without getting out of the
car.

The guide is divided into three weekends—one spring, one mid-summer,
and one early fall—and covers a total of 64 species. For each there is
a close-up colour photo of the blossom and, for most, a shot of the
whole plant and/or another feature, such as the seed pod.

The text for each plant gives both popular and scientific name,
measurements, habitat, unique features, and interesting facts, such as
its use by settlers or First Nations people and attributed medicinal
properties.

The photos are good and the text lively, creating a package that should
prove a useful addition to any car’s glove compartment.