Congratulations, Zo! As for our farm, we count ourselves lucky, our family is safe as is our flower field perched on the top of a hill, however, the river flats of our property were hit by flood waters. XIPXI means cat in the ronga language from Southern Mozambique. Who doesnt love that???? As a young girl, I would wake before anyone else in the house, pad out to the living room and read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read the classics, christian fiction (thank you to grandma for her yard sale finds), romance (thank you to grandma for leaving your books laying around your house when we visited), science fiction, regular fiction. Several years ago our State Fair did a floral design theme of stories and the one I had to do was The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe I read that book and watched the movie so I would be better able to interpret that story in flowers. Those books sparked my passion for animal and their welfare. easy readers were a favorite in my early years. I would love a copy of this book, it looks like a joy to read again and again. Paper dolls book of the Kennedy family were a lot of fun. Little Women. Hello Im so excited to hear about Zoe and from my country of birth! I grew up on a very remote farm in South Africa, and my imagination allowed to be whoever or whatever I wanted to be. I love your books now, and get lost in the incredible photographs. Yes, this season we collaborated on some workshops with Rhonda of Flora Forms, who has a farm about 20 minutes from us. My favourite books I remember reading as a child are Little House on the Prairie and Heartland. A seek and find book, glorious flowers and photographs, what more could anyone possibly want! I have been blessed to have received and subsequently give I love you forever. Years later I became an artist, a marketer, and finally a garden designer. It looks like a wonderful book. My love for nature and all things colorful stems from its ability to transform any and all. I still have a hardbound 3 volume from 1985. My favorites books as a child were the Nancy Drew books. The book has truly shaped us by implanting in our family that same desire to make the world more beautiful. We were always reading the Newberry award winners. I usually get the jars back with sweet notes and sometimes they are filled with whats in their gardens, or lots of herbs. After reading a book, I would often play at being the characters in the book. National Geographic was always read cover to cover growing up. They were just short little stories about famous people. I still write poetry now and then, but photography has become a great love. One of my favorite books growing up was Shel Silversteins Where the Sidewalk Ends. Its in my top 10 favorite books (childhood AND adult). Our stories is the one thing nobody can take away from us. The only book I had as a small child was all about fairy tales. I think I also loved the challenge of trying to figure out the solution of the story. I was a shy kid and just loved imaging different adventures. I loved reading this interview and learning about flower life in New Zealand! Happy to hear Zoe and her farm are safe. I once read that its better to believe in the impossible and probable than probable and impossible. I especially loved the Little House on the Prairie series, The Borrowers, and my favourite, The Secret Garden. These books inspired my dream to live a simple life, caring for a piece of land, growing flowers and food, communing with nature; which has now become a reality for me. It helped to shape my understanding of, and ability to access, my own inner, creative garden and to find comfort and solace in the visual wonder of so many beautiful and varied gardens I have visited in numerous countries over the years. Oh my!! There were so many in the series and I loved the adventures and the way she would be so curious to solve a mystery. Find more near rhymes/false rhymes at B-Rhymes.com. Zoes book looks amazing and the photos are breathtaking! Loved learning how others dealt with difficult lives, overcame obstacles and about this beautiful world. I had a wonderful Mother Goose book filled with fantastic drawings accompanying the rhymes always a favorite. The dairy fairy will come and make your wish come true! I loved to read historical and regular fantasy. Congratulations on the new book ladies! I needed her fresh eyes on it as we made the final adjustments. 2. I had no books in the home as a child. Whether youre a foodie looking for some fun new recipes to try or you just want to teach your kids about healthy eating, these 125 fun rhymes about food will have you singing and cooking in no time. My favorite book as a child was The secret Garden. Ahhhhh. The stories of finding a wounded bird and helping it recover, or a child working with a dog who was scared and bringing him around to a friendly, outgoing pup, spoke to me. I was obsessed with gardening and animals. Continuing reading them these days I still get swept away by those same pages. Plus anything by Martha Stewart which definitely influenced my love of flowers today. Arriving home, I would pull out the encyclopedia and begin my research, losing myself in the pictures and words. This book strikes me as a lovely way to bring more beauty into this world and share it with others. I grew up in a large family (nine siblings!) My grandchildren are still reading it and memorizing the poems, 60 years later. Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat. Ive always been an avid reader. Thats great because this week, as we explore thankfulness, we explore being thankful for food. I Spy books were favorites of mine growing up and still are, as Ive introduced them to my children. To this day, it has helped me understand peoples customs better. Anne of Green Gables. But I would have to say as a very young child, Fairy Tales that included a princess (which of course was me) were my favorite! Thanks for the opportunity! Its about every day observation and often the simplicity of life. My eye naturally started to see the hidden pictures almost immediately after looking at the colors and patterns. I love nothing better than to create a fairie/ woodland environment Im my gardens and property to enjoy the adventures as much as I did. When I bought my old house, I loved living through the seasons to discover my own lost gardens and am delighted by ancient lilacs, lilies and flowering vines. As adult, I have realized that some were roses that had been handed down and cuttings rooted. My favorite book was Mr. Willoughbys Christmas Tree. But, the book is a good reminder it IS possible to make the world a more beautiful place. I always went to the lost and found page first. This book appears to be magical. My two favorites were HEIDI and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. One of those favorites is THE ROSE IN MY GARDEN by A. Lobel, both for the wonderful text and quite lovely flower illustrattions. I also have a large amount of pop up books grandkids love them as well as myself! So excited to check out Zo on IG and hopefully win her book! It gave a sense of wonder and a little bit of that magic. . I also loved Little House on the PrairieI loved the strength of the family and how accepting, kind and generous they were to everyone. Excited to see this! Sometimes the magic is my own appreciation for friends, family, nature, or what we can cultivate ourselves. A huge congratulations to Zoe!! Anything historical. Nancy Drew is first thing that popped up as favorite childhood books. My favorite book was The Boxcar Children, where young kids run away from a bad situation and find a boxcar to live in. I too have the passion for flowers, arranging and photography. My make believe world spans my own back yard so I am able to immerse myself in a new page every day. Whether you've got a toddler or a teen at home, there are dozens of timeless and modern classics that they are sure to enjoy - here's a few ideas to get them started in the world of books. Add a . The story of this little train that could never make it up the mountain and had to keep trying, keep believing, keep going despite every odd to finally achieve all it dreamed of doing and being. The Giving Tree was one of my favorite books as a child. Kids and adults love to be invited into the written word and you are fostering the beginning of a long relationship with books! It is interesting how perspective changes as an adult. The dark horse. Stories of people near and far, fictional and real. Big bright petals with a paper like quality, persimmon orange, lemon yellow, vibrant pink poppies on sturdy green stems. As a child I loved the Beatrix Potter books. I read every Nancy Drew book and moved to Agatha Christie as I got older. I loved the whole family aspect of them weathering every storm together and living a hard, but more simple life. I really enjoyed reading the secret garden. Little house on the prairie had the biggest impact on my childhood. READ MORE: Four golden rules to help parents save money in 2023, from budgeting tricks to managing income. I was also a bit of a nerd and loved reading Charles Dickens as a child and his stories remain a favourite and have shaped my love of the strange, whimsical & down trodden. Such a powerful story about the love and respect between humans and nature. How our God created so many different plants and flowers still amazes me. This could be a choose your own adventure, a mystery or a compelling novel. My early introduction to color and great design has influenced my whole life, including my love of flowers and flower arranging. I enjoyed reading the collection of Nancy Drew books and over fifty years later still have them. Les dessins sont extraordinaires avec normment de dtails et les histoires nous transportaient dans la nature avec les animaux et les fleurs. Her love of hunting/spying and my love of flowers and nature!! I also really loved the I Spy books- especially with a younger sibling. And Zoe, your book looks so amazing and lovely! I cant recall having a favorite type of book. I now carve out a bit of time for creating in my garden and reading books about plants. It really is a sweet story that makes you think of how one persons trash can be anothers treasure. Imagination. They all have mysteries which are still my favorite books to read. , for taking the time to share about what youve been up to and your beautiful new book with Floret readers. I am trying to learn all about growing flowers at this time in my life and it is really exciting! Turns out I homeschool my 7 children so books are life right now! My mom was probably the biggest gardening inspiration. Trixie Belden Mysteries! My existence revolves around growing plants and observing nature. My Father had a couple of semi-custom books made for me as a cold. Reading the descriptions of the natural world, of relationships, and feelings opened my mind and soul to seeing the poetry of life. I love an epic series where I have lots of opportunities to get lost in another magical/beautiful time or world. I read everything I could including The Wind and the Willows and Winnie the Pooh and then as I got a little older it was James Herriots series about being an English country veterinarian that really became a favorite. But I loved and still love Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia (currently reading to my kids), and the Melendys. I just returned Sunday night from a month long stay and highly recommend visiting. Its been hard, painful yet deeply rewarding work. 60 years later, I remember just how much the books I read shaped my imaginative play with friends. They inspired my imagination and play so much. My mother, a life long gardener, as was my grandmother, gave me the book. I think what I loved most about it was the sense of adventure and the power of teamwork two traits I carry to this day. Et cibo reque honestatis vim, mei ad idque iisque graecis. Lost and Found, would bring such joy. There are so many favorites, among them being the Dr Seuss books, One fish two fish red fish blue fish, Green Eggs and Ham. The pages have envelopes glued in with removable letters so the book invites the reader to engage in a whole new way. June 10, 2022 by . As a child I loved books about fields and forests and gardens and the magic they contain. My daughter has introduce me to Floret and is currently taking your course. And now hes living in a garbage can with fleas. I loved any and all books as a child. My favorite books when I was a kid were books that continued on and told a story. A post shared by TokyoSoto (@tokyoglam). I do remember loving choose your adventure books, then later babysitters club and sweet valley high moving into more developed thrillers by Christopher pike and RL Stine. But, another one that they can have would be nice. As an adult the same holds true, with the result being wide and varied interests. I named it and climbed it almost every day. We fell in love with New Zealand on our trip in 2015. I appreciate making my land beautiful but also using it in a practical way to benefit my family. Painting, gardening, beading, crocheting, ceramics, mosaics, the list went on and on! I feel that honoring others and what they are going through is so important. I think that the simple act of searching for objects has a way of slowing you down, as if walking through a garden, taking in every little detail. I would pour over the pages and then head outside to try to locate real-life examples. Very excited for you both. Floret only lists companies and products that we love, use, and recommend. Two of my favorite fiction books were The Secret Garden and Charlottes Web. preschool activities, preschool crafts, and preschool books. Once I had kids I discovered that I actually really do love books! If you dont stay away from them, we see. Such a fun interview! I still tend to give personalities and voices to all the creatures I come across while gardening! And stories and another book of AA Milne poems . This gave me the sense of community as when the friends came over to help clean up the mess. I loved Richard Scarry books as a child, Busy Town, What People do All Day and his Super Silly Seek and Find books, they were all so busy with so much detail in the pictures. Of course, there was a family dog and cat. Charlottes Web. I loved books about magic and other worlds, like the Narnia series. Pells New Suit, with its gentle pictures of all the tasks a boy did to earn wool, have it spun and dyed, woven and made into a new outfit was wonderful. Thanks for blessing all of us with your beauty!!!! Thank you for all the information you put out for us all to learn. I said we were downscaling, but we ended up using it as a good excuse to source more. I especially loved the Little House on the Prairie series. My childhood favorites are Grimms Fairytales, The Lord of the Rings series, anything about fairies, and a picture book called The Seamstress of Spitz that I cant find now but that I remember had ornate detailed drawings of very fancy princess/queen dresses which I loved. I still read them today. Zoes farm sounds amazing and so glad everyone is safe. My favorite book was a color book. My mother painted still lifes mostly with flowers, often collected from our fields. So thats when I decided Im going to start a garden of flowers for the village that helped me when I needed them the most ! If youre going to consume that much fat. It has totally inspired me to have my home be a sanctuary away from the stresses of the world. Im a Fairy tales reader! food that rhymes with alexis. As a child I enjoyed the Cherry Ames books. . I especially remember a book I had of fish that I would look at over and again. Maybe that is where love for gardening started. Some of my many favorites were: Nancy Drew, Chose Your Own Adventure, Encylopedia Brown, anything by Roald Dahl or Beverly Cleary, and of course The Secret Garden. I refer to the idea of that story Now, as an adult, I refer to the idea of that story, especially when discussing the ways of our politicians these days! I read about adventure and hard work and how horses were good for girls. A cold, cloudy day as the suns rays slowly emerge, with the hope of warmth and rebirth, I am reminded of one of my favorite stories as a child, The Secret Garden. I had hoped to visit New Zealand in November 2022, but had to cancel my trip due to care for my mom so I spent our late fall and early winter (their late spring and early summer) following a couple who were thru-hiking New Zealand from top to bottom. But my most favorite of the Dr Seuss boom was the Dictionary in Spanish and English. North Vancouver B.C. I loved paging through the World Book encyclopedia tomes. The very first thing I purchased when I found out I was pregnant with our first child, 40 years ago. Their version of hide and seek!! I loved the Laura Ingalls series and Nancy Drew and couldnt wait to see what would happen next, frequently reading under the covers with a flashlight. I had a passion for reading fashion magazines while I was growing up on the family farm in Montana. Thanks for the interview and this opportunity! Regards, Beata. I never thought of this before about myself. I always loved the ones with the best pictures. I remember being truly changed by a few: where the red fern grows, modoc, the wizard of oz series.. Finding hidden things. The Book With No Pictures by B J Novak; The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine; The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog . Professional books, horticulture, YA, fantasy, graphic novels, literature etc. It was filled with so much love of family and the importance of cherishing memories. The interview was enlightening, inspirational and great food for thought. Such a delight this book is! God bless you as you bring the beauty of flowers and photography into the lives of others. We lived in the country and I would go out into the fields and pretend I was the characters, perfectly happy amongst the flowers. I dreamed to escape and journey on adventures which led me to my love of travel, I guess. I still have my original copies with well-worn creases from childhood. Where babushka bakes a cake with her granddaughter in the storm. The story about Queen Esther has been my favorite. For a chance to win, simply post a comment below telling us what type of book you were most interested in as a child and how its helped shape who you are as an adult. I loved any type of book that required a heightened sense of imagination like The Phantom Tollbooth or The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. I would spend hours outside on a picnic blanket enjoying the weather and reading my books! I love the way flowers offer that same intrigue. I too, loved the Eye Spy books and Wheres Waldo as a child. Any story that could spark wonder about worlds just beyond our reach or perhaps not, with some imagination. I loved the book Mandy by Julie Andrews and Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Thanks for sharing you time with Zoe with us. I loved the Bobbsey Twins series (showing my age!). I still love books that contain beautiful photos or illustrations of things found in nature! What I realized as I had not been picking books that were interesting to me. I had two favourite books when I was a child. As an adult, I still enjoy researching and studying my interests, but now I use different tools. Thank you for sharing this interview with us and making us better aware of the damage the storm caused. These creatures, usually horses or dogs, often overcame great hardship in order to find their way home or win that race. There was an element of sentimentality but also often a sense of adventure and wonder. Your email address will not be published. I loved creating forts in the woods with my brother and sister, and the magic of living together in the boxcar and solving mysteries was right up my alley. Thank you Floret for your guidance. Collecting all their ingredients by hand and around the farm, but racing against the storm. Since illustrations were rare, and only intricate drawings in black ink, my little sister and I learned to use our imaginations. My older sister gave me books to read or read them to me and my Grandmother would sit and read as many books to me as I wanted! As a kid, I loved adventure books, especially ones that took my imagination to far off places. Now the two share a daughter, Alaiya Grace, who was born three months premature earlier this year. I didnt even realize the book had words until I was an adult and I bought a copy of it for my own children. The photos are out of this world. It was the only chapter book I personally owned so was so very special to me, I still have it today Angela. As an adult, I look to nature and growing things to nurture and transform myself. My favorite childhood books were the Little House series b Laura Ingalls Wilder. Its all so much fun. That whimsical, playful, and sweet view of life weaves through many things I do, floral design, painting, writing, journaling, and gardening! It may have been my first window into animal cruelty, and for sure it inspired me to love all animals and care for them. Whenever I felt lost or confused as to what direction to take because of the pressures I felt from adults I always remembered timshel and the translation of thou mayest. My favorite book as a child was Bambi and I loved Thumper peaking his head out in the field of wild flowers. As a child I really enjoyed the collections of choose your own stories. I read, and re-read, the Boy Scouts Manual (Im female). Most specifically a picture of a little girl dressed in the most beautiful and ornate traditional Chinese clothing. It helped shape the artist and mother I am today, I loved anything to do with friends having adventures together! Any book that created a little world, like The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown. To this day I am moved to bring could be friends into my life and the lives of others, and cherish lovely garden spots that are tucked away. The only connection I can see with what Ive been doing for 40 plus years is that if a plant shows a sign of a problem, I solve the mystery by following the clues and investigate through much research. I loved so many books, but two of my childhood favorites were Black Beauty and Charlottes Web. It has kept me searching for that little special thing everywhere. The love of dirt and growing your own beauty in a vase. I am grateful to share this, it was a nice little trip down memory lane. The less well known Suess books are still a favorite of mine to read to kids. I also loved horses and got into the Phantom Stallion series. Growing up I read anything I could get my hands on. More power to both of you! My son will only read when he is excited for a book and I search for those books because I want him to love books as well! I loved old fairy tales. When I was a kid, I didnt read much and didnt have many books. I loved most books but especially biographies. Loved all those characters! To do this day, I need nothing more than a book in my hand to be having the most wonderful day. These are still my favorite. Amongst my favorites ~ all of Beatrix Potters books. Although I read everything I could get my hands on pretty much. Still love them, but no longer have one in my back field. She took me with her to our tiny little public library week after week hoping I would be interested in checking out a book. I was an avid reader growing up and still am! Absolute genius. X Tania. It makes you want to step in and explore. Its a depression era story about a little girl sent to live with her uncle in the city because of depression era poverty. Im sure my subconscious was saying, If she can.. Thanks to you both, Zo and Erin, its delightful when your imaginations come true, isnt it? Children who solved mysteries, not crimes. My students and my children all mention this as a special memory. I love I spy books but reading each night to the children is fun for me with Aunt Pitty Pattys Piggy. I loved all of the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder being a pioneer, the constant need for invention in order to survive nature, both its beauty and its battles. I saw on Instagram that you teamed up with Flora Forms for a Spring Urn Workshop that looked pretty magical! These poems were illustrated in what looks like, rich gouache paintings and the words evoked vistas in faraway lands as well as those closer to home. Instead of going directly, she stops and invites her rabbit friend, and they take the long way, through a meadow, past a pond and into some woods, enjoying the beauty and each other, and picking a bouquet along the way. My mother would read them aloud to us on car trips and the story of adventure and redemption will always be one of my favorites. As I got older I found the same joy in Agatha Christie novels as well as MANY other authors and genres. And a Heaven in a Wild Flower As a city kid, I loved books about big families who lived on a farm, or in a small friendly village, with cats, dogs and big gardens that sustained their simple lifestyle, Now Im channeling that city kids desires in a big country garden of my own. I think my favorite one was Henry Huggins and the Clubhouse. Harry Potter was my favorite series as a child. As an adult, I still like solving puzzles, and at my accounting job, I feel like the numbers present me with puzzles I get to solve all the time. It shaped me by showing me the importance of reading to my own children, which I did for many, many years. My mom always had a garden filled with flowers and vegetables. I have dreamed for decades of creating my own secret garden and am now finally beginning to bring one to life! I didnt have it as a child but I have read them over and over to my children. My dad read the kissing hand to me so often. What a gorgeous looking book and an interesting interview. Comments. Fairy tales and allegories! What color, what shape??? My favorite of all time is The Secret Garden. My daughters grew up with the Eye Spy books and Im looking forward to adding this grown-up version to our library. I have always felt a deep connection to nature and animals. I pretended to be on adventures, just like them. When raising our two girls our family all fell in love with hide-and-seek books and spent many a wonderful night finding things through theirs eyes. Canada. Recognizing patterns. While there werent any treasures or secret passages to be found when we moved in, Im hoping my kids look back and find it was a magical place to grow up :). One of the first books I kept was People by Peter Spier. What a wonderful labor of love. She leaves gifts in exchange for your hair! I have the book that was in my elementary schools library-obtained through the proper channels of course. Now I have a small but robust vegetable garden, fruit trees, and many flowers. Nancy was so clever and confident! Now Im branching out to other time frames and just finished Horse by Geraldine Brooks-simply amazing book. Do you love food? Growing plants has been my lifes passion. At 69 I still read The Secret Garden and find the same solace as a child. My favorite Type of book were Berenstain Bears for their whimsy and imaginative scenes. As a child the library was a world of wonders unfurling in each book.