From Wisconsin with Love

'Bartzella' and the Award-Winning Peonies of Roger F. Anderson

9781967311910

200 pages

Little Creek Press

Hardback $24.95

Overview

What do you get when a quiet Wisconsin hybridizer dares to dream in yellow? A global sensation named 'Bartzella.'

Voted the number one peony by the American Peony Society, 'Bartzella' is just one of Roger F. Anderson's groundbreaking creations that transformed the world of peony breeding. In this beautifully illustrated and accessible book, David E. Cartwright traces the dramatic journey of peonies from ancient China to Midwestern gardens and explores how Anderson rose to become a leading force in intersectional hybrids. Along the way, readers meet the legendary breeders, pivotal nurseries, and passionate personalities who shaped the modern peony. With a mix of horticultural insight, personal anecdotes, and vibrant photography, this is the first book to celebrate Anderson's remarkable legacy—and the Wisconsin roots of a flower beloved worldwide.

Author Bio

David E. Cartwright, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is the author of ten books, including works on Schopenhauer translated into multiple languages. A longtime gardener and friend of Roger Anderson, Cartwright has spent nearly four decades cultivating an expansive collection of plants at his Existential Gardens in Wisconsin.