Arts Design

10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOKS OF FLOWERS RIGHT NOW

We’ve gathered a gorgeous basket of 10 new books about beautiful flowers. From floral memoirs, to cookbooks, to gardening, botanical, art, and photography books.

1. SEEING FLOWERS: DISCOVER THE HIDDEN LIFE OF FLOWERS

In their book, Seeing Flowers: Discover the Hidden Life of Flowers, writer Teri Dunn Chace and photographer Robert Llewellyn uncover the secret and most beautiful world of flowers.

With over 300 images of blooms presented in up-close and exceptional detail, everything you once knew about stamens, pistils, petals, leaves and pollen is completely changed. By using the unique process of stitching together large macro photographs, you get to see details of flowers that you didn’t even know existed! Chace and Llewellyn work remarkably well as a pair and can definitely awaken a new and deeper sense of appreciation for the reader.

Timber Press (2013)

2. THE FLOWER RECIPE BOOK

Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo, the co-founders of Studio-Choo, one of San-Francisco’s hottest floral designs studios - have now passed down their knowledge in the form of The Flower Recipe Book.

This simple step-by-step guide to the making of flower arrangements with the most stylish and in-season flowers includes hundred’s of detailed images and instructions.

Artisan (2013)

3. COOKING WITH FLOWERS: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES WITH ROSE PETALS, LILACS, LAVENDER, AND OTHER EDIBLE FLOWERS

Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers, with photography by Miana Jun, features more than 100 recipes made with flowers.

Try the sweet violet cupcakes, pansy petal pancakes, daylily cheesecake, and rosemary flower margaritas to savory sunflower chickpea salad, chive blossom vinaigrette, herb flower pesto, and mango orchid sticky rice.

Get even more floral joy with vinegars, vodkas, sugars, frostings, jellies and jams, and ice creams. We feature two recipes from Bacher’s book in our BN Food Drink DailyFix: EXQUISITE FLOWER FEASTS.

“Few cookbooks focus solely on edible flowers, and those that do often devote more pages to gardening and foraging than cooking. This gorgeous niche filler offers plenty of recipes, most notably visually striking desserts and unique “basics.”

—Library Journal

“I'm head over heels for this book, and I'm excited to have it in my proverbial pocket as we head into spring and summer months with all their flowery opportunities.”

—Emma Christensen, TheKitchn.com

Quirk Books (2013)

4. FLORA: THE ART OF PLANT EXPLORATION

Through awe-inspiring stories and botanical paintings, Flora: The Art of Plant Exploration, by Sandra Knapp tells the enthralling history of flowers and plants, including cacti, daffodils, irises, magnolias, poppies, roses, tulips, and waterlilies.

Chock full of bits of scientific, historic, cultural, and artistic information, this book presents a rich treasury of stories about adventurous botanist explorers who braved disease, slave trade, war, jungles, and assorted dangers to collect plants that are now quite commonly grown.

The book is brimming with stunning pictures and portraits found in collections in the Museum of Natural History.

Museum of Natural History, London (2014)

5. PAPER TO PETAL: 75 WHIMSICAL PAPER FLOWERS TO CRAFT BY HAND

Rebecca Thuss and Patrick Farrell’s, Paper to Petal: 75 Whimsical Paper Flowers to Craft by Hand, teaches you the techniques of making beautiful flowers as party decorations or stylish centerpieces out of crepe and tissue paper.

These two design experts show simple instructions on how to attain the most realistic and life-like petals, leaves and stems that result in ravishing bouquets. A must-have for every crafter!

Potter Craft (2013)

6. INTERNATIONAL FLORAL ART 14/15

This newest Jubilee edition of International Floral Art 14/15, the latest book in the International Floral Art series, from 2014-2015, celebrates the work of some of the world’s top floral designers. It also offers a view of the always-changing floral art scene.

The volume is filled to the brim with beautiful, colorful and inspirational art.

Stichting Kunstboak (2014)

7. ART FLOWERS: CONTEMPORARY FLORAL DESIGNS AND INSTALLATIONS

Art Flowers: Contemporary Floral Designs and Installations, by Olivier Dupon is an exquisitely produced book, celebrating the work of 38 floral-design artists from 14 countries for every occasion imaginable.

From floral depictions of weddings to high-society banquets and all the way to intimate designs for the home, this anthology is a must have for every coffee table.

These photographs take the individual beauty of a single flower and bring it to the next level. In his third book, Olivier Dupon really hit the nail with lifestyle and fashion - especially when it comes to flowers.

Potter Style (2014)

8. SEVEN FLOWERS: AND HOW THEY SHAPED OUR WORLD

Botanical writer, Jennifer Potter, examines the lavish history of the world’s seven most influential flowers in her book Seven Flowers: And How They Shaped Our World.

Potter dedicates countless research and evidence to explain and prove how and why: the lotus, lily, sunflower, opium poppy, rose, tulip and the orchid became to be what they are today.

Though the book is largely informational, Potter still makes it quite entertaining with her devotion and knowledge by connecting every single flower to the greatest events in history, alongside her beautiful descriptions of the seven iconic flowers as history established their dominance.

It’s hard to pass by any garden without appreciating and marveling at the beauty and grandiose of each and every flower after Potter’s book!

“Beautifully produced and meticulously researched.”

—Observer

Overlook Hardcover (2014)

9. CHASING THE ROSE: AN ADVENTURE IN THE VENETIAN

Andrea Di Robilant’s book, Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian Countryside, depicts the story of a man on the search for the history of a rose - a beautiful, silvery pink rose that he finds in his family’s former estate in the Italian countryside.

The pages are flooded not only with colorful and intriguing characters and events, but also with pictures of the landscapes and roses he encounters. Robilant intertwines the history of roses into his own personal history.

Even if you’re not the greatest flower fanatic, the beautiful illustrations and words make this book impossible to put down, for they transport you far, far away, all the way to the rose gardens of Italy.

Knopf (2014)

10. FLOWER ALBUM

Flower Album is not a new book, but we felt compelled to include it in our Beautiful Flowers book collection. The book contains a portfolio of portraits by Dietmar Busse, a noted fashion photographer.

Busse dedicates his art solely to flowers in this art monograph; in which he uses bodies as a canvas and flowers as the medium. His striking work subtly connects art and nature into one, in the most awe-inspiring manner.

The photos are all at the same time, both beautiful and disturbing. The book will keep you intrigued -- as the glossy images turn out page after page. The boldness and mystery of Busse’s photographs will delight nature, art, and fashion passionistas alike.

Glitterati (2006)

Read more about Beautiful Flowers, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Flowers in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 07.13.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: by Robert Llewellyn. Peony close up.
Image: Courtesy of Timber Press. Seeing Flowers.
Image:Courtesy of Artisan. The Flower Recipe Book.
Image: Courtesy of Quirk Books. Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers.
Image: Courtesy of Natural History Museum, London. Flora: The Art of Plant Exploration.
Image: Courtesy of Potter Craft. Paper to Petal.
Image: Courtesy of Stichting Kunstboak. International Floral Art 2014-2015.
Image: Courtesy of Potter Style. Art Flowers: Contemporary Floral Designs and Installations.
Image: Courtesy of Overlook Press. Seven Flowers and How They Shaped Our World.
Image: Courtesy of Knopf. Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian.
Image: Courtesy of Glitterati. Flower Album.