The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers: What Flowers To Buy, When To Buy Them, and How To Keep Them Alive Longer

Crary’s (exec. director, FlowerSchool New York and FlowerSchool Los Angeles) and coauthor Bruce Littlefield’s (Moving In) love and knowledge of flowers jumps off every page of this well-done work. They identify, describe, and share tidbits on approximately 140 readily available cut flowers and selected popular flowering branches. Their aim is to inform readers about the best ways of preserving and enjoying cut flowers by applying equal parts technique, meditation, and craft. The book begins smartly with florists’ tricks, a supplies list, and design tips. It convincingly explains why the appropriate stripping, watering, cutting, spraying, coning, and storing practices are essential. The importance of temperature and proper cutting and clipping tools are emphasized often. Each entry contains the flower’s formal name, description, availability, conditioning tips, fascinating facts, and a color photograph, which show beautiful displays of flowers in full bloom and vibrant color. The book cautions that one size does not fit all when it comes to cut flowers, even those of the same species. Its tried-and-true tips are timeless, with results guaranteed to bring long-term satisfaction.