Kirjahaku

Global adventurer Robbie Honey spends much of his time searching out and deconstructing some of the world’s most exotic flowers. This book features more than 90 specimens collected from as far afield as the Malaysian rainforest, the African veldt, and an English churchyard. No plant is beyond reach. Each specimen is meticulously laid out and photographed using an iPhone, as soon as it is picked, to create miniature plant portraits. Robbie’s fresh approach gives traditional botany a contemporary edge. Arranged by colour – red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, pink, then white – the plants are highly accessible as well as beautiful to look at. Botany, at last, has been transformed for a modern audience. Robbie was born and brought up in Harare, Zimbabwe and studied horticulture, interior design and photography in England, Holland, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He trained in event floristry in London, under Ming Veevers Carter, and started his own company counting Hermes, Dior, Valentino and Vivienne Westwood amongst his many clients. Robbie lectures and holds masterclasses in floristry at the flower schools in London, Beijing, Seoul, New York and Virginia, USA. He has amassed a huge international following on social media.

A richly photographed presentation of dozens of highly prized, rare, and unique orchid species. For centuries, the orchid family (Orchidaceae) has enjoyed a special status among botanists and collectors. With over 25,000 species across six continents, their remarkable taxonomic diversity--showcasing dazzling variations in color, form, and adaptation--makes them one of the most coveted living treasures. The renowned floral designer, photographer, and dedicated plant hunter invites readers into the complex, beautiful, and often surprising world of orchids. This book showcases in full color dozens of the most exceptional orchid species from across the globe, with notes on what makes each botanically important or unique. An artistic photographic approach reveals the structure of each flower, bringing pattern, scale, and form into focus through a deconstructed view--a vibrant modern homage to classic herbarium plates. This allows for an unprecedented, close study of each flower's morphology, revealing astonishing natural history facts such as how highly specialized coevolution attracts exclusive pollinators; the vast spectrum of orchid bloom sizes, from pinhead-tiny to as large as a dinner plate; and their astonishing habitat range, from shaded tropical valleys to chilly wind-blasted mountaintops. An essential volume for orchid enthusiasts and flower lovers alike, this combination of artful photography and accessible-yet-rigorous botanical insight gives readers a deeper understanding of orchids and allows them to explore rare specimens that are truly living masterpieces of evolution.