Flower Confidential

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
by Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart takes us inside the flower trade—from the hybridizers, who create new varieties in the laboratory, to the growers, who produce flowers by the millions (often in a factory-like setting), to the Dutch auctioneers, who set the bar (and the price), and ultimately to the neighborhood florists orchestrating the mind-boggling demands of Valentine’s and Mother’s Day.

Stewart introduces us to a cast of characters that includes the breeder intent on developing the first blue rose; an eccentric horticultural legend who created the world’s most popular lily; a grower of gerberas of every color imaginable; and the breeder of the equivalent of a Tiffany diamond: the “Forever Young” rose. Her revealing, often surprising book explores the relevance of flowers in our lives and in our history, and shows all that has been gained—and lost—by tinkering with nature.

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