Orchids

Celebrate the exotic beauty of these long-cherished flowers! The next-best thing to having pots and greenhouses filled with fragrant orchids is this oversize and lush volume devoted solely to the species' abundant variety. Spectacular photography captures their silky petals, extraordinary colors, and extravagant forms. Lyrical verses drawn from diverse sources--ranging from the Bible to the plays of Shakespeare--accompany the images and exalt the flower. A lively introduction traces its history and culture, detailing its appearance in art and literature and offering insights into the passion orchids always arouse. Whether as a gift for someone special, or as an irresistible self-indulgence, this will surely be treasured by orchid lovers everywhere!

Scott D. Appell is Director of Education for the Horticultural Society of New York, as well as a writer and lecturer. He has contributed to a number of gardening books, including the introductions for Lilies and Tulips.

Darcy Kane is a New York City-based photographer whose work appears regularly in magazines such as Garden Design, Country Gardens, and Family Circle, as well as in many books: Sanctuary: Gardening for the Soul features her photographs exclusively. Her fine art black-and-white pictures are in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.