Cut Flowers

"For those who love flowers, their rhythms and rituals become part of life itself," says English designer Tricia Guild. Flowers are a symbol of passion and emotion that few remain untouched by; the fleeting scent of a rose or curve of a lily's stem can evoke powerful memories. This book speaks to those emotions. Rather than being a guide to producing fancy arrangements, it's about truly looking at flowers, seeing the joy inherent in a bowl of riotously colorful zinnias or a single midnight-blue delphinium. James Merrell's luminous photography peers deep into the mysterious purple heart of the anemone and lifts the sunlight from the soft petals of a cyclamen. Quotations from writers and artists turn this small, perfect coffee-table book into a perfect gift book for lovers of literature as well as lupines.