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These past few years, as my love for cultivating beauty in the garden grows, it seems that my collection of flower-related books has grown as well.
You’d think that after five seasons of growing cut flowers, that I’d run out of topics to study; however, I’ve found the exact opposite to be true…
…the more experience I gain, the more aware I become of just how much I have yet to learn about growing flowers.
Books are one of my favorite ways that I attempt to cure my curiosity when it comes to learning new flower-farming skills. If you find yourself in the same boat and are looking for new resources to add to your own library of gardening books, then keep on reading!
Below I’m sharing the flower books that are my absolute favorite to read over and over again.
Favorite ‘Flower Growing’ Books:
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms: This is where my passion for growing flowers all began. As luck would have it, I first discovered this book on the endcap at my local library. Despite the fact that I have never successfully grown anything from seed- the beautiful pages of this book convinced me that I needed to at least give it a try. This book is filled to the brim with lots of flower growing advice, plenty of inspiration and some absolutely gorgeous photography.
Cool Flowers: How to Grow and Enjoy Long-Blooming Hardy Annual Flowers Using Cool Weather Techniques: Once you master the art of growing warm-season, summer flowers- you’re going to want to extend your season with cool-season flowers that thrive in early spring! This is a easy-to-follow and straight-forward solution for eager flower growers that are wanting to grow flowers for more than just during the frost-free months of the year. I find myself referencing this book season after season; and to this day I’m amazed at how long it took me to learn that growing flowers during the coolest parts of the year (without a greenhouse) is entirely possible.
Growing Wonder: A Flower Farmer’s Guide to Roses: I’ve long adored roses but was hesitant to grow them myself as I know they have a reputation for being finicky. I purchased this book and feel more confident than ever that even a novice grower like myself can find success growing beautifully fragrant, heirloom roses.
Floret Farm’s Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms: I find myself skimming the pages of this book every time that I need a dose of inspiration. This book is such a great visual guide into the world of dahlias. I’m not sure that you’ll find a more in-depth resource that so beautifully catalogues the stunning range found within dahlia varieties. I’d recommend any dahlia-enthusiast purchase this book for the pictures alone!
DAHLIAS: Seed to Bloom: The Dahlia Grower’s Companion: I appreciate the level of detail found within this book. There’s plenty of resources that cover the basics of growing dahlias but none go so far to give as in-depth of explanation of what it takes to grow dahlias like the experts do as this book does. Whether you’re just starting growing dahlias or you’ve been growing them for years- you’re sure to learn something new within the pages of this book.
Containers in the Garden: I’ve never had much interest in growing flowers in containers- that is, until I read this book. Claus Dalby is masterfully talented at using potted plants en masse to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art; and he shares this skill inside this book- giving recommendations for which colors to use and which plants to grow based on season. I was so inspired by what I learned that I tried my hand at crafting my own simple flower display earlier this year.
The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower’s Guide to Ecological Market Gardening: Perhaps not as beautiful a topic to read about (especially when compared to others on this list)- understanding all that’s happening within your soil, that’s the key to growing healthy flowers that really thrive within your garden! This book is a thorough look at the more practical side of flower farming. It’s filled with tips + tricks that are simple enough to apply to your own cultivating practices.
The Cut Flower Sourcebook: Exceptional perennials and woody plants for cutting: After years of growing specialty daffodils on my farm, I’m now more excited than ever to add even more perennials to my garden beds. They are such a great, low-maintenance way to ensure that your garden is stocked with all the right cut flower ingredients. Now when I get excited about something, I tend to dive full-steam ahead. That’s why I was beyond excited to find this book as it contains a wealth of information on all sorts of perennials. I especially love how it breaks down various perennials based on season and it gives detail planting information on each + every variety. The author’s low-impact approach to flower farming is so refreshing- I think every type of gardener can gleam something useful from this book!
Favorite ‘Flower Arranging’ and ‘Design’ Books:
Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season: Beautiful and informative- this book is chocked full of helpful tutorials on flower arranging. I especially love how ingredients are broken down by season-, exemplifying how entirely possible it is to enjoy beautifully-designed flowers all year long!
The Art of Wearable Flowers: Floral Rings, Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces, and More: If you’re looking for a fresh take on floral design- look no further than this book! This book is filled with so many helpful tutorials for creating wearable floral art, a trend that is undoubtedly here to stay.
Conclusion
This list if far from complete- but above are the books that I’ve treasured most these past few years as I’ve worked to build my dream of growing + selling specialty cut flowers!
I’d love to hear from you- which flower-related books are your favorites?! Share yours in the comments below.
