My Flower Bookshelf

Before I started flower farming, I was a librarian. My path from English degree to copy editor to librarian seemed linear until I diverged into flower farming, but that’s another story. Luckily I entered the world of farming and floral design with a bit of skill in gardening and handling cut flowers, and a heap of experience in researching and storing up information. I think the latter has been more valuable, because so much of growing and working with plants is about learning along the way.

Heading into fall and winter, I always turn back to books. Of course I typically borrow from my local library first, but over the years I’ve built a small personal library – these are books that I use repeatedly for reference or dip back into from time to time for inspiration. Read on below for some of my favorites.

Flower Farming Basics

“Cool Flowers: How to Grow and Enjoy Long-Blooming Hardy Annual Flowers Using Cool Weather Techniques” by Lisa Mason Ziegler – a small but mighty book with ideas that can be adapted to a wide range of growing conditions.

“Deadhead: The Bindweed Way to Grow Flowers” by Jeriann Sabin and Ralph Thurston – two Idaho flower farmers share their years of wisdom and experiments.

“Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms” by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai – tips and projects for each season, recommended flower varieties, and photos that would make anyone yearn to be a flower farmer.

“The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers” by Lynn Byczynski – a decades-old but still essential guide to getting started as a flower farmer. Available via the ASCFG with a discount for members.

Floral Design

“The Art of Wearable Flowers: Floral Rings, Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces, and More” by Susan McLeary – unique and artful design examples, recipes and techniques for a range of skill levels.

“Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style” by Christin Geall – floristry, gardening, art history, color theory and the love of flowers, plus stunning photographs.

“Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season” by Erin Benzakein with Jill Jorgensen and Julie Chai – floral design basics, sample designs and recipes throughout the seasons, and pages and pages of beautiful photos.

“Florists’ Review Design School: An Illustrated Guide of the Styles, Principles, Elements, Periods, and Techniques in Floral Design” edited by Morgan Anderson – a more traditional but useful overview of color theory, elements of design, and styles of floral design throughout history.

Soil + Compost

“The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower’s Guide to Ecological Market Gardening” by Jesse Frost – a practical guide centered around soil health, primarily for vegetable growers but with lots of transferable information for flower growers.

“The Rodale Book of Composting: Simple Methods to Improve Your Soil, Recycle Waste, Grow Healthier Plants, and Create an Earth-Friendly Garden” edited by Grace Gershuny and Deborah L. Martin – methods and techniques for composting, with lots of examples and some history too.

“Teaming with Microbes” by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis – a deep look at organic gardening and the soil food web, not a light read but fascinating.

Reference Guides

“The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs” by Robert E. Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough – everything from plant biology to seed maturity and germination, with precise instructions for hundreds of plants.

“The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History” by S. Theresa Dietz – for anyone fascinated by flower folklore and symbolism.

“Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes” by Allan Armitage – for gardeners, plant lovers and flower farmers alike. Available via the ASCFG with a discount for members.

“Plants for Places: 1,000 Expert Choices for Every Part of the Garden” by DK Publishing – a useful quick reference when considering what to plant in sun vs shade, dry vs damp soil, or for hedges, containers or wildlife.

“Postharvest Handling of Cut Flowers and Greens: A Practical Guide for Commercial Growers, Wholesalers, and Retailers” by John Dole, Robert Stamps, Alicain Carlson, Iftikhar Ahmad and Lane Greer – a unique and comprehensive resource for anyone growing or selling cut flowers. Available via the ASCFG with a discount for members.

“RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers” by Christopher Brickell – sometimes a big fat reference book is better than the internet.

“Specialty Cut Flowers” by Allan Armitage and Judy Laushman – a detailed A-Z guide specifically for flower growers, with planting, harvesting and post-processing information. Invaluable! Available via the ASCFG with a discount for members.

“Woody Cut Stems: Production and Postharvest Handling of Branches for Flowers, Fruit, and Foliage” by Lane Greer and John Dole – a reference guide that’s absolutely packed with information about growing, pruning and cutting woody-stemmed plants. Available via the ASCFG with a discount for members.