On Flowers - Amy Merrick

241 Pages·2019·60.01 MB·English

by  Amy Merrick

O N F L O W E R S

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O N
F L O W E R S
lessons from an accidental florist
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O N
F L O W E R S
lessons from an accidental florist
A M Y M E R R I C K
ARTISAN | NEW YORK
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Copyright © 2019 by Amy Merrick
Photographs on pages 28–29, 32–33, 72–73, 76–77, 79, 114–15, 158–59,
198–99, and 204–5 copyright © Tif Hunter; photograph on pages 46–47
copyright © F. Martin Ramin; photographs on pages 138–39, 142, 166, 170–71,
173, 177, 183, 207, 218, 219, 220–21, 223, 230, 231, 232–33,
234–35, and 236 copyright © Miyuki Yamakana.
Illustrations copyright © Giulia Garbin except page 130, Cherry Blossom by Ogawa Kazumasa,
printed with permission from the Rijksmuseum; page 131 by Lesley Blanch,
from Hostess by Constance Spry, published by J.M. Dent & Sons (1961) with permission
from The Orion Publishing Group; and page 169, Gräser by Fritz Kühn, printed with
permission from Achim Kühn, Berlin (Estate Collection FK).
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically, electronically,
or by any other means, including photocopying—without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file.
ISBN 978-1-57965-812-0
Design by Giulia Garbin
Artisan books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales
promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or book excerpts also
can be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below,
or send an e-mail to [email protected].
For speaking engagements,
contact [email protected].
Published by Artisan
A division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381
artisanbooks.com
Artisan is a registered trademark of
Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son, Limited
Printed in China
First printing, September 2019
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C O N T E N T S
preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 7
ARRANGING FLOWERS . . . . . .
Page 9
On the fine art of choosing flowers, selecting the perfect vase, and
knowing precisely how to put the two together.
IN THE CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 26
On loving cheap bouquets, sending flowers like a florist, and
appreciating overgrown parking lots.
IN THE COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 70
On the subtle superiority of hand-picked flowers, wandering in
meadows, and opening the windows.
FANCY THINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 112
On smelling like a flower, succumbing to the romance of roses, and
how to take a bath.
HUMBLE PLEASURES . . . . . . . .
Page 156
On dandelion wishes, daisy dreams, and arranging shadows
instead of flowers.
GOING FAR AWAY . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 196
On buying one-way plane tickets, breaking thousand-year-old
vases, and finding a home wherever you find yourself.
acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 238
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9
ARRANGING
FLOWERS
Amy Merrick
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