Favorite readings on floriculture

I have always felt a deep gratitude for those who share their wisdom, experience, and talents with the world through writing books. However, it wasn't until I became an author myself that I fully appreciated the complexity and challenges involved in creating a book. Since then, every book has been a special little treasure for me!

For several years I have dreamed of sharing my favorite books with you and since then, the list has grown thanks to the hard work of several people who, in addition to running a farm, have managed to find the time and energy to write a book to share their knowledge.

So here is the (long) list of my favorite books on floriculture (growing, floral design and coffee table books). I highly recommend them all and I hope you read English because, unfortunately, most of these books are not published in French!

Technical section on floriculture

Specialty Cut Flowers: The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers
By Allan M. Armitage and Judy M. Laushman

This book was my main reference, my flower bible, when very, very few works existed on the subject in the very early years of Floramama.
If you're looking to expand your knowledge, this book is a real treasure. It's a very comprehensive work, covering annual, perennial, bulbous, and woody flowers, and provides a thorough understanding of flower production, with more technical information geared toward professional growers. It explores in depth a large number of species and their cultivation, both for fresh bouquets and dried flowers. Specialty Cut Flowers contains only black and white illustrations and diagrams, and its approach is more academic. This book is only available as a print-on-demand book.

Field Guide to Specialty Cut Flowers: A Growers' Manual

By Allan Armitage

This edition by Allan Armitage is more suited to small growers or home gardeners looking for practical advice and concrete information on specific varieties of cut flowers. It is still a practical but accessible guide, designed for specialist flower growers. It focuses on flower cultivation with detailed information on best growing practices, harvest management, and plant care. The Field Guide is more of a field manual with practical illustrations and growing information specific to each type of flower.

Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest & Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms
By Erin Benzakein

The first book in the trilogy by American flower guru Erin Benzakein. This book is a must-have for anyone looking to start or enhance a cut flower garden. It's packed with technical tips on growing flowers on a small scale and breathtaking photography.
Erin and her team have been my biggest inspiration since day 1.

A Year in Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season
By Erin Benzakein

In this second book by Erin Benzakein, she highlights beautiful seasonal bouquets and their arrangements. Each chapter, inspired by the rhythm of the seasons, invites readers to observe the colors and textures of the natural world around them. It also encourages the use of locally grown ingredients to create unique and authentic centerpieces, bouquets, and other floral arrangements.

Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms
By Erin Benzakein

In this inspiring third guide, Erin Benzakein shares all the secrets you need to grow beautiful dahlias. Packed with expert advice and illustrated with hundreds of breathtaking photographs, Discovering Dahlias is an indispensable resource and a must-have for all dahlia enthusiasts.

The Market Gardener: A Manual for Small-Scale Organic Farming
By Jean-Martin Fortier

My friend and mentor Jean-Martin has created a global movement of small organic farms following the publication of this practical manual on growing vegetables using biointensive methods. Although it does not cover floriculture, the principles and logistics of growing vegetables are the same in market gardening as in floriculture. It was alongside his partner (my best friend) Maude-Hélène Desroches at the Jardins de la Grelinette in St-Armand that I learned all the technical knowledge to start my own farm, Floramama.

Dahlias: Seed to Bloom: The Dahlia Grower's Companion
By Kristine Albrecht

Inside, you'll find practical advice on soil preparation, planting in raised beds and containers, and managing common pests, diseases, and viruses. Enriched with international perspectives, the book highlights nine dahlia growers from five continents, who share tips and recommendations tailored to their specific climates.

The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers, 2nd Edition
By Lynn Byczynski

This book is one of the first to be written on the subject of diversified floriculture on a small scale. It brings together all the essential information to get started in flower growing. Lynn is an incredible source of flower knowledge and has also been the author of numerous floriculture columns in the renowned magazine Growing for Market.

Growing for market
A timeless, essential magazine about organic farming and floriculture on a human scale. A must-have for the geekiest!

Grow and Gather: A gardener's guide to a year of cut flowers

By Grace Alexander

Ideal for gardeners with small spaces, it highlights tips and ideas perfectly suited to gardens of all sizes. This book is packed with inspiring essays, personal journal entries, and valuable growing tips.

In Bloom: Growing, Harvesting, and Arranging Homegrown Flowers All Year Round

By Clare Nolan

Clare shares practical advice on growing, harvesting, and caring for plants, as well as tips for creating arrangements without complicated techniques. Featuring beautiful photography and expert advice, this book is ideal for transforming a garden into a floral workshop and bringing the beauty of fresh flowers into your home.

The Cut Flower Sourcebook: Exceptional perennials and woody plants for cutting

By Rachel Siegfried

In this book, Rachel Siegfried highlights perennial and woody plants that return year after year with little effort, bringing natural beauty to floral arrangements. She shares her selection of 130 tested plants and her gardening philosophy. The stunning photographs capture seasonal diversity.

Flower Farming for Profit: The Complete Guide to Growing a Successful Cut Flower Business

By Lennie Larkin

This book delves deeply into the least glamorous but most essential part of farming: running a profitable business. It's incredibly thoughtful, well-structured, and packed with real-life examples. Lennie's down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to numbers is refreshing.

The Lean Farm: How to Minimize Waste, Increase Efficiency, and Maximize Value and Profits with Less Work
By Ben Hartman

In this debut book, Ben Hartman explores how to apply "lean" management principles, derived from the Japanese automobile industry, to agriculture to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Hartman shows that even small farms can be profitable and sustainable by adopting these methods. The book guides farmers in identifying and eliminating waste at every stage of production, from growing to selling. Using examples from his family farm in Indiana, Hartman offers practical strategies for organizing work, training employees, and optimizing harvests. Although focused on small farms, his advice applies to any agricultural business looking to increase profitability and reduce costs.

The Lean Micro Farm: How to Get Small, Embrace Local, Live Better, and Work Less
By Ben Hartman

The Lean Micro Farm tells the story of how the author downsized his farm to prioritize family and community while maintaining income. It features six innovative farmers who are taking an ecological and resilient approach to global challenges. The book offers practical methods and tips for increasing production on small plots and strategies for creating a profitable farm. Hartman shows how to successfully run an efficient microfarm while promoting a human-centered and sustainable farming model.

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm
By Daniel Mays

No-till is a farming method that involves cultivating without disturbing the soil to preserve and even increase its health and therefore fertility. In this guide, Daniel Mays, owner of an organic no-till farm, explains the environmental, social, and economic benefits of this approach. The techniques presented are adapted to a human scale, with minimal machinery. The book also offers tools for planning, management, and marketing, as well as community initiatives like subscriptions and on-farm education. Having visited his magnificent farm in 2023, I have become a huge fan of his work and the incredible human being he is.

Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers
By Frédéric Thériault and Daniel Brisebois

This book, written by two renowned Quebec farmers, offers an eleven-step method to simplify the management of a market garden and make it more profitable. It details how to set financial goals, develop a growing plan, implement it, and analyze the results to improve production the following year. Again, these principles apply just as well to floriculture.

The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener
By Eliot Coleman

Published in 1989, this book is an essential guide to intensive, manual organic farming methods. The book covers every step, from seed to harvest to sale, with practical advice for ecological production. Known for its effectiveness, Coleman's approach is clear and passionate.

Floramama: From garden to bouquet: everything about growing flowers
By Chloé Roy

A practical and inspiring guide that guides flower enthusiasts through every step, from crop planning to growing flowers and creating bouquets. The author shares advice on choosing varieties, planting techniques, flower care, and the art of flower arranging. Richly illustrated, this book celebrates beauty and provides access to expert advice for projects of all sizes, from small gardens to flower farms.

Floral design/inspiration section

Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity
By Frances Palmer

Renowned East Coast potter Frances Palmer has led a rich and meaningful life while building a business deeply rooted in creativity. She invites readers into her world by sharing an exceptional collection of essays, photographs, recipes, tutorials, and life lessons.

A Year Full of Flowers: Gardening for All Seasons
By Sarah Raven

This book is packed with practical advice, including Sarah's favorite varieties across a wide range of plant categories. The photographs are absolutely stunning.

Designing with Dried Flowers

By Hannah Rose Rivers Muller

A practical guide to creating dried flower arrangements. The author shares her methods for drying flowers while preserving their color and delicacy. The book offers clear instructions for creating unique creations, tips on growing and drying flowers, and how to set up a drying space. With its stunning photographs and helpful tips, this is a must-have for all dried flower enthusiasts.

Gardening naturally
By Laurie Perron and Sarah Quesnel-Langlois

This book, written by two passionate Montreal florists, offers an introduction to ecological gardening, with a focus on local flowers and respect for the environment. It features botanical fact sheets, tips for attracting pollinators, zero-waste tricks, and ideas for starting a compost heap.

Cultivated: The Elements Of Floral Style
By Christin Geall

A unique Canadian book on floral design, combining personal essays and stunning photographs. Geall draws inspiration from fine art and pioneers like Gertrude Jekyll to share her arrangement-making techniques. This book covers all aspects of floral design: choosing flowers, tools, colors, and even photographing and selling arrangements. Accessible to all, it's an ideal resource for flower enthusiasts and a perfect gift for gardening enthusiasts. Also check out her Instagram account @cultivatedbychristin

The Flower Workshop: Lessons In Arranging Blooms, Branches, Fruits, And Foraged Materials
By Ariella Chezar and Julie Michaels

Written by renowned floral designer Ariella Chezar, this book features over 45 floral projects, ranging from simple to extraordinary, with detailed instructions and beautiful photography. This book provides insight into the mechanics of creating stunning arrangements, bouquets, wreaths, garlands, and more. She shares her approach to floral design, influenced by the seasons, local and wildflowers, with an emphasis on texture, color, and vases.

Flower Color Theory
By Taylor Putnam and Micheal Putnam

This iconic couple, known in the world of floral design for their bold creations, have produced a visually captivating guide to the art of creating floral arrangements using color as a guiding principle. This book explores shades and color combinations to produce harmonious and funky compositions. The arrangements they create are absolutely stunning.

Fine books section

Flora: a fascinating journey to the heart of the plant world

This book explores the incredible diversity of plants through fascinating questions and surprising answers. With stunning photographs, this book reveals the secrets of plants, from their functioning to their beauty. It invites us to discover the wonders of nature, from majestic trees to the most delicate flowers, highlighting the complexity and importance of the plant world. Absolutely magnificent.

On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist
By Amy Merrik

Amy Merrick is a rare artist who uses flowers to make us see the everyday in a new light. Her talent lies in her ability to celebrate the unexpected, like a spring arrangement in a paper cup, and to overturn preconceived notions, whether transforming a bouquet of supermarket carnations into a masterpiece or elevating wildflowers picked in the city. She shares her secrets on the art of floral arrangement, from choosing materials to mastering proportions. Through her travels, from New York to Kyoto, she invites us to discover the beauty of flowers, whether simple or luxurious. A poetic and inspiring work, a tribute to nature.

Blooms: Contemporary Floral Design

Blooms is an exceptional book celebrating the explosive impact of modern floral designers on a long-neglected art. It features the work of over 80 designers from around the world, ranging from established figures to emerging talents, each chosen by industry experts. This book explores how contemporary floral art influences today's visual culture and design.

Flora Photographica: Masterworks Of Contemporary Flower Photography

A spectacular and colorful volume that offers a comprehensive overview of floral photography masterpieces, from early greats like Man Ray and Robert Mapplethorpe to contemporary photographers such as David LaChapelle and Viviane Sassen. The book explores the evolution of floral photography, highlighting iconic images and recent creations.

Plant: Exploring the Botanical World

This book celebrates the diversity and beauty of plants through a combination of photographs, microscopic scans, watercolors, drawings, and prints. The images are arranged to highlight fascinating contrasts and similarities. This collection includes works by renowned artists, photographers, scientists, and botanical illustrators, as well as rare and previously unseen images.

Flowers: Explore the floral world
By Anna Pavord

A rich and detailed exploration of the beauty of flowers through art, history, and culture. This book offers a fascinating journey across continents and eras to discover the many ways artists have used floral motifs. It features a wide variety of flowers from around the world, spanning various styles and mediums, such as art, botanical illustrations, sculpture, floral arrangements, film, and textiles.

Wishing you wonderful discoveries that will inspire you for the upcoming floral season!