In her forthcoming volume, “Flowers”, Carolyne Roehm describes being so devoted to tulips that some years she plants as many as 10,000 bulbs.  Gardening is her passion, and her photographs of its blowsy stars are reverant works of art.

These days, a stylish room isn’t complete without the houseplant of the moment.  Ficus lyrata (also known as fiddle-leaf ficus or fiddle-headed fig), a midsize tree (they can grow 50  feet high in the wild and can easily top 6 feet in an interior) with large, violin- shaped leaves is enjoying a design moment.

Mary Gray, owner of Potted in Los Angeles, traces the popularity of the fiddle-leaf ficus back to the 1950s and ’60s, when the specimens were ubiquitous in office design.

Davis Dalbok, owner of Living Green in San Francisco, gets lots of requests for the tree, but he advises buyers to plant with caution.  “They need a lot of water and light, ” he says.  “If you don’t rotate them, the leaves in the back fall off. They’re kind of finicky plants.”  That said, Dalbok thinks the beauty of the fiddle-leaf ficus has proven it’s roots have staying power.

As seen in California Home+Design magazine, May/June issue.

In Natural Companions, acclaimed garden writer Ken Druse presents recipes for perfect plant pairings using diverse species that look great together and bloom at the same time.

Artist Ellen Hoverkamp contributes over 100 striking botanical photographs, created in collaboration with the author utilizing a large format, flatbed scanner as her camera. Filled with an incredible amount of horticultural guidance, useful plant recommendations, and gardening lore, this book is a must-have for gardeners and lovers of plants and flowers.

“During a walk through the vast grain fields adjacent to my friend’s house (on Oland, a large island off the east coast of Sweden), I was lucky enough to catch these poppies the moment before their petals closed as darkness set in… The image recalls the tranquil feeling of a summer night – the noise of hawks and swallows flying overhead, the wind, and the soft evening light as the drops below the horizon.”~Thomas Ljungberg

As seen in June 2012 issue of Garden Design magazine.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.  The ten days starting with Rosh Hashana and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days  of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance.  This is a time for serious  introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent  before Yom Kippur.

The presence of flowers is tradition on all Jewish holidays. These are used in table decorations, around homes and in Synagogues. Flowers displayed throughout the holiday are always extremely fine and beautiful. Whilst there are no specific flowers traditionally sent at Jewish New year, some members of the religion favour blooms mentioned in the Torah.  Apple Blossoms are also a popular choice; however these flowers are not as readily available as roses and other striking flora.
Judaism is symbolised by the colours blue, white and silver and these colours will often be interpreted into arrangements and bouquets during this festival. Ribbons of the traditional colours of the religion can be added to bouquets and arrangements and further complimented by candles.

Florals shown as designed by bbrooks member Greenwich Orchids in Connecticut.

The rescue happened in 2006, in a remote area of Southwestern China in and near the Yachang National Orchid Nature Reserve in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regions, in the foothills of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau.  This remote, 220-square-kilometer nature preserve holds more than 150 species of orchids, some of them in extremely large, relatively undisturbed populations.  It exemplifies the world orchid hotspot that is Southwestern China, consisting of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces.

Nearly 1000 delicate, reproductive-size orchid plants were carefully translocated from places slated for flooding.  Altogether, the plants represented 29 species  and 16 genera.  In addition, a landscape company was hired to relocate nearly 1500 trees on the Chinese endangered plants list.  The whole rescue action took nearly seven months to complete.

Above left-Cymbidium tracyanum, a rescued species.  Above right- Kingidium braceanum, an epiphytic orchid which can  be found growing naturally in the Reserve.

At right, the Yachang National Orchid Reserve.

Photography by Dr Hong Lui.

As seen in Tropical Garden, Spring 2012 issue.

Paintings by Botticelli, Durer, Raphael and da Vinci are featured in Celia Fisher’s coffee table book, Flowers of the Renaissance.

Taking a closer look at the Renaissance garden as a whole, author Fisher examines roses, lilies, daffodils, daisies and tulips in order to observe varieties common in the Renaissance and their symbolism in paintings of the period.

As seen in Flower Magazine, Spring Issue.

Orchid expert Kate Santos offers her best tips for keeping moth orchids (Phalaenopsis sp. and its hybrids) happy and blooming.

Orchids are often planted in bark or sphagnum moss. When the bark or moss is dry to the touch, water your orchid until water comes through the drainage hole in the bottom of your pot.  Never leave orchid roots in standing water.

Orchids like bright, indirect light.  North-facing windows generally won’t provide enough light.  An east-facing window is best; western or southern light is fine as long as it’s indirect.  Normal home temperatures are good – about 70 to 80 degrees in the daytime and above 60 degrees at night.

Ask your local  nursery for an orchid fertilizer, and apply it according to package instructions.

Once the orchid has stopped flowering, you can cut off the bloom spike at the base of the plant.  Keep fertilizing.  Leave the pot in bright, indirect light.  Your orchid should rebloom within a year.

You may want to repot your orchid every few years.  Do this when it’s not blooming, because repotting can stress an orchid and cause it to drop its blooms

Featured above is Montclair King “Splash”.  At right, Tying Shin Cupid “Montclair”.  As seen in January 2012 issue of Southern Living.

From the well-known lifestyle photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo and Nicolette Owen of Brooklyn’s Little Flower School, Bringing Nature Home presents a portfolio of unique and original floral arrangements directly inspired by the seasons and the local environment.

Unlike most flower-arrangement books,  this book presents an alternative that is in line with the “back to nature” movement.

A how-to section offers advice on the selection, trimming, and care of the arrangements, making this book practical as well as inspiring.

Flora Grubb,  “yes, I’m a real person and that is my real name and gardens are my life”, shares her ideas for letting your green flag fly!

Urban Hedgerow, a collaborative team of instigators, artists, creators, thinkers, conservationists, ecologists and bug lovers,  located internationally yet are all connected through our invertebrate friends. Their intention is to shift perceptions and the world’s ability and desire to integrate, tolerate and interact with our environment by transforming our relationship with the wild around us.

In ”The Nature Principle”, authour Richard Louv  shows us how tapping into the restorative powers of the natural world can boost mental acuity and creativity; promote health and wellness; build smarter and more sustainable businesses, communities, and economies; and ultimately strengthen human bonds.

Epiphytic plants, which derive nutrients from the air and thus thrive on virtical surfaces with little or no soil.

Mount Davidson,  with an elevation of 928 feet,  is located in the geographical center of San Francisco, CA.   An “unexpected urban escape into a cloud florest”, it is the highest natural point SF.  It is one of SF’s 44 hills, and one of it’s original “Seven Hills“.