Flower Confidential Book by Amy Stewart | Algonquin Books | Explore the Hidden World of the Floral Industry – Perfect for Gardeners, Florists & Flower Enthusiasts

This is a fascinating book! I've never been an avid consumer of cut flowers, but I do enjoy plants and gardening. I heard an interview with the author on NPR a few years ago, was mesmerized, and this book has been on my to-read list ever since. It was worth the wait! I can honestly say that I will never look at a cut flower, a pre-packaged bouquet, and especially a rose, in the same way again. The story of the propagation, the selling and marketing is riveting.I knew large greenhouses existed, but the exact science, the exact control to produce the most perfect flowers available is something I was ignorant of. I also assumed that the flowers I buy in the grocery store were flowers as nature created them, not scientifically created perfections-upon-nature. It's truly astonishing the time, energy, and money that is funneled into what are simply flowers, but actually quite an economic powerhouse.While it may be easy to condemn these greenhouse freaks of nature, the author shows us they are just as beautiful, stunning, fragile, and glorious as the wildflowers in the field.I learned a lot from this book, but even more, I gained an immense appreciation of the flower industry and the travels and travails of every single cut flower stem that will enter into my life. Highly recommended.