Overview

A spectacular poster-sized book that illustrates the family connections between the plants around us, deepening our appreciation of nature. Much like our own family, plant families share characteristics, often in the arrangement of their flowers, leaves, and stems. In this oversized book, acclaimed botanical artist Wendy Hollender depicts twenty-four plant families most commonly encountered in the garden and in the wild. Her superb full-page illustrations, featuring subjects rendered from life in color pencil and watercolor, help us visualize the sometimes surprising connections between different plants-for example, between the zinnia, the dandelion, and romaine lettuce, all members of the sunflower family, Asteraceae. For each family, Hollender's lively writings aided by additional illustrations highlight the similarities between family members, and describe her adventures in collecting the subjects (from her backyard garden to the Hawaiian wilderness). Guest essays from a variety of distinguished contributors-including Marta McDowell, the best-selling garden writer; Susan Pell, executive director of the US Botanic Garden; and Dina Falconi, the well-known clinical herbalist-lend fascinating perspectives on the featured plant families. The Album of Plant Families will be the ultimate gift for all gardeners, foragers, and nature lovers. AUTHOR: Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist whose work has been exhibited at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and the Smithsonian National Museum for Natural History, and published in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and numerous other outlets. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Hollender is the author of the best-selling books The Joy of Botanical Drawing and Botanical Drawing in Color, and teaches botanical drawing at the New York Botanical Garden. SELLING POINTS: . The botanical book of the year: a spectacular, oversize (12 by 16 inch) volume that helps us visualize the sometimes surprising family connections between the plants around us . Original illustrations by renowned botanical artist Wendy Hollender: twenty-four full-page illustrations of important plant families, plus numerous detail illustrations . Hollender has drawn all specimens from life, and provides an engaging commentary on the characteristics of each plant family. . The book also features guest essays by noted figures in gardening, horticulture, and botany.

Full Product Details

9780789215413

Table of Contents

Reviews

These portraits of family members glow with a quality of attention born of deep respect and affection for our plant relatives. The gorgeous rendering of texture and color, the nod to unseen companions and relationships, a whiff of imagined fragrance, create an invitation to see--and love--more fully the good green world.--Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry For world-renowned botanical artist Wendy Hollender, the ""sea of green"" many see in nature is actually a vibrant, interconnected map of family stories. . . I am so glad her journey brought her to National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kaua'i. Many of the intricate details in this book--from the alien beauty of the Orchid family to the prehistoric structures of gingers--were captured while immersed in the lush, tropical biodiversity of NTBG. . . Wendy shows us that botanical art is a way of truly knowing a place.--Janet Mayfield, President and CEO, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii On their own, Wendy Hollender's charming, yet painstakingly precise works of botanical art provide an alluring glimpse into the intricate beauty of the plants and fungi that sustain our bodies, our souls, and our planet. In dialogue with her essays and those by a luminous roster of collaborators, they are a means of revelation.--Todd Forrest, Vice President for Horticulture & Living Collections, New York Botanical Garden This book isn't just a feast for the eyes with pages and pages of the most exquisitely drawn botanical studies, it's also a book that captures the imagination. Wendy Hollender has endless talent for illustrating and describing nature's bounty, truly bringing to life the flowers and plants she draws. This is a book to savor and revisit again and again.--Lucy Hunter, floral and textile designer and author of two volumes of The Flower Hunter The Album of Plant Families is stunningly beautiful with gorgeously detailed botanical illustrations and a deep resource of plant information. . . All botanical and garden enthusiasts will delight in this book, and it will make a perfect gift.--Frances Palmer, ceramicist and author of Life with Flowers The Album of Plant Families is a tour de force of botanical artistry -- an enchanting glimpse into the variety and beauty of twenty-four of the most important families of flowers.--Peter Crane, President, Oak Spring Garden Foundation The Album of Plant Families is a delight for every corner of your brain. . . Illustrations that seem to grow from the page. . . This book is a love poem to the world, making you want to paint, cook, study, and stand in all of the beauty and complexity of life.--John Muir Laws, artist, naturalist, and author

This book isn't just a feast for the eyes with pages and pages of the most exquisitely drawn botanical studies, it's also a book that captures the imagination. Wendy Hollender has endless talent for illustrating and describing nature's bounty, truly bringing to life the flowers and plants she draws. This is a book to savor and revisit again and again.--Lucy Hunter, floral and textile designer and author of two volumes of The Flower Hunter The Album of Plant Families is a delight for every corner of your brain. . . Illustrations that seem to grow from the page. . . This book is a love poem to the world, making you want to paint, cook, study, and stand in all of the beauty and complexity of life.--John Muir Laws, artist, naturalist, and author Congratulations to Wendy Hollender on her exquisite achievement! The Album of Plant Families is stunningly beautiful with gorgeously detailed botanical illustrations and a deep resource of plant information. I also admire the horticulture writers that are included. All botanical and garden enthusiasts will delight in this book, and it will make a perfect gift. --Frances Palmer, ceramicist and author of Life with Flowers

Author Information

Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist whose work has been exhibited at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and the Smithsonian National Museum for Natural History, and published in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and numerous other outlets. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Hollender is the author of the best-selling books The Joy of Botanical Drawing and Botanical Drawing in Color, and teaches botanical drawing at the New York Botanical Garden.

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