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On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist
Named a Best Gift Book of 2019 by InStyle, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and the Wall Street Journal
“If coffee tables could make . . . wish lists, [this book] would certainly be on them.”
— Better Homes & Gardens
A singular, personal celebration of the beauty and possibilities of nature
Amy Merrick is a rare and special kind of artist who uses flowers to help us see the familiar in a completely new way. Her gift is to revel in the unexpected—like a sunny spring arrangement housed in a paper coffee cup—and to overturn preconceptions, whether she’s transforming a bouquet of supermarket carnations into a breathtaking centerpiece or elevating wild and weedy blooms foraged from city sidewalks. She uses the beauty that is waiting to be discovered all around us—in leaves, branches, seedpods, a fallen blossom—to tell a story of time and place.
Merrick begins On Flowers with a primer containing all her hard-won secrets on the art of flower arranging, from selecting materials to mastering pleasing proportions. Then she brings readers along on her journey, with observations on flowers in New York City and at her family’s summer home in rural New Hampshire, working on a flower farm off the coast of Washington State, and studying ikebana in a jewel-box flower shop in Kyoto. We learn how to send flowers like a florist, and how to arrange them like a farm girl. We discover the poignancy in humble wildflowers, and also celebrate the luxury of fragrant blousy blooms. Collected here is an anthology of floral inspiration, a love letter to nature by an exceptional, accidental florist.
“If coffee tables could make . . . wish lists, [this book] would certainly be on them.”
— Better Homes & Gardens
A singular, personal celebration of the beauty and possibilities of nature
Amy Merrick is a rare and special kind of artist who uses flowers to help us see the familiar in a completely new way. Her gift is to revel in the unexpected—like a sunny spring arrangement housed in a paper coffee cup—and to overturn preconceptions, whether she’s transforming a bouquet of supermarket carnations into a breathtaking centerpiece or elevating wild and weedy blooms foraged from city sidewalks. She uses the beauty that is waiting to be discovered all around us—in leaves, branches, seedpods, a fallen blossom—to tell a story of time and place.
Merrick begins On Flowers with a primer containing all her hard-won secrets on the art of flower arranging, from selecting materials to mastering pleasing proportions. Then she brings readers along on her journey, with observations on flowers in New York City and at her family’s summer home in rural New Hampshire, working on a flower farm off the coast of Washington State, and studying ikebana in a jewel-box flower shop in Kyoto. We learn how to send flowers like a florist, and how to arrange them like a farm girl. We discover the poignancy in humble wildflowers, and also celebrate the luxury of fragrant blousy blooms. Collected here is an anthology of floral inspiration, a love letter to nature by an exceptional, accidental florist.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2019
50 people are currently reading
1085 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
January 13, 2020
Amy Merrick has divided her book into six beautiful chapters and it is overflowing with lovely ideas of how to bring nature into your space. Some of the photos took my breath away! I especially enjoyed how she explains the art of arranging flowers in a simple and natural way which is more my style than formal arrangements. Highly recommend. Five stars.
December 5, 2019
A strange and beautiful volume. Merrick's prose sparkles, and the book design makes this book gift-worthy. And yet, it's sort of insubstantial, more of a coffee table book than anything else. I'm also a little sick of the "quirky millennial moves to New York and finds her quaint life passion amidst the hustle-and-bustle" storyline, but that's hardly Merrick's fault.
March 21, 2024
this is a coffee table book with heart. deeply inspiring ❤️
February 4, 2021
Bought this thinking it would be more of a "how-to" on floral arranging and it turned out to be something a bit different, albeit quite lovely. It feels like you're paging through the personal journal of the writer who shares memories, stories & tips from her global experiences with flowers. Aesthetically the clothbound cover with the gold foil really speaks to my bookshelf sensibilities, and the book is something I might page through again in the future.
April 2, 2020
Ik volg Amy Merrick al enkele jaren op instagram en heb mezelf het boek eind vorig jaar cadeau gedaan omdat ik zo graag het resultaat wou zien en lezen.
Dit is "a gift that keeps on giving" want deze prachtige foto's zullen blijven inspireren. Of het nu dichtbij is (nu we thuis zijn door corona) of toch op reis naar prachtige tuinen of musea om bloemen te bewonderen!
En dan haar lijstjes, zoveel liefde voor haar lijstjes!! Enkele favorieten, ook al zou dat morgen weer iets anders kunnen zijn :-)
city things to do: carry flowers on the subway, take yourself on a very fancy cake date (deze is voor jou Becky :-),...
country things to do: go barefoot, collect leaves on walks, drink your morning coffee (tea for me) in a garden,...
fancy things to do: tie bouquets with silk ribbons, buy a first edition of a beloved book!!
humble things to do: wake early to see a sunrise, say thank you, call a friend, watch a candle burn low
Laat maar weten als je nog wat tips wil :-)
Dit is "a gift that keeps on giving" want deze prachtige foto's zullen blijven inspireren. Of het nu dichtbij is (nu we thuis zijn door corona) of toch op reis naar prachtige tuinen of musea om bloemen te bewonderen!
En dan haar lijstjes, zoveel liefde voor haar lijstjes!! Enkele favorieten, ook al zou dat morgen weer iets anders kunnen zijn :-)
city things to do: carry flowers on the subway, take yourself on a very fancy cake date (deze is voor jou Becky :-),...
country things to do: go barefoot, collect leaves on walks, drink your morning coffee (tea for me) in a garden,...
fancy things to do: tie bouquets with silk ribbons, buy a first edition of a beloved book!!
humble things to do: wake early to see a sunrise, say thank you, call a friend, watch a candle burn low
Laat maar weten als je nog wat tips wil :-)
March 20, 2022
Lavishly illustrated, Merrick provides examples of non-conventional floral arrangements. The use of wildflowers and flowers found along side abandoned city plots. As she declares it - the city and the country, the fancy and the humble.
There are dozens of how-to tips - - -
Use herbs and vines and branches.
Various types of bowls and pitchers and vases can be used for different arrangements
After re-cutting daffodils, let them stand in separate water as they have a sap that will negatively impact the other parts of the arrangement.
Re-cutting stems underwater
You can tell that she absolutely adores flowers and wants to share her love and attraction with everyone. Certainly a book that can be reviewed again and again to get new insight in creating arrangements like a professional florist as well as the wild unstructured arrangements that a country girl would likely do.
2022-057
There are dozens of how-to tips - - -
Use herbs and vines and branches.
Various types of bowls and pitchers and vases can be used for different arrangements
After re-cutting daffodils, let them stand in separate water as they have a sap that will negatively impact the other parts of the arrangement.
Re-cutting stems underwater
You can tell that she absolutely adores flowers and wants to share her love and attraction with everyone. Certainly a book that can be reviewed again and again to get new insight in creating arrangements like a professional florist as well as the wild unstructured arrangements that a country girl would likely do.
2022-057
October 4, 2024
I love a good flower book!! An easy 5. Beautiful & inspiring & shifted my view on the world. I will appreciate the humble beauty around me more than before I read this.
Fav quotes to remember:
There is no better primer in the realm of romance than the local flower shop.
To love flowers is to revere nature, and to revere nature is to honor seasons.
I've formed long-standing love affairs with certain paintings, and these have outlasted many real-life romances.
And what could be more overwhelmingly beautiful than a bouquet of flowers?
Peonies have one flaw: they're perfect. Other than that, they're perfect.
It's quite possible to be drunk on flowers; I feel tipsy all the time.
But how lucky are we, really, to live it all once?
With a sad smile, he said that all beautiful things in the world will break in the end... Ephemeral and yet somehow eternal, like all the most enchanting things are.
I loved her to-do lists after each section & I think "Take a garden road trip" and "Plan a pilgrimage to see a flower" are two great ideas.
Fav quotes to remember:
There is no better primer in the realm of romance than the local flower shop.
To love flowers is to revere nature, and to revere nature is to honor seasons.
I've formed long-standing love affairs with certain paintings, and these have outlasted many real-life romances.
And what could be more overwhelmingly beautiful than a bouquet of flowers?
Peonies have one flaw: they're perfect. Other than that, they're perfect.
It's quite possible to be drunk on flowers; I feel tipsy all the time.
But how lucky are we, really, to live it all once?
With a sad smile, he said that all beautiful things in the world will break in the end... Ephemeral and yet somehow eternal, like all the most enchanting things are.
I loved her to-do lists after each section & I think "Take a garden road trip" and "Plan a pilgrimage to see a flower" are two great ideas.
January 23, 2021
really lovely bits on flowers & to appreciate them. couldnt really get into them much but still an enjoyable read! 🌸
"to love flowers is to revere nature and to revere nature is to honor seasons"
"to love flowers is to revere nature and to revere nature is to honor seasons"
March 21, 2020
Soothing and inspirational. Buy a physical copy.
September 28, 2022
I will never look at flowers the same way again. Amy writes passionately about flowers. She brings them to life with her words, pictures and descriptions. I was reminded of the way Carl Sagan writes about the cosmos or how Ray Bradbury writes about writing. Amy Merrick writes about flowers like they are the love of her life and it shows. Inspired by Amy, I ventured to the nearest flower shop and began scouting for the flowers I had learned about. I was also inspired to keep an eye out for flowers on footpaths, flowers in window boxes and wildflowers that had pushed their way up from cracks in the sidewalk.
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Isn’t it magical when a writer manages to draw you in, with her words and show you a world that she is passionate about? 5/5 absolute must read. I’d recommend buying the physical copy though. This book is a keepsake.
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Isn’t it magical when a writer manages to draw you in, with her words and show you a world that she is passionate about? 5/5 absolute must read. I’d recommend buying the physical copy though. This book is a keepsake.
February 18, 2020
Scrumptious. Beautiful poetical prose. Gorgeous photos and artwork. I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book.
July 24, 2022
What an absolutely gorgeous book!
Read
November 29, 2025read this on the couch in a warm house during a November snowfall. very much enjoyed myself
June 3, 2021
This was such a beautiful book.
Read
September 13, 2025Coffee table books are so lovely <3
I'm trying to look at some books for the sheer pleasure of it; I'd also love to learn some tips for flower arranging - my home desperately needs plants and flowers.
I'm trying to look at some books for the sheer pleasure of it; I'd also love to learn some tips for flower arranging - my home desperately needs plants and flowers.
March 16, 2021
On Flowers is a thoughtful and inspirational guide to the joys of flowers and botanical interests. It's a lovely compendium and memoir of sorts of a life steeped in the happiness of flowers.
January 30, 2024
This book was a colossal waste of money. Give me a break!!! I absolutely hated the book. A girl who had a career in fashion channels that passion into flowers. Great but give me some reason to love this book. It was just a series of still life photos with nothing else to give the reader. So mad I spent money on this book. It just didn’t do anything for me.
November 9, 2019
This book is a jewel! I don't know why it says Kindle edition but that reminds me right off to say that I almost passed this book by because of the dull title and very underwhelming jacket cover. But peeking inside, I read about her longing for Japan--a place she had never been and then looking at her incredible flower arrangements, I was totally enthralled!! Her artistic vision is mainly like 茶花 chabana flower arrangement favored in tea ceremony... arrangements that look like the flowers as they are found in the field. She has her luxury high impact roses and Yves Saint Laurent carnations... but her heart seems rooted in the gardens at Sissinghurst and in Ikebana. High impact wow flowers and humble meadow and wild flowers all find a place in the book. An English garden and a tea room in Japan... her book is gorgeous, charming and kind-hearted.
I loved her chapter on "foraging".... like "maple leaf hunting" and mushroom hunting in Japan, there are flowers you appreciate from a distance and there are leaves and branches you gather and bring home... I purchased a tiny pair of Japanese scissors to keep in my walking bag for foraging (My neighbors should love that!) Really, in LA, everything now is private property... it is so sad. I press flowers regularly and always have fresh flowers at home.. but I think it is time really to learn how to garden. Wonderful book! https://www.borges-library.com/2019/1...
I loved her chapter on "foraging".... like "maple leaf hunting" and mushroom hunting in Japan, there are flowers you appreciate from a distance and there are leaves and branches you gather and bring home... I purchased a tiny pair of Japanese scissors to keep in my walking bag for foraging (My neighbors should love that!) Really, in LA, everything now is private property... it is so sad. I press flowers regularly and always have fresh flowers at home.. but I think it is time really to learn how to garden. Wonderful book! https://www.borges-library.com/2019/1...
May 26, 2022
At first I was like "well this is unorganized and it's really just a coffee table book" but the further I read, the more I realized that this book was a bouquet itself! It contains all these beautiful bits and pieces, and taken altogether it would be a worthy addition to my home, as more than just a pretty something.
On first glance, you expect a how-to book. And yes, she does give some worthwhile tips. But more than that, it's a joyful expression of how you can find beauty in the unexpected. Those interested in "slow living" and practicing contentment should give this book a try.
On first glance, you expect a how-to book. And yes, she does give some worthwhile tips. But more than that, it's a joyful expression of how you can find beauty in the unexpected. Those interested in "slow living" and practicing contentment should give this book a try.
March 14, 2020
What a wonderful book for people looking to improve their knowledge on flowers and how to arrange them!
August 26, 2022
My mother adores every aspect of flowers and she gently infused me with that adoration. While growing up in a tiny town in South Africa, she took my hand and showed me how to plant Nasturtium seeds next to the stairs to the front door at the age of 5. She planted a ’field’ of Namakwaland daisies in front of my bedroom window and showed me the joy of collecting the seeds in a brown paper bag for the following year.
After she went to New York for the first time, my bed time story became the one of the Readers Digest lady that bequeathed money to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for flower arrangements at the museum. And that there was a full time person, who’s only job was to make those arrangements.
In puberty we watched and cried over the movie - Jean de Fleurette and the red carnations. Later she would dig up the front lawn and plant row upon row of carnations, tied them up meticulously and sell them at the market with gypsophilas for an income because she left her steady income job after she followed my father to his lifelong dream to farm.
As if by osmosis I learned the names for flowers from her because I can’t ever remembering her teaching me.
This is supposed to be a book review, I know. But the story shared in this book is so ethereal and charming, it evoked so many memories and feelings in me it just gurgled out. All my values are reflected in Amy Merrick’s beautiful philosophy and experiences. I will read and reread this book regularly. To remind me to appreciate the so many facets flowers give us - growing and the earth, wildflowers and heaven, breaking and the art of kintsugu, of the Japanese philosophy of fragility of cherry blossoms and life, living in New York and how the flowers are abundant even there if you care to look. Not to speak of all the very practical advice she dishes out in spades. And I have not even touched the topic of inspiration.
A book to keep close for sure.
After she went to New York for the first time, my bed time story became the one of the Readers Digest lady that bequeathed money to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for flower arrangements at the museum. And that there was a full time person, who’s only job was to make those arrangements.
In puberty we watched and cried over the movie - Jean de Fleurette and the red carnations. Later she would dig up the front lawn and plant row upon row of carnations, tied them up meticulously and sell them at the market with gypsophilas for an income because she left her steady income job after she followed my father to his lifelong dream to farm.
As if by osmosis I learned the names for flowers from her because I can’t ever remembering her teaching me.
This is supposed to be a book review, I know. But the story shared in this book is so ethereal and charming, it evoked so many memories and feelings in me it just gurgled out. All my values are reflected in Amy Merrick’s beautiful philosophy and experiences. I will read and reread this book regularly. To remind me to appreciate the so many facets flowers give us - growing and the earth, wildflowers and heaven, breaking and the art of kintsugu, of the Japanese philosophy of fragility of cherry blossoms and life, living in New York and how the flowers are abundant even there if you care to look. Not to speak of all the very practical advice she dishes out in spades. And I have not even touched the topic of inspiration.
A book to keep close for sure.
February 24, 2020
A must read!
I wasn’t going to buy this book at first because I was looking to learn basics of flower arranging and this didn’t seem to have that. I’m so glad I overstepped my practical self and leaped right in to this magical world of Amy Merrick’s. It really is a world made more beautiful by paying attention and finding the beauty that is already there. I expect that my flower arrangements will benefit from her perspective and I know that my mental state already has! This book is a treasure.
I wasn’t going to buy this book at first because I was looking to learn basics of flower arranging and this didn’t seem to have that. I’m so glad I overstepped my practical self and leaped right in to this magical world of Amy Merrick’s. It really is a world made more beautiful by paying attention and finding the beauty that is already there. I expect that my flower arrangements will benefit from her perspective and I know that my mental state already has! This book is a treasure.
October 24, 2020
This book is aesthetically beautiful but I was left wanting a more substantial memoir and less of a coffee table book. Each page is an Instagram-worthy post with a few pages of text peppered throughout. I read through it cover-to-cover in one short sitting. It is beautiful and inspiring and holds a space on my shelf of special books... but I was anticipating a more in depth account of Amy's extensive experiences in the floral milleu.
November 16, 2023
The book inspired a wildflower foraging session around my neighbourhood which resulted in a glorious bouquet to give to a neighbour. I enjoyed seeing the photograph of wildflower “weeds” in the New York City pavement, the pastel red poppies grow wild here too, far away in New Zealand… I’ve never seen them featured in a publication before! I the book was lovely as a light read, although not one that I would reference often, and I deeply wish I could visit Elmwood!
November 26, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book, but it felt a bit light (and I feel a little mean saying so, because it was clearly written in earnest about the author's life). I suppose the subject itself is a bit light, but it felt a bit more like a magazine article or a scrapbook. That being said, if you are looking for a diversion and like flowers, I would highly recommend it.
January 20, 2020
A beautifully designed and well-written book that provides a wonderful escape into nature and the power of slow and close observation. Glad I own it because I know I'll be referring to it again and again. And any mention of Mary Delany and her paper mosaicks are enough of a recommendation right there.
January 20, 2021
This book made me look at flowers as though they have personalities: country charm, elegant and proud, wispy and wistful.... and there were some great, but simple, pointers on how to arrange flowers. The book reads a bit like a how to, a bit like a diary, and a bit like a love letter to flowers. The photography has a retro vibe. Would make a lovely coffee book table.
October 13, 2022
wasn't sure if I wanted to read a book on flower arrangement or horticulture but I judged this book by its cover, picked it up at the library, and read.
it is easily one of my favorite books I've ever read concerning the subject of the appreciation of life. like a flower, this book added some levity and beauty to my day. five stars.
it is easily one of my favorite books I've ever read concerning the subject of the appreciation of life. like a flower, this book added some levity and beauty to my day. five stars.
January 18, 2020
A visually beautiful book and a truly delightful read. I love the authors voice, the stories she’s included, and the photos she’s compiled. It is inspiring and encouraging for a casual flower admirer to endeavor to be something more.
December 16, 2020
A truly unique love letter to flowers and finding beauty where we seek it. This is more like a scrapbook/collection of short essays/lists so it's not very substantial, but it is very beautiful. 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews