Black Flora: Inspiring Profiles of Floriculture’s New Vanguard

In this vivid coffee-table book, Cottage in the Court blogger Speight (coauthor of The Urban Garden) explores Black florists’ creative processes and inspirations. The individual profiles detail how florists and others who work with flowers got started in their trade. For instance, Speight recounts how botanical artist Nicole Cordier’s desire to find a sense of community inspired her to take a job with a farmer-owned cooperative for cut flowers, where she learned the “many different ways to work” with the plants. Entries touch on the racism that Black florists encounter (wedding design studio director Joy Proctor recalls how clients sometimes assume her white assistant is her boss) and the importance of representation (flower farmer Whitney Jaye discusses how seeing established Black farmers helped convince her “this can be viable work”). The vibrant photos illustrate the florists’ creativity. For instance, Speight shows off a strapless top clothing designer Ashley Robinson wove from “shiny tropical foliage,” as well as artwork in which blue flowers spill out of concrete cinder blocks, designed by Kiara Hancock to represent the beauty in her “gritty concrete jungle” upbringing. The delectable arrangements and heartfelt profiles showcase Black floral designers’ ingenuity and talent. This is worth checking out. (Oct.)