Exotic and breathtakingly beautiful, orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants on earth and easily the most diverse. Professional photographer Bela Kalman spent more than three years shooting thousands of plants exclusively for Rare Orchids -- images of new hybrids, obscure specimens, and classic blooms in all their glory. This spectacular book features more than 120 species and named varieties, from the native North American lady's slipper to greenhouse cymbidiums, florists' miltonias, corsage cattleyas, collectors' paphiopedilums, and windowsill moth orchids. Captions give specifics and anecdotes about each orchid, and essays on the history and mystique of orchids and the complex, lengthy process of hybridization round out the book. Avid hobbyists maintain orchid societies in nearly every American city. Confirmed enthusiasts, would-be growers, and anyone who delights in the splendor of these lovely flowers will welcome Rare Orchids.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"Photographing rare orchids drew me into a world of beauty I had never known before," states Béla Kalman, who spent three years photographing more than 6,000 plants for his new book, Rare Orchids. One of the largest families of flowering plants in the world, with more than 20,000 species, orchids are also easily the most diverse, varying widely in size, shape, color, texture, and decorative markings. As this book demonstrates, it's this diversity that largely contributes to their allure, beauty, and mystique. While the 140 gorgeous photos are the stars of the show here, the book also includes accompanying text and interesting essays by orchid enthusiasts. Describing the art of hybridizing, one writer's expertise and passion for the flower is evident: "Similar to a painter with an empty canvas, and using pollinia from one of the largest plant families in existence as a palette, hybridizers combine imagination with botanical skills to bring new colors, shapes, and patterns to life." As beautiful as it is informative, Rare Orchids would be a welcome addition to any orchid enthusiast's library. --Andy Boynton
From Booklist
This may well be the most lavish book of orchid photographs ever published, and it is indeed a very attractive one. There are 140 stunning color plates by professional photographer Bela Kalman, who photographed 6,000 plants during the three-year period he worked on this book. The text by Davis and Kawaguchi deals with the plant's history and mystique, and the authors also discuss the art of hybridizing the orchid. The result is a captivating look at one of our most beloved flowers. George Cohen
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing,
By Robert M. Hirnyk (Simsbury Connecticut) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rare Orchids (Hardcover)
This would be a good coffee table book. Most of the orchids highlighted are fairly common to orchid growers. This would be a good book for someone who is not familier with orchids. It is over priced for the information that it contains. I would suggest waiting until it shows up on a discount table. I would not invest any money for this book.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent gift !,
This review is from: Rare Orchids (Hardcover)
I purchased this book for fathers day and could not be happier. Chock full of gorgeous blooms in vivid color, professionally photographed. Fear not you will be pleased.
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