Author(s): Jonathan Singer

Gardening

"Botanica Magnifica" features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs by Hasselblad Laureate-winner Jonathan Singer. Inspired by the size and scope of "Audubon's Birds of America", the original edition of "Botanica Magnifica" was published as double-elephant folio. Now Singer's magnificent photos are available to the public for the first time in this edition, a baby-elephant folio. Like the larger edition, this volume is organized into five sections: Orchidaceae, presenting the full diversity of orchids, one of the largest and most exquisite families of flowering plants; Florilegium, portraying the complexity and beauty of flowers; Proteus, named for the shape-changing sea god of Greek mythology because it illustrates plant forms perfectly adapted for survival; Zingiberaceae, a tribute to the ginger family, whose members include both common tropical plants and rarities threatened with extinction; and, Botanicus, a selection of beautiful and bizarre specimens from the renowned botanical research collection of the National Museum at the Smithsonian. Each section is introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size.