New York in Bloom by Georgianna Lane + Win a copy!

March 12, 2019

ABRAMS Books sent me New York in Bloom in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy book birthday to New York in Bloom! Told mostly in photographs, it’s Georgianna Lane’s love letter to the city’s parks and gardens, floral studios and displays, and market blooms, and it’s out today. The book is a companion to 2017’s Paris in Bloom (also lovely) and a third book, London in Bloom, is on the way.

Sunset through magnolia trees, Central Park

New York through Lane’s lens is a breath of fresh air. Wide open spaces are carpeted with green grass and paved pathways to stroll among trees bursting with pastel blooms and lush, flowering gardens maintained with care. We see botanical patterns in architectural details, from wrought-iron gates to elevator doors, and markets and storefronts lined with buckets of fresh bouquets. Embossed flowers decorate book spines, sugar flowers top pretty petit-fours and lavish blossoms (real and faux) adorn outlandish hats for the city’s famed Easter parade. New York in bloom is very beautiful indeed.

Ceiling detail at pizzeria, John’s of Times Square

Lobby floral display, The Plaza

“New Yorkers take their floral displays very seriously, and, as befits the city’s grand scale, they are world-renowned and spectacular,” Lane writes. “The sumptuous installations in hotel lobbies, such as those at the Plaza and the Penninsula, are legendary, with top florists challenging themselves to outdo each previous array in opulence and grandeur. It’s not necessary to be staying in the hotels — the displays are meant to be seen by all. An afternoon tea or an evening cocktail in the Palm Court will enable you to enjoy them as hotel guests do.”

Floral display, L’Appartment Sézane, Elizabeth Street

Lane includes a guide to New York’s Spring blossoms and blooms, a what-to-see, when and where that’s a must for any visitor. There’s also a list of selected addresses (from parks and gardens to floral boutiques and studios) and brief summaries of the floral treasures to be found at each. For anyone struggling with the last of the winter doldrums, a few hours with New York in Bloom and a cup of tea might be just the thing to see you through.

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to ABRAMS Books, I’ve got a copy of New York in Bloom for one of you! To enter to win it, tell me about a trip you’ve taken New York or what you’d like to see if you haven’t been. (This entry is mandatory.)

For another entry, follow try small things on Facebook, comment on the post pinned to the top of my page about this book, then tell me you did so and your name on Facebook in the comments below. You don’t have to share, but I really appreciate it when you do!

And feel free to tweet the following once per day and leave the url for your tweet in the comments below (one entry per tweet). Make sure you’re following try small things and ABRAMS Books on Twitter for your entry to count.

Spring has sprung in the Big Apple! #Win Georgianna Lane’s New York in Bloom from @trysmallthings https://wp.me/p4xBed-74a CAN 3/31 #newyorkinbloom

The contest is open to Canadian (excluding Quebec) residents 18+ and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 31, 2019. The potential winner (chosen at random) must respond to prize notification within 48 hours and provide the correct answer to a skill-testing question, otherwise another winner will be selected.

Update April 1, 2019: Congratulations Sarah P!