What people are saying about Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory

Seattle Times garden writer Valerie Easton reviews Flowers book: “Gorgeous new book is a perfect gift for the gardener on your list. Photographer and gardener Sara Chapman has done a stunning job of showing off Seattle’s gem of a conservatory in all seasons. [The Conservatory] offers a respite from relentless winter, as does this self-published, well-designed and indexed book…” Read complete review.

Publishers Weekly: “The Volunteer Park Conservatory of Seattle celebrates its centennial with this sumptuous photography book presenting a month-by-month tour. Each chapter shows the flowers blooming that month along with an index listing the common and scientific plant names. This work will inspire flower lovers, gardeners, and plant professionals.” – January 2, 2012 issue

“Spectacular glossy new book . . . Sara Chapman’s photography is superb, the lighting is spot on and the colours genuine. Each detail and nuance is expertly captured and showcased . . . luscious . . . incredibly detailed index.” Shirley Martin, The Gardening Life. Read full review.

“. . . charming little book . . . gardeners and historic preservationists alike can rejoice.” Josie, Flower Magazine. Read full blog post.

“[Sara Chapman] understands the power of the flower close up; immediately, I was blown away by her work. This visually entertaining book is a photographic phenomenon – vivid colorful close-ups of flowers and plants, each page more beautiful than the next, and each featuring a plant at its zenith. . . . This reviewer cannot emphasize enough the intense pleasure conveyed by each group of seasonal pages. The images are so powerful, that admiring more than a few at a time might be overwhelming. Like a fine brandy, the contents of this photographic essay should be sipped slowly.” Allen Becker, Garden Guru. Read full review.

“A tour de force, a masterpiece, a gem! . . . brilliantly organized and thoroughly enjoyable book.” T. Pisani, Sebastopol, CA

“Sara Chapman’s book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory, is full of compelling and gorgeous photos of flowers and plants. Every page is beautiful—with color, combinations of flowers, foliage, textures, contrasts and shapes. There are great ideas for one’s own garden. It inspires something like painting with plants. Organized with easy identification, and categorized by month, make this a nice reference guidebook as well.” P. Fujii, Issaquah, WA

“Outstanding job! . . . a book that is a pleasure to hold in the hands and behold with the eyes . . . Anyone who loves flowers, or just needs a bit of respite from a busy day would do well to take some time with this . . . Lovely indeed.” B. O’Neil, Reno, NV

“I got my book tonight and I can only say WOW! it is really nice! Such beautiful colors! You did a terrific job. Loved the tissue envelope with the seal. Very classy. They must be just delighted at the Conservatory; it was such a nice blend of the flowers and the story of the place itself. I especially loved the cactus photos; lovely flowers and cactus shapes. . . . It’s handy to have the reference material in the back as well as on the pages. I also liked the way you laid out the spreads so the colors in the photos were harmonious across each spread. The whole thing really came out wonderfully well, and you must be very proud. . . . Anyway, thank you. I really do love it, and will treasure it.” D. Barton, Milwaukee, WI

“Your book has arrived. There are not the words to tell you how much I am enjoying all your beautiful photographs. This is going on my bookshelf within easy reach, so that I can take it down regularly.” D. Gullickson, Virginia

“It’s GORGEOUS! and I am enjoying the text as well as the photos. I can hardly imagine the work that went into each photo, not to even mention the layout. A great idea to recreate the whole year, month by month and season by season, too. Congratultions on a beautiful book.” A. Berrian, Seattle, WA

Letter from the Conservatory’s Gift Shop Manager:

Dear Sara,
It is so exciting to finally have your book to sell in our gift shop! Not only is it beautiful to look at, we often refer to it when visitors have a question about a flower or plant in the Conservatory.

The subtle way you have letters over the flowers or foliage to identify the plant is ingenious, as it doesn’t detract from the photo. The plant ID in the back of the book is extremely helpful. Your style shows you are a true artist!

Locals are proud of the book and often purchase one for a relative who visited the Conservatory with them.  Out-of-town visitors love the book for a lasting memory.

Thank you for eighteen months of hard work to make this happen!
   Hope Lasseter, Gift Shop Buyer/Manager

“Your book is so beautiful. Les and I look at it frequently and say, ‘Oh my gosh, look at that . . . the one in our yard doesn’t look like THAT!’ Really gorgeous. Truly, one of the most beautiful flower books that I’ve ever seen.  I’m not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but I can appreciate beauty, and this book is certainly full of beauty. The Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory is displayed on my coffee table and never fails to inspire ‘ooh’s and ahh’s.’  Thank you, Sara, for sharing your gift of photography.” P. Merker, Clearwater, FL

“The Conservatory lucked out with your powerful, colorful book. Some of my very favorites are . . . the gorgeous June Birds Nest Fern . . . and the stupendous September Peace Lilies. I cannot believe all the work you put in. The naming of all the plants in the photos, with the alphabet letters for the group pictures, plus the index, and all the interesting forewords make this a rounded and beautiful presentation.” B. Lott, San Rafael, CA

“Sara Chapman’s photography in Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory is a labor of love and a triumph of art. By photographing fresh flowers throughout the year, Ms. Chapman allows us, in one sitting, to see what would take a year’s worth of visits. Yet this is not mere reportage. She clearly loves her subject, and she beautifully conveys that love to anyone fortunate enough to see her photos.” J. Burns, Kailua-Kona, HI

“[We] were WOWED with the photography and how you put all of those BEAUTIFUL pictures together in a MAGNIFICENT book. KUDOS!!!!” I. Meislik, Montclair, NJ

“This is a book you’ll treasure. It’s filled with photos taken at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory over the course of a year. The photographs are lush and captivating. In the back is a handy plant identification section. What’s that plant on page 73 with leaves as big as a dinner plate? I look in the back of the book and discover that it’s a prayer plant. Don’t tell anyone on my shopping list, but I’m going to be giving some of these away as Christmas gifts.” M. Perry, Port Townsend, WA

“Beautiful . . . a lovely homage to the Volulnteer Park Conservatory and to all the flowers and plants within.” K. Whitby, Greenwich, CT

“. . . extraordinary . . . the book is a triumph. It is stunning, scrumptious, and spectacular . . . I loved the small touches—the actual flowers of the poinsettia, the tightly curled tendril of a vine. . . . absolutely brilliant. Bravo, bravo, bravo.” J. Sanders, San Miguel, Mexico