Suhrkamp Publishing House
In 70 plant portraits, “Die Blüten der Stadt” shows how closely we are interwoven with nature – even where concrete dominates. A sensual and intellectual book about a year full of scents, colors and shapes.
Experience a year consciously
A botanical annual cycle does not follow a straightforward plan – you have to approach it tentatively and see what speaks to you. N&P co-founder Paul-Philipp Hanske has been doing this since his childhood: he took flowers apart to understand what was in them and searched in parks until he found the origin of an unusual scent.
This fascination gave rise to the idea for a book that captures a year in 70 plant portraits – from January to December, whenever a plant has its characteristic moment: sometimes in full bloom, sometimes through its scent, its fruit or its decay. Christian Werner contributed the photographs, Alexis Zurflüh designed the book.
“The Blossoms of the City” focuses on the plants that surround city dwellers every day without them even realizing it: Moss and roses, daisies and hops, dahlias and nettles. It shows how much nature is visible even where concrete dominates – and how the seasons can be felt on a small scale, right on our doorstep.
| Customer | Suhrkamp Publishing House |
|---|---|
| Period | 2018 |
| Category | |
| Range of services | Idea, research, picture editing, layout |
| Good to know | The original idea was to write an olfactory biography of a Central European botanical year. |