How exquisite is exquisite? Photographer Christopher Baker and Willem Lemmers, one of the world's foremost tulip experts, set out to find the answers. The result is
Tulipa, where, in 350 stunning full-color plates, perfection in nature meets perfection in art.
Each specimen was chosen for its importance as a superb example of the flower's form and characteristics, and each photograph, taken at the peak of the flower's beauty, becomes a stunning portrait. The "story" behind 500 tulips is told as well, from a tulip's parentage to the history of its cultivation and discovery.
Willem Lemmers has been a member of the Tulip Committee of the Royal General Bulb Growers Association (KAVB) for over thirty-five years, the last twenty of which he has served as chairman. In addition, he has been chairman of the Council of Nomenclature Committees of the KAVB and was appointed to the Daffodil and Tulip Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in London as well as to other RHS subcommittees. Mr. Lemmers has judged many international flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show. He lives in Lisse, Holland.
Emma Sweeney is a garden designer and writer. She has authored several books on gardening, including Burpee Basics: Perennials and Burpee Basics: Annuals. She has a certificate in commercial horticulture from the New York Botanical Garden and lives on a 130-year-old farm in Clinton, New York.
Michael Pollan is a contributing editor at Harper's magazine, where he served for many years as executive editor, and a contributing editor and writer for The New York Times Magazine. He has written two award-winning books, Second Nature: A Gardener's Education and A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder. His essays and articles have appeared in numerous periodicals, and he lectures widely on environmentalism, gardening, and nature. He lives in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut, with his wife and son.
Christopher Baker's photographs have appeared in Martha Stewart Living, House & Garden, Garden Design, World of Interiors, and Town & Country, as well as in magazines and ad campaigns around the world. Among his many books are The Glory of Roses, The Gardens of Paris, Chateau Cuisine, and The French Vineyard Table. Before turning to photography full time, Mr. Baker studied to become a botanist. He lives in New York with his wife and two children.