Flowers in the News

Labor of love left to wither and die in Fukushima

A story about one man and his wife and their love of roses and beautiful garden they created and shared with the world and the devastation from Fukushima

Their fans have created a book The Rose Garen of Fukushima

A stunning coffee table book, The Rose Garden of Fukushima features a collection of photos of an actual garden that existed in Fukushima, Japan. Boasting over 7500 bushes of roses and 50-thousand visitors a year, the Garden was rendered null and void in an instant due to the triple disaster -- earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown - on March 11th, 2011, forcing Katsuhide Okada, the creator of the 50-year old oasis, to abandon his roses in their radioactive state. The book follows the process in which the Garden was built and the aftermath of the earthquake through an incredible collection of photographs of the Garden and roses, taken mostly amateur photographers. One would never believe these are not taken by pros! Flipping through the pages will make the readers feel like they've taken a walk through a most sacred garden.

'Demon Orchid' Has a 'Devil Head' and Claw-Like Petals

A new species of orchid is in a league of its own — not just because it's relatively rare, but also because scientists say it looks like the devil.

The new species, Telipogon diabolicus, was named for its gynostemium, the orchid's reproductive structure, which looks like a devil's head. The orchid is also described as having "distinctly clawed petals," adding to its demonic appearance, according to the researchers who discovered it.