Pretty Dirty by Melanie Stapleton

The Life of Flowers, From Creation to Compost

Pretty Dirty is no ordinary flower book. It's a deep dive into the life cycle of flowers, from creation to compost. 

Melanie Cecilia Stapleton, of Cecilia Fox, is widely regarded as one of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand’s top florists. She is also a tireless advocate for making the flower industry more holistic. Pretty Dirty is grounded in Mel’s ethos of Creativity. Community. Compost, and is a celebration of the intersection between nature, beauty and art. 

Pretty Dirty is a ode to the life cycle of flowers from how they’re grown to arranging them in fresh and unique ways, to the inevitable decomposing and disposal. It is richly illustrated with beautiful images of flowers in the wild, floral collaborations, both by Mel and her ‘flower folk’ from around the world, as well as stylised images of compost and floral waste that prove beauty is not just in the eye of the beholder. Presented with a flat-lay format and exposed stitching this is a stunning package that reflects the book's innovative content. Mel shares her tips and tricks from a lifetime spent with flowers and feature stories from some of her favourite 'flower folk', from the growers to other florists and those leading the charge on changing this pretty dirty industry. 

Flower Folk featured: 

Christy Ralphs, Nourish Gardens (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Mandy Purvis, Organic Herbs and Seedlings (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Isabel Johnston and Lydia Reusser, Isadia (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Wayne Horrobin and Sarah Hodge, Horrobin and Hodge (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Meg and Joe, Monvale Flowers (Monvale, Australia)
Kristy Tippett, Soho Rose Farm (Drysdale, Australia)
Tamsin Carvan (East Gippsland, Australia)
Rita Feldmann, Sustainable Floristry Network (Victoria, Australia)
Sophie Wolanski, Muck Floral (Sydney, Australia)
Azzmin Rayment, Braer (Byron Bay, Australia)
Katie Marx (Naarm/Melbourne, Australia)
Shahn Stewart, Alchemy Orange (Naarm/Melbourne, Australia)
Hattie Fox, Hattie Fox Studio (London)
Hannah Martin, COM:POST (London)
Lisa Waud (Detroit)
Ren MacDonald-Balasia, Renko (LA/Hawaii)
Liza Lubell, Garbage Goddess (New York)
Chloe Szukiłojć, CS Studio (Dubai)