For those floral designers on your holiday shopping list, there are all sorts of flower-related items they would love to receive. Calendars are always welcome. So are books. Here are some suggestions.

“Insects and Flowers-The Art of Maria Sibylla Merian” by David Brafman et al will have special appeal to floral designers and flower lovers. This was released by Getty Publications. This is an ideal hostess gift any time of the year. Designed as a gift book, its small size (4½ by 6¼ inches) also means it could be used as stocking stuffers.

This title features 22 plates from a book that Merian published in 1705. The authors provide an enlightening account of the artist’s life and work. For each color plate, this gives the common and Latin names of the plants/insects.

Every floral designer needs a flower calendar. They don’t come any better than the Amalia Veralli Flowers 2009 wall calendar. Published by Tide-Mark, this features exquisite flower photos that are as beautiful as the finest paintings. Veralli’s specialty is flowers. These close-ups reveal the patterns and architectural forms found within each of the blossoms. For each month, there is a color photo and space for recording appointments.

“Who Does Your Garden Grow?” by Alex Pankhurst was released by B.B. Mackey Books. This reveals the rich folklore and histories of over 100 best loved plants, many of which are cut flowers, along with biographies for whom they’re named. There are photos and sketches of the plants and people.

I enjoyed this book so much that I hope the author does another volume. Though some of the people are well know, others have been largely forgotten. Some of the names will be familiar to floral designers. Constance Spry is one example. She was a leading advocate of floral design during the 20th century. The Constance Spry rose remains a favorite to this day. This also presents flowers named for Empress Josephine. With roses being her favorite flower, two rose varieties named in her honor are included here.

Of the hundred or so plants, nearly one-fifth of them are roses. This volume also presents the story of George Russell and his very famous Russell lupins.