I was inspired to do another Flower Friday post by FLOWE(RED), the latest project launched by (RED) in conjunction with Flamingo Flowers. (RED) are the company behind the red ipod, American Express Card, Gap tees and other co-branded ventures designed to harness our collective power as consumers to promote awareness and raise funds to fight AIDs in Africa. Up to 100% of the profits on these products goes to the charity.

So if a loved one, friend or family member, could use a bit of affection at the moment buy them some flowers from FLOWE(RED) and give a gift to AIDs sufferers at the same time.

It’s about time I revealed this little obsession of mine. I love botanical prints, the more scientific and instructional the better, and they’re finally back in style. Moving away from simple outlines and bold floral forms, botanical prints are all about the details. Roots, stems, stamens, offshoots – these are flowers as they really look, in all their glory.

Line drawings rendered with a thin-tipped pen and depth created by washes of ink are characteristic of original prints, with aged paper and slightly faded colours lending them a stylish vintage edge. But this is a style that’s quite easy to fake (which is lucky, since genuine prints are a bit pricey) as more designers and artists have started replicating vintage styles.

You can have botanical wallpaper, tote bags, stationary, ceramics, bed sheets…. I like the traditional print though. A collection of differently sized and shaped prints hung in frames on one wall make a beautiful statement. One of the best places to get antique and vintage-style botanical prints is Potobello market. From small, aged black and white sketches to large, colourful framed prints, they’re all there for the taking.

It’s the attention to detail that makes old-fashioned botanical pictures such as pleasure. The characteristics and tendencies of each flower is lovingly communicated, often including sketches of the bulbs and seeds and post-flowering form. A beautiful timeline of your favourite flowers makes a great edition to your decor.