"House and Garden has recently called Constance Spry "the first superstar florist": her heyday in England lasted from the late 1920's through the '50s, during which she arranged flowers for Elsie de Wolfe, for Wallis Simpson's wedding to the Duke of Windsor, and for Elizabeth II's coronation. But what will most endear her to today's American flower lovers is her propensity for breaking rules." "Unorthodox arrangements in alternative containers were her trademark; she fearlessly utilized anything of beauty. "Perhaps," she writes, "a leaf from the vegetable garden attracts your attention, or a spray of ripe fruit. You don't stop to think that this material is labelled, so to speak, 'for eating'; you realize it is decorative, and that is enough; it suits your purpose and you use it."" "Decrying "tame vases of flowers", she mixed blooms - a fairly daring practice in her day - in order to achieve "the thrill of the beholder" that the Dutch and Flemish achieved with their still-lifes. She reacted most of all against the imposition of arbitrary rules on an activity she felt should be spontaneous and alive. She felt "strongly that the art of flower arrangement should be a means of self-expression for everyone and that nobody should be afraid to express his feeling for color and line through this medium."" "Flower Decoration reveals Constance Spry to be an English rebel with a cause and a chatty style. This, her first book, has been long out of print: it will be greeted with appreciation by today's sophisticated gardeners who, along with everyone interested in home decor, will love what HG has called her "lush, funky style". The time has come to reintroduce Constance Spry to America."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The best things come in small packages! Beloved florist Jill Rizzo (coauthor of the bestselling Flower Recipe Book) is back, and this time she has turned her attention to charming miniature arrangements. Projects are organized seasonally, and range from a thimble-sized vase of pansies to a tiny teacup holding a bundle of zinnias to a bud vase with a single Japanese anemone. All told, the book contains over 100 easy-to-follow recipes: ingredients lists specify the type and quantity of blooms needed; clear instructions detail each step; and hundreds of photos show how to place every stem. The featured flowers include varieties widely available at florists or farmers’ markets as well as tiny treasures found sprouting from sidewalks and walls, clipped from the landscape or garden, or pruned from common houseplants. The book also includes ideas for unexpected vessels (dollhouse suppliers are a great source for miniature vases!), a flower care primer, and all the design techniques readers need to know.

Brimming with top stylemakers' and designers' innovative floral design ideas to enliven the home, Living Floral will resonate with those who appreciate the beauty and everyday luxury of flowers. For this inspirational, yet instructive, book Shaw presents portraits of top tastemakers at home who share their joy of flowers. From interior designers Charlotte Moss, Suzanne Rheinstein, and Bunny Williams, and event designer Tara Guerard to floral and garden experts Sybil Sylvester and P. Allen Smith and culinary consultant Alex Hitz, these luminaries impart their personal botanical point of view. They show how to incorporate flowers in home decor and present numerous ways to entertain with flair. Interior designers illustrate how eclectic furnishings work well with floral and botanical accents in fabric, wallpaper, artwork, and accessories to shape chic indoor spaces. We will learn how traditionalists and modernists put together an attractive table; for example, by mixing heirloom silver with simple white china and bright flowers arranged in everyday glass containers. This gorgeously photographed book concludes with a primer on such topics as extending the life of fresh-cut flowers and assembling a table runner of charming blooms. Living Floral is a must-have for flower and interior design enthusiasts, as well as home gardeners.

Flower arranging has never been simpler or more enticing. The women behind Studio Choo, the hottest floral design studio in the country, have created a flower-arranging bible for today's aesthetic. Filled with an array of stunning, easy-to-find flowers, it features 400 photos, more than 40 step-by-step instructions, and useful tips throughout. The arrangements run the gamut of styles and techniques: some are wild and some are structured; some are time-intensive and some are astonishingly simple. Each one is paired with a "flower recipe"; ingredients lists specify the type and quantity of blooms needed; clear instructions detail each step; and hundreds of photos show how to place every stem. Readers will learn how to work with a single variety of flower to great effect, and to create vases overflowing with layered blooms. To top it off, the book is packed with ideas for unexpected vessels, seasonal buying guides, a source directory, a flower care primer, and all the design techniques readers need to know. Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo are the founders of Studio Choo, a San Francisco-based floral design studio that serves up fresh, wild, and sophisticated flower arrangements for any occasion. Their work has been featured in publications such as Sunset, Food & Wine, and Veranda and in the blog Design*Sponge.

The Flower Fix presents wild inspiration and modern arrangements by Swallows and Damsons florist Anna Potter, with beautiful photography by India Hobson. Blousy blooms, speckled branches, rich foliage, and delicate petals; nature has the power to inspire and energize, calm and soothe, focus and still. Anna has harnessed this magic with 26 tailor-made combinations of flowers to bring a floral boost to your home, no matter what your mood. With easy-to-find seasonal blooms, found items such as twigs and dried fruit, and any assortment of containers, discover how simple it is to bring a little bit of nature’s mystery into the everyday. Spanning all seasons and including both larger installations and smaller, simpler projects, there is something for anyone looking to play, experiment, and create atmosphere with flowers. Get your daily flower fix with these and more inspiring arrangements: Inspire Playfulness is a spring arrangement to bring joy, featuring lilac, roses, ranunculus, poppy, narcissi, and forget-me-nots. Flowers for Gratitude is a mix of summer’s bounty to inspire thankfulness, including garden rose, daucus, echinacea, and chocolate sunflower. Find Beauty in the Everyday is a colorful arrangement to bring a fresh perspective, featuring autumn foliage, hydrangea, dahlia, crab apple, and rosehip. The Shape of Self-Expression is a circular wreath design to express individuality, with holly, lamb’s ear, yellow holly berries, twigs and dried seedheads, and ivy berries. Each project lists the equipment, flowers, and foliage needed to start the project along with step-by-step instructions. You’ll also find a guide to basic flower arranging; notes on color palettes and how to use color; and a flower glossary listing the color, seasonal availability, and vase life of each flower. Be led by the flowers, foliage, stems, follow their shapes and form, feel their weight and heft to create versions of these gorgeous arrangements that are uniquely your own.

Simple Flower Arranging helps you create flower arrangements with style and flair, be it flowers for the home, a gift, or wedding flowers. Love having flowers in your house or making blooming bouquets? Be inspired by more than 60 stylish flower arrangements made simple, from vase arrangements to wedding creations. Owners of destination florist, Bloomsbury Flowers, Mark Welford and Stephen Wicks guide you through designs and techniques that allow you to create your own incredible arrangements. Key sequences are shown through step-by-steps and sumptuous photography so you can easily see how to take a simple bunch of blooms and present them with a professional touch, encouraging you to experiment with hand-tying, wire, papers and ribbons. Organized by flower type, it's easy to find flowers that you can buy in the supermarket, such as roses, lilies and sweetpeas and turn them into amazing arrangements. Simple Flower Arranging helps you to make beautiful bouquets and arrangements for every occasion, from baby celebrations to Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.