Floral Arrangements

Flowers play an important part in our lives. Since the beginning of time they have been used to celebrate. Flowers are appropriate to so many occasions, so many different feelings and experiences. A simple bunch given to a friend or someone you love is magical. A decoration in the home for a special event makes an immensely personal statement. In times of happiness flowers can blaze with glory; in serenity, they can be tranquil, and in times of sadness they can bring solace. Their beauty can brighten the most ordinary of days. This book shows you how to introduce some of this beauty into your everyday life. It presents hundreds of inspirational ideas for fresh and dried flower arrangements to suit every occasion and every style of home. It also gives detailed advice on how to choose your flowers and foliage from the vast array of available plant material, and how to use them to create an arrangement for any occasion, simple or grand, formal or informal, summer or winter, and using fresh or dried flowers.

Flowers in the ancient world

The ancient Chinese attributed special meanings to the various plants that grew wild in the countryside and to those they cultivated. They used flowers in religious rituals and originally each arrangement contained only one type of flower. In the spring the paeony and peach blossom were most popular; the lotus epitomized summer, and the chrysanthemum, autumn. Plum blossom, white narcissus and pine branches were frequently used in winter.

In celebration of summer

An informal mixture of artemisia, Japanese anemones, delphiniums, everlasting sweet peas, spindle, blackberries, pearl everlasting, phlox, roses, montbretia, yarrow, euphorbia, veronica and globe amaranth.

HOME PAGE