Book of Fresh Flowers: A Complete Guide to Selecting and Arranging - Hardcover

Hillier, Malcolm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0671666673 ISBN 13: 9780671666675

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1988

Synopsis

Filled with hundreds of breathtaking arrangements for many indoor settings and special occasions. The Book of Fresh Flowers is a celebration of the beauty of flowers, foliage, and fruits and an inspiration to anyone interested in arranging fresh flowers. Malcolm Hillier, coauthor of the best-selling Book of Dried Flowers, once again delights the eye with his stunning and imaginative arrangements. He shares many of the secrets of his success and reveals some tricks of the trade. As Hillier explains the principles and techniques essential to aesthetic, natural-looking floral arrangements, he guides you step by step toward making your own fresh flower creations. Lavishly illustrated throughout. The Book of Fresh Flowers highlights the glorious abundance and diversity of plant materials available -- whether store-bought or homegrown -- in an extensive, season-by-season photographic guide to the flowers and foliage that lend themselves well to use in arrangements. Using some of the plant materials illustrated, Malcolm Hillier reveals the widely differing styles of arrangement that can be employed during every season and emphasizes the importance of following nature and developing your own flair when displaying flowers. For everyone, from the gardener who grows and picks flowers for the home to the expert creating arrangements for a wedding. The Book of Fresh Flowers will prove an invaluable sourcebook of practical advice and inspirational design ideas. Malcolm Hillier, coauthor of the best-selling Book of Dried Flowers and author of Arranging Dried Flowers, has long had an obsession with gardens and flowers. In 1970, together with Colin Hilton, he started a garden design practice in London and later a retail flower shop, both of which enjoy an international reputation. He has created both fresh and dried flower arrangements in a highly distinctive style and has designed conservatories for interior designers, films, television, and private clients.

About this title

About the Author

Before devoting his energy solely to plants and flowers, Malcolm Hillier studied music and then pursued a career as a copywriter, finally becoming head of television campaigns at a leading advertising agency. He has lived in London all his life.

Reviews

"Some people worry much too much about arranging flowers. There is absolutely no need for anxiety." Reassuring both beginners and experts, Hillier, coauthor of The Book of Dried Flowers , trains his eye instead on the fresh. Making natural-looking arrangements is the goal of his serviceable book, illustrated with 200-odd stunning full-color plates. The author focuses first on the tools of his trade and how to use them, then offers detailed advice on composition, texture and style, explaining how the underpinnings of a full-blown formal bouquetflorists' foam, plastic prongs, adhesive claycan help even a motley floral crew achieve a stately aura. Giving step-by-step instructions for some arrangements pictured, Hillier also recommends seasonal and holiday arrangements. He urges the use of unusual foliage and plant material to complement flowers, whether homegrown or store-bought. Recipes for potpourri and flower foods (e.g., salads) and a section on "essential information" for arrangers round out Hillier's guide. Literary Guild alternate; Doubleday Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hillier, co-author of The Book of Dried Flowers (S. & S., 1986) has produced another beautiful and informative book on floral design. Provided is basic information on tools, supplies, and on preparing and caring for plant material. Design principles are stressed with clear, step-by-step instructions. Also covered is color theory, scent, the language of flowers, and the making of potpourri and crystallized flowers. Dozens of pages of color photographs highlight seasonal favorites and give tips on their use. Included also is advice on special arrangements for weddings and holidays and a plant guide that describes how to grow your own flowers and how to condition them for use in arrangements. This exceptional book will appeal to many readers. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate selections. In Maurice's book, she presents a different approach. She limits her arrangements to using those flowers and other plants that can be grown in a garden. She gives little information on how to actually plant and care for cutting stock in the garden, and recommends varieties, such as Peruvian lily, which have a limited range in North America. She discusses plants by color and gives advice on how to blend plants in the garden as well as in arrangements. Information on drying flowers, making garlands, and the mechanics of arrangements complete the book. There is not much here that Hillier doesn't cover in his. Pass on this one. Peter C. Leonard, Mt. Lebanon P.L., Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Essential information

There is not a great deal that you need to know about flowers, nor a great deal of equipment that you will require before you are able to create your own arrangements. However, there are a few guidelines you should follow if you want to keep your flowers in good condition so that they will last as long as possible once arranged. This section contains all the essential information you will need to know, from advice on preparing and caring for your plants, to more detailed instructions for wiring flowers and wrapping bouquets.

Once they are cut, flowers only live for a short time unless they are put into water, and once in water they need to be able to take up water easily to last well. To help this process, it is best to cut their stems at a very sharp angle with a pair of florists' or good kitchen scissors or a sharp knife. The angle is important because this exposes a large area of the inside of the stem, helping the flower to draw up the water more efficiently. You should always cut the stem, even if you have only recently picked the flowers in the garden, and certainly if you have bought the flowers from a flower shop. When the stem is soft it should be bruised as little as possible, so a sharp cut is best. Hard brown stems are a different matter -- after cutting, these need to be hammered. Hollow stems should be cut and then filled with water and either plugged or upended with your thumb over the end, into the vase water, while stems containing milky sap should be sealed with a flame. Once the plant material has had a good drink of water for at least a couple of hours it is ready for arranging.

Hints on containers

The choice of container to arrange your flowers in is very personal, but if you want flowers to last as long as possible, shallow containers are best avoided. Many useful-sized containers can be adapted to look more attractive; for instance, a simple bucket can be covered with moss or hay before you use it for an arrangement. If the container is not very high or if it does not have an in-curving lip, the flowers will need some support. Wet foam can be very useful for this purpose.

There are a few occasions when you will need to wire flowers before arranging them. Hollow but weak-stemmed flowers can have a wire pushed up their stem to strengthen them. This will also make them a little more pliable, but in general it should be the natural shape of the stem itself rather than an artificially produced shape that gives strength of form to an arrangement. However, flowers used in wedding bouquets and for wearing on clothes or in the hair often need to be completely wired so that they can be arranged into the exact design of your choice.

Finally, in this section, there are lots of helpful hints concerned with the finishing touches of making an attractive flower presentation, such as gift-wrapping a bouquet and making decorative bows.

Tools and materials

To help you create successful flower arrangements, you need only a few essential tools and materials. Of primary importance are some good cutting implements: pruning shears for thick, woody stems, florists' scissors for green stems and wire cutters.

You will need wires of various lengths and thicknesses to strengthen hollow stems for a grand arrangement, and to create stems and make them more pliable for complicated posy, garland and wreath work. Reel wire is essential for tying together a wired bunch or bouquet. And you will need floral tape, raffia or ribbon to conceal wiring.

Foam is invaluable when creating container arrangements when the lip of the container will not support the stems of the flowers. A slab should be thoroughly wetted and then wedged into position in the vase or fixed to a florists' spike, itself stuck to the bottom of the container with adhesive clay. You will then have no difficulty in securing the stems in the loam in precisely the positions you require. The foam is easily concealed with a laver of moss (also used for wreaths) and the whole can be topped up with water when necessary. Chicken wire gives you less control but is useful for arrangements in in-curving vases.

Suitable containers

There is an enormous variety of containers suitable for displaying fresh flowers from the most ornately decorated, highly glazed, grand, Victorian vase to the simplest, rustic-looking little basket. You will probably find that you already have masses of containers to choose from at home, for there is no reason to suppose that the only containers suitable are those that were made with flowers in mind. Teacups, milk pitchers, jam jars, ink pots, baskets, watering cans: all these useful receptacles and many more can be used to contain your fresh flower creations, always remembering to relate the shape anti colors of each arrangement to that of the container.

If the stems of your flowers are in good condition, glass containers, such as the one on p.65, can show off your arrangement very effectively. Porous containers, such as baskets, boxes and unglazed terracotta pots or jugs, are often just right for informal, cottage-garden arrangements but these will need to be made waterproof first. To prepare one for fresh flowers, simply line it with plastic or other waterproof sheeting and conceal this with moss.

Preparing & adapting containers

Although it is not necessary to prepare every single container for displaying fresh flowers -- simpler, natural-looking arrangements can look stunning arranged nonchalantly in a pitcher of water -- flower arranging is often much simpler if the stems are held in supporting material.

Wet foam is the most efficient supporting material. It is easy to sculpt and, if your container is especially large, you can always bind two pieces of wet foam together and fix both to the bottom on florists spikes. Make sure that the foam is thoroughly soaked. If you are preparing a glass vase with wet foam and you wish to conceal it, simply surround it with moss: it loves the water. If the vase has in-curving sides, chicken wire might be a good solution, and, for a simple arrangement, marbles or pebbles will hold flower stems in position as well as adding attractive and unusual decoration.

Some containers will definitely require lining before you fill them with water! Others will need adapting on the outside. An unsightly bucket can be covered prettily with hay; an ugly vase can be concealed by a knotted handkerchief, and a clear glass one decorated with colorful paper. You can also create a fresh flower wreath or circlet by following the instructions on the opposite page.

Preparing plant material

Having prepared the container and collected the plant material, it is well worth pausing for just a few minutes to prepare the material. With a little attention at this stage the flowers will last longer and the arrangement look more attractive.

Even if you have only just cut the stems from the plant, you should always cut them anew at a sharp angle to expose a wider surface area. Next, strip all the lower leaves from the stems: otherwise they will only rot in the water. Scraping the bottom of green stems or hammering and cutting the bottom of woody stems helps them to take up water. Then stand all plant material in water for a couple of hours before arranging, pouring water into hollow stems first.

If the stems are reasonably robust, it is often a good idea to plunge them briefly into hot water to encourage them further to take up water. Some flowers can be revived by soaking them in or running them under cool water. Milky stems should be singed to prevent them from oozing in the vase. And the uppermost buds (which will never flower) of particularly buddy plants should be removed.

Caring for plant material

Cut flowers do not take a lot of looking after if they have been prepared appropriately. However, it is important not to place fresh flowers directly in front of a radiator, or in strong direct sunlight, as the heat will cause the flowers to droop remarkably quickly. Not is it advisable to place an arrangement in a spot where people are always brushing against the flowers.

Adding a solution of bleach and sugar to the vase water will prolong the life of the plant material, and changing the water regularly helps to keep it fresh smelling. Removing flowerheads as they die keeps the arrangement attractive looking for longer.

Wiring plant material

Wiring plant material is necessary only when an arrangement requires the flowers and foliage to be contorted into precisely the right position. Wedding posies, circlets and pew ends make such a demand, as do complicated garlands. Wiring the stems can serve both to strengthen them and to make them more pliable.

Hollow-stemmed material is simple to wire: insert a piece of wire into the center, where it will not be visible. With other stems and leaves, wire must be bound around the outside, as shown on the following pages, and then covered with floral tape, so that no unsightly wire is visible.

Wrapping & decorating bouquets

A bouquet, however simple, makes a lovely present, but, as with most gifts, the packaging counts for a lot. You can create a perfect and sumptuous bouquet arrangement, using a simply stunning array of beautiful flowers, or a collection of flowers specially chosen for their significant meanings, but without the stylish wrapping or the complementary bow, the bouquet will not look complete and will probably not give as much joy as it ought.

Wrapping a bouquet is not a difficult matter. Choose paper in colors and patterns that both complement the flowers and that you know the recipient will like. Alternatively, wrap the flowers in cellophane, so that the flowers are visible in all their glory. Try to wrap the flowers only a short time before you present them as they will soon wilt out of water.

However you wrap the flowers, make sure that you adorn the bouquet with either colorful ribbons -- for a bright, joyous, perhaps sophisticated look -- or raffia --for a more rustic effect. The effect of the bow or bows should be dramatic vet in keeping with the style of the bouquet and the colors of the flowers. You can either stick to using single bows for simplicity, or make a multiple bow with several brightly colored ribbons. To complete the bow, leave the long ribbon-ends to trail and curl decoratively down the bouquet.

Useful tips

Choosing flowers to combine in an arrangement is often just as exciting as the actual arranging, but it can be useful to know whether the flowers are all going to last well. To help you in your choice of flowers, below are some lists of long-lived flowers and foliage, together with some short-lived ones. I have also put together some of my favorite combinations of flowers that I particularly enjoy using when creating arrangements.

If your passion is for wild flowers, it is always best to grow the varieties that you like in your own garden. If you pick wild flowers elsewhere, make absolutely sure that what you pick is not a rare or protected species.

The protection of wild flowers

When looking out of doors for wild flowers and plants suitable for picking, it is wise to take along an illustrated guide book for identification of the flora you encounter. In the United States, there are over a hundred rare species of plants and flowers that are protected by law -- and several thousand more in line to be protected.

The laws differ from state to state but are particularly strong on Federal lands where penalties for removing plants can be heavy. Please be aware that a plant that is common in one region of the United States may be considered rare in another region and, therefore, protected by law.

To find out more about the wild plants and flowers that are protected in your area, you can consult reference books and directories at your local library, or contact a wildlife agency or regional office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

LONG-LASTING FLOWERS

Amaryllis
Bear's breeches
Bird of paradise flower
Camellia
Cape cowslip
Carnation
China aster
Chincherinchee
Chrysanthemum
Cupid's dart
Cymbidium
Gayfeather
Globe thistle
Golden rod
Masterwort
Michaelmas daisy
Painter's palette
Peruvian lily
Protea
Sea holly
Slipper orchid
Statice
Sword lily
Yarrow

LONG-LASTING FOLIAGE

Banksia
Box
Butcher's broom
Camellia foliage
Fan palm
Grevillea
Griselinia
Holly
Ivy
Juniper
Pine
Rhododendron foliage
Skimmia
Spotted laurel
Spruce
Yew

SHORT-LIVED FLOWERS

African lily
Astilbe
Bergamot
Butterfly bush
Gentian
Hibiscus
Laburnum
Lenten rose
Mimosa
Poppy
Sweet pea
Violet
Zinnia

Copyright © 1988 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
Text copyright © 1988 Malcolm Hillier

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0671666673
• ISBN 13: 9780671666675
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256