Encyclopedia of Flower Arranging - Hardcover

Susie Edwards

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0861018575 ISBN 13: 9780861018574

Publisher: Salamander Books, 1997

Synopsis

A comprehensive volume written to instruct novice and expert alike on how to create beautiful flower arrangements includes the basic principles of arranging, tools and materials, air drying and preserving, and ideas for holiday arrangements.

About this title

From Library Journal

Each of these new titles approaches flower arranging quite differently. Reminiscent of fellow Britisher Fiona Barrett's The New Flower Arranger (LJ 12/95), Edward's book covers the typical elements of design, container selection, color theory, shaping techniques, basic equipment, flower conditioning, and preservation, followed by "recipes" for a variety of arrangements. The unique addition is a plant directory at the end of the volume featuring clear photos of over 200 plants commonly used in floral design, their common and Latin names, availability, conditioning requirements, preservation methods, fragrance, vase life, and possible dangers. Other photos are small. The price makes this a worthwhile purchase for libraries lacking other basic flower-arrangement books. Lefferts, an American floral designer, exhibits an offbeat style of flower arrangement, emphasizing asymmetry and breaking the "rules." The copious color photographs examining this style outweigh the brief but chatty text. Lefferts's unusual suggestions include dying water to complement blossoms in clear vases and using items of clothing as containers. Her arrangements include fresh, dried, silk, and even ceramic flowers. The section on "special occasions" focuses mostly on weddings. As in Edwards's book, there is a useful photo glossary of over 100 flowers; lists of resources complete the text. Imaginative and pictorially lush, this book belongs in the coffee-table genre by price and design. Fresh Cuts, not for floral traditionalists, is nontheless informative and uplifting for anyone who cares about natural beauty. Divided into "Body" and "Soul," the text takes a closer look at all parts of a plant?bark, branches, buds, pods, leaves, and seeds?dead or alive or even diseased. Accompanying Hall's sensuous, realistic photos, Von Gal's text is by turns personal, instructive, and poetic. The reader will not find quaint nosegays or formal centerpieces here but rather bouquets of rhubarb chard and simple arrangements of oak galls or red clover from this U.S. designer. A fine complement to larger collections.?Cathy Sabol, Northern Virginia Community Coll., Manassas
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Edwards is a fine instructor in the art of flower arranging. In addition to explanations of the importance of aesthetic issues, the practical steps involved in creating arrangements are broken down and shown in easy-to-follow, step-by-step photographs, which should be helpful even to those individuals who feel entirely lacking in artistic capabilities. Still, it is a very handsome book, filled with beautiful images of all types of seasonal floral centerpieces. Budding flower arrangers will be inspired by the book's plant directory, showing all sorts of flowers, berries, and unusual leaves and branches that can be combined when putting together striking arrangements for the home. Alice Joyce

Edition details

• Publisher: Salamander Books
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0861018575
• ISBN 13: 9780861018574
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192