Flowers

This is a very wonderful book, which the Floral Design Institute uses as a supplement "textbook" to their syllabus. It is rather heavy but well worth every page as the book is packed with beautiful arrangements and spilling with creative ideas. There aren't a lot of step-by-step instructions on mechanics, but the book gets the point of selecting different material colors and textures across - which, in my opinion, is a significant factor to consider when it comes to floral arranging.

Any book on flowers by Malcolm Hillier is bound to be a winner. His passion for fresh and dried flower arrangements spans more than thirty years and his experience and innate sense of design is brilliantly displayed in this latest effort on fresh floral design.  This 500 page full color coffee table book is hard to put down. Page after page of floral arrangements are displayed with lists of ingredients, tips on display vessels, and alternative suggestions should the original design not quite suit the surroundings or available materials.It is a fun book with suggestions most of us would not readily think of like, Peonies arranged in Chinese lettuce. Instructions are given for choosing the peonies, conditioning the flowers, extending the life of the lettuce leaves, or chicory if you prefer, and suitable conditions under which to use such an arrangement.Or, how about a box with a wok inside to hold water for hosta leaves, iris flowers and a rose, appropriately named the Blue Lagoon.There is so much to read and try in this book that the senses cannot take it all in in one sitting. And, yet many of the decorations contain only a few carefully chosen elements.Chapters include Elements of Design, Inspirations for the Home, Seasonal Arrangements, and Special Occasion. The chapters on Practical Techniques are presented by a master and his words are personal and direct.The A-Z Directory of plants is a work of art all its own. Each plant is presented in color in flower with its most often used common name, its scientific name, the season it flowers, care tips for extending vase life and and estimate of vase life.Perhaps, the only thing better than Mr. Hillier's lusty flower arrangements and explicit directions are the incredibly beautiful photographs taken by Stephen Hayward.This book will take your breath away and reward you with a little bit of heaven.

This book is tops! I am trying to find another book on flower arranging as a gift for my mother-in-law who loves the subject, but I keep coming back to this one. Creativly inspired and visually stunning, just browsing through it is amazing.

Malcolm Hillier is an acclaimed flower stylist who combines his passion for flowers with elegant design. I have never seen such a lavishly illustrated book on flower arranging. Over 2,000 photographs will inspire you to arrange your own flowers. There are hundreds of ideas for using fresh and dried flowers. The step-by-step sequences make the techniques clear and simple. When you start arranging flowers, you quickly find out you need an "essential kit" in order to complete even a basic flower arrangement. This is where "Practical Techniques" comes into play. You will want to buy a glue gun, floral wires, pruning knife, florist's scissors, etc. All the essential supplies are listed with pictures. This book is filled with pictures! The first chapter discusses Flowers In Civilization and shows flowers in history and art. Elements of Design is a visual guide to flower colors and the pages are filled with piles of wonderful petals in every color. I loved the Container Shapes section. There are two sections, with one further into the book. This book is SO INCREDIBLE! .....Shall I continue..? Then, we get to Inspiration. You will find page after page after page of mini-floral displays with the page number so you can learn how to make the arrangement with precise instructions. There are arrangements in this book you would not even imagine in your wildest floral dreams. For instance, on page 96 there is an underwater floral arrangement. There are upside down glasses, with flowers in them, floating in the water and facing outwards in a huge vase. Then, OH MY..I happen upon page 212 and there is a hanging upside down Christmas Tree dangling dangerously from the ceiling. I am not sure I approve! Decorating the tree looked a bit dangerous, but it sure was creative. A Floral Ice Bowl on page 248 is one of my favorite ideas as the flowers are suspended in their original beauty in ice. Then, in the summer...how about a "watermelon vase?" The Floral Place Setting is a way to beautifully decorate each place setting is a wonderful summer idea or dried herbs could be used in the winter. The mini-christmas trees are an idea even children could help make. An A-Z plant guide is a huge section. This visual guide will introduce you to just about every flower you would ever want to use in an arrangement. Some useful addresses complete with Web site addresses gives you even more information. An easy-to-use Index helps you locate your favorite flowers. If you want inspiration and information, this is the book for you! ~The Rebecca Review

This is one of the best books I read on floral design. This one is very visual : it has gorgeous pictures. It makes a great present for flowers lovers or even as a coffee-table book. For each arrangement you get to know the proper season to find the flowers, how long it will last, how difficult it is. This book clearly brings inspiration. The choice of containers is daring. The only critics I will make : not enough step-by-step instructions for some arrangements, the use of scientific (latin) names instead of the common name, and as usual in this kind of book, you need a lot of flowers to reach the pictured effect, which means that these arrangements are not affordable to anyone. Still, I love it !