Good Housekeeping simple and stunning flowers - M J Vaughan

Flowers can transform any room and turn any event into a special occasion - and they need not take hours to arrange. In fact, simple arrangements allow the flowers' natural beauty to be seen and admired far more than a large, elaborate display. There are very few techniques which need to be mastered as, despite what other books would have you believe, flower arranging is a simple skill. Instead the emphasis in this book is on simplicity and style, with clever, original ideas for both arrangements and containers. Divided by season, each chapter shows you how to make the most of each flower when it is at its best, from springtime bulbs, summer blooms and autumnal berries to winter foliage. There are ideas for table decorations, unusual wreaths and even individual place settings. Artful combinations of colour and variety appear throughout, and there are original suggestions for containers, from egg-filled glass vases to teapots and brightly painted pots. The final chapter of the book is a unique colour directory listing flowers colour by colour, season by season, and providing useful information on each flower's habits. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is a book for everyone who loves flowers and wants to display them in a refreshingly original way - without spending hours in the process.