"House and Garden has recently called Constance Spry "the first superstar florist": her heyday in England lasted from the late 1920's through the '50s, during which she arranged flowers for Elsie de Wolfe, for Wallis Simpson's wedding to the Duke of Windsor, and for Elizabeth II's coronation. But what will most endear her to today's American flower lovers is her propensity for breaking rules." "Unorthodox arrangements in alternative containers were her trademark; she fearlessly utilized anything of beauty. "Perhaps," she writes, "a leaf from the vegetable garden attracts your attention, or a spray of ripe fruit. You don't stop to think that this material is labelled, so to speak, 'for eating'; you realize it is decorative, and that is enough; it suits your purpose and you use it."" "Decrying "tame vases of flowers", she mixed blooms - a fairly daring practice in her day - in order to achieve "the thrill of the beholder" that the Dutch and Flemish achieved with their still-lifes. She reacted most of all against the imposition of arbitrary rules on an activity she felt should be spontaneous and alive. She felt "strongly that the art of flower arrangement should be a means of self-expression for everyone and that nobody should be afraid to express his feeling for color and line through this medium."" "Flower Decoration reveals Constance Spry to be an English rebel with a cause and a chatty style. This, her first book, has been long out of print: it will be greeted with appreciation by today's sophisticated gardeners who, along with everyone interested in home decor, will love what HG has called her "lush, funky style". The time has come to reintroduce Constance Spry to America."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Master sugar artist Alan Dunn presents more than 100 of his most spectacular cake decorating designs—all illustrated in the classic Alan Dunn style. This book offers everything you need to create stunning and impressive cakes for every occasion. Each decoration, from “sweet violet” to “moon and sun bouquet” is illustrated from beginning to end, with handy information on all necessary equipment. Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating covers tropical and exotic cakes, flowers, fruit and nuts, celebration cakes, and arrangements, along with tips on technique and detailed recipes. This book delivers joy to both the baker and the sugar crafter, with amazing creations to impress those lucky enough to be offered the end results.

The essential resource from Martha Stewart, with expert advice and lessons on gardening and making the most of your spectacular blooms Martha Stewart's lifelong love of flowers began at a young age, as she dug in and planted alongside her father in their family garden, growing healthy, beautiful blooms, every year. The indispensable lessons she learned then--and those she has since picked up from master gardeners--form the best practices she applies to her voluminous flower gardens today. For the first time, she compiles the wisdom of a lifetime spent gardening into a practical yet inspired book. Learn how and when to plant, nurture, and at the perfect time, cut from your garden. With lush blooms in hand, discover how to build stunning arrangements. Accompanied by beautiful photographs of displays in Martha's home, bursting with ideas, and covering every step from seed to vase, Martha's Flowers is a must-have handbook for flower gardeners and enthusiasts of all skill levels.

Author, interior designer, and faux flower expert Stevie Storck is based out of York, Pennsylvania and has been featured in the Huffington Post, Susquehanna Style, Lancaster Online, and Houzz Also includes artist profiles of other talented designers and influencers in the floral industry Provides high-quality photography and helpful tips on design, color schemes, texture, technique, and composition Organized by season for year-round faux floral ideas Includes step-by-step instructions for 12 projects, such as flower arrangements, wreaths, garlands, wall hangings, and more Learn to make beautiful, long-lasting home décor accents and arrangements using affordable silk flowers that can be easily found in any craft store

The Flower Fix presents wild inspiration and modern arrangements by Swallows and Damsons florist Anna Potter, with beautiful photography by India Hobson. Blousy blooms, speckled branches, rich foliage, and delicate petals; nature has the power to inspire and energize, calm and soothe, focus and still. Anna has harnessed this magic with 26 tailor-made combinations of flowers to bring a floral boost to your home, no matter what your mood. With easy-to-find seasonal blooms, found items such as twigs and dried fruit, and any assortment of containers, discover how simple it is to bring a little bit of nature’s mystery into the everyday. Spanning all seasons and including both larger installations and smaller, simpler projects, there is something for anyone looking to play, experiment, and create atmosphere with flowers. Get your daily flower fix with these and more inspiring arrangements: Inspire Playfulness is a spring arrangement to bring joy, featuring lilac, roses, ranunculus, poppy, narcissi, and forget-me-nots. Flowers for Gratitude is a mix of summer’s bounty to inspire thankfulness, including garden rose, daucus, echinacea, and chocolate sunflower. Find Beauty in the Everyday is a colorful arrangement to bring a fresh perspective, featuring autumn foliage, hydrangea, dahlia, crab apple, and rosehip. The Shape of Self-Expression is a circular wreath design to express individuality, with holly, lamb’s ear, yellow holly berries, twigs and dried seedheads, and ivy berries. Each project lists the equipment, flowers, and foliage needed to start the project along with step-by-step instructions. You’ll also find a guide to basic flower arranging; notes on color palettes and how to use color; and a flower glossary listing the color, seasonal availability, and vase life of each flower. Be led by the flowers, foliage, stems, follow their shapes and form, feel their weight and heft to create versions of these gorgeous arrangements that are uniquely your own.

The art of fruit and vegetable carving has its roots in Asia, but today the creation of edible decorations is popular worldwide. Learn to create remarkable decorations for the table and garnishes for glasses and plates. Many tips, 440 color photos, patterns, and practical, step-by-step directions guide you through little works of art that are easy to produce. Carve a flower, shape a fish, a bell, the sun and moon. You will be adding light touches to your meals from here forward.

Louis the XIV commissioned a landscape gardener to design the Potager de Roi at Versailles. Many of the fruit and vegetable pruning systems developed by this gardener are still in use today. This beautiful book illustrates the design and planting of the ornamental vegetable garden, where aesthetics and practicality combine to create edible gardens.

"This book presents expert cake decorating techniques to make modern, fresh, and fun cakes, while offering easy, time-saving shortcuts to make fabulous, bakery-style cakes without the fancy price tag"--

'Wedding Flowers' taps into the desire to make your wedding day special and personal to you - investing time and thought into your choice of flower colour, fragrance and display is one way you can achieve this. Design your own wedding flowers or communicate your ideas effectively to a florist.