It’s spring and around here spring keeps treating us with gorgeous weather (60s, 70,s and even 80s) and then cheats us with cooler temperatures. What this means for the garden is that some flowers have started blooming including a few roses, but not enough flowers are blooming yet for me to leave a few flowers on the bush and cut some to make a nice big springtime bouquet.
When I feel this impatient to make a homemade bouquet but don’t have enough garden flowers to make them, I turn to my books on flowers to get ideas on what could be possible. One of the books I had out on my coffee table recently and have enjoyed perusing through is titled Flowers for the Home: Inspirations from the World Over by Prudence Designs. By Authors Grayson Handy and Tracey Zabar, Photography by Ellen Silverman.
I received this beautiful book years ago as a birthday present from my dear friend Radhika and it is one of my favorite books on flowers. When you see the saris we have on in this photo below you will understand why we love this book so much 😀 (we love vibrant colors!).
If you love gorgeous colors, beautiful flowers, and global decor, this book marrys all these components wonderfully.
What makes this book so unique and different from other books on flowers is that it showcases how to create bouquets with inspiration from many parts of the world, specifically from countries that author Handy has traveled to.
With ideas pulled from right here in U.S.A in the South, to England, France, Mexico, Japan, China, and exotic countries like India and Morocco, Handy creates gorgeous floral arrangements in beautiful colors and textures with a global aesthetic.
Like any great coffee table book, this has stunning photography in vibrant, grab our attention rainbow of colors. With over 100 inspiring arrangements this book is filled with easy to make bouquets that range from simple and elegant to rich and opulent. The photos are so gorgeous that they will entice anyone to go out and cut flowers from their own garden, or buy a bunch from the local florist to make their own globally inspired bouquet.
Flowers for the Home is divided into chapters that each focus on a country that Handy has traveled to. Every chapter includes an introduction to the country’s rich cultures, their floral philosophy and a look at the decor that permeate the region. All this information paints a beautiful picture of the country itself and it’s rich floral heritage through the lens of the author.
Chapters discuss basic design principles, the predominant color palettes found in the country, and the types of flowers used in their arrangements.
Every chapter also provides clear and easy to follow instructions and tips for arranging and displaying all the floral arrangements featured.
Here is a look at some of my favorite chapters and the gorgeous photos in them.
England
India. The land of the Sari
Exotic Morocco. Images of Arabian Nights
Moroccan inspired floral arrangements
Tea and flowers go hand in hand in Morocco
The American South
Southern floral inspirations
Though it was first published in 2009, this book is still available and is still as trendy and in fashion as any of the newer books on flowers and flower arranging out today.
Grab a copy of Flowers for the Home by Prudence Designs by Authors Grayson Handy and Tracey Zabar and start creating your own globally inspired floral arrangements. Flowers for the Home is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.