Bringing Nature Home

For those of us who love flowers, you're in for a treat. 
I just finished perusing my new copy of Bringing Nature Home, written by Nicolette Owen of Brooklyn’s Little Flower School and beautifully photographed by Ngoc Minh Ngo. 

I have never appreciated the style of floral design where the flowers are arranged in a tight triangle or some odd shape that looked like one was simply trying too hard. I am not sure how that style came into being, but I am relieved to say that natural is once again going mainstream.

 The book is organized into seasons and offers several feature flowers for each one.

The settings are not grand mansions that many of us would not relate to. The vases of flowers are staged as we would use them at home and show the reader that simply going for a walk in one's yard can yield a treasure trove with which to design.

Yes, those are gorgeous garden roses below, combined with... begonia blooms that we most likely will have growing right outside.

In the fall, what is more lovely than colorful leaves in all of their glory? Why not cut a few branches and enjoy indoors before they fade away?

The book brings to mind the Madderlake book, Flowers Rediscovered: New Ideas About Using and Enjoying Flowers, published back in the 80's and one that I learned so much from on the care and arranging of flowers.

How can you go wrong with a simple yet showy vase of Pieris japonica that you may have growing in your own garden? 

Bringing Nature Home also contains four seasonal how to's for you to use to enhance your arranging skills.

If you live in the New York City area, check out the Pop-Up Flower Shop on Saturday, April 14th. For more info, check here.

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