I wasn't born with a green thumb—it only turned green after a lot of research, digging, and planting. And a lot of mistakes. I could probably become a halfway decent arranger of cut flowers if I dedicated an equal amount of time and effort to that pursuit, but I'm still not sure I've got what it takes. Growing plants in the garden is one thing, but when it comes to cutting those flowers and bringing them indoors, I know I fall terribly short.
Pretty vases? Got them. Those floral frogs, smooth, pretty stones and other accessories for floral arrangements? I've got those, too. I'm not quite sure what to do with them, but I've learned enough to buy some special shears and a wiry kind of tape to hold the flowers together. My arrangements are colorful, cheap, and cheerful, I'll say that for them. Artistic, stylish, elegant? Um, not so much.
I have all kinds of flowers in my yard, and while some look better in the yard than in a vase, I know there are others that look great cut or even dried. So I do what I always do when my knowledge falls short and my skills are lacking: I order books.
Some of these are so gorgeous, I have hopes that I might learn to copy the beautiful arrangements featured in their pages. Even if I don't come up to the mark, at least I'll have lots of fascinating books to browse through! Here are the titles that tickled my fancy:
Flowers Chic and Cheap: Arrangements with Flowers from the Market or Backyard
Decorating with Flowers: Classic and Contemporary Arrangements
What about you? Do you have the magic touch when it comes to arranging flowers? Did you acquire this talent naturally, or were you instructed in it? Please share the details of any books that helped you!
Becke Davis is the senior writer for The Landscape Contractor magazine, a member of Garden Writers of America and the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association. She has written well over 1,000 published articles and is the author of five garden-related books in addition to being the moderator of B&N's Mystery book club.
