Flowers: The Book of Floral Design [Hardcover]

Malcolm Hillier (Author), Gillian Emerson-Roberts (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

The flower arranger's bible from the bestselling floral designer. Simple or complex, discreet or exuberant, colorful or quiet, masses of inspired ideas fill the pages of this beautiful volume. Designs for every room in the home and every occasion are shown, from simple arrangements to brighten up your kitchen to elaborate displays for special dinner parties. Thanksgiving and other holiday themes are showcased, as are ideas for weddings and church occasions and flower gifts for birthdays, Mother's Day, and Valentine's day. Wealth Of Techniques: All practical aspects of flower design are clearly explained and illustrated, including assembling your essential kit; choosing and adapting containers; and selecting, buying, and preparing material. Step-by-step action shots guide you through all the key techniques, from making wreath bases and drying your favorite flowers to enhancing special bouquets with trimmings and wrapping. An extensive A-Z catalog of plants provides an accessible, quick-reference source that will serve both experienced arrangers and complete beginners. All plants are shown photographically to aid identification, and essential flower arranging information is given on vase life, special attributes, and care requirements. Preserved material and other ingredients, such as shells and feathers, are also featured.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fresh flowers in your home add a deeply personal touch, whether you prefer a simple bouquet of sweet peas on your nightstand or an elegant arrangement of lilies in the foyer. Malcolm Hillier's book Flowers may well be the ultimate guide to floral design for both professionals and novices; the photography is beautiful, the tools and techniques are explained in detail, and the unusual A-to-Z plant directory will have you swooning with delight.

Within its 500 pages, this book contains both creative inspiration and practical tips. Different styles of arrangement are examined, from simple nosegays to timeless ikebana, and with each style, equal attention is paid to both overall form and specific plant suggestions. Instructions for various projects are included, and range from a time-consuming garland to a trendy wedding bouquet of peonies and feathers. Whimsical rose petal "cocktails" are charming, while a traditional holly-filled urn makes a perfect holiday centerpiece.

New students of flower arranging will want to start with the "practical techniques" chapter, or some of these projects may seem a bit overwhelming. This chapter shows the proper methods of choosing and treating flowers for long-lasting blooms, as well as wiring and gluing techniques. The step-by-step photos that accompany the straightforward instructions are a huge help; novices will be feeling like Martha Stewart in no time. The plant directory arranges blossoms by type, color, season, and scent, and includes special plants known for their dramatic effects or need for special treatment. This is the place to turn when you're designing a special color-coordinated bridal bouquet or seasonal arrangement; the suggestions include both classic and unusual plants, so no matter what style you're looking for, you're sure to find ideas. --Jill Lightner

From Library Journal

Hillier, a well-known floral designer in Britain, has written several popular books, including Malcolm Hillier's Color Garden. In this large, colorful book, the photographs of fantastic floral arrangements almost overwhelm the text. It opens with a general discussion of design followed by an "Inspirations" section with examples of arrangements for the home, Thanksgiving and Christmas, weddings and church, and gifts. An alphabetical plant directory and color directory, all with photographs, conclude the book. Public librarians can expect demand from Hillier's many fans, and this book should create new ones.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1st edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078945954X
• ISBN-13: 978-0789459541
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flower Fantasy, August 22, 2001

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flowers: The Book of Floral Design (Hardcover)

Malcolm Hillier is an acclaimed flower stylist who combines his passion for flowers with elegant design. I have never seen such a lavishly illustrated book on flower arranging. Over 2,000 photographs will inspire you to arrange your own flowers.

There are hundreds of ideas for using fresh and dried flowers. The step-by-step sequences make the techniques clear and simple. When you start arranging flowers, you quickly find out you need an "essential kit" in order to complete even a basic flower arrangement. This is where "Practical Techniques" comes into play.

You will want to buy a glue gun, floral wires, pruning knife, florist's scissors, etc. All the essential supplies are listed with pictures. This book is filled with pictures! The first chapter discusses Flowers In Civilization and shows flowers in history and art.

Elements of Design is a visual guide to flower colors and the pages are filled with piles of wonderful petals in every color. I loved the Container Shapes section. There are two sections, with one further into the book.

This book is SO INCREDIBLE! .....Shall I continue..?

Then, we get to Inspiration. You will find page after page after page of mini-floral displays with the page number so you can learn how to make the arrangement with precise instructions. There are arrangements in this book you would not even imagine in your wildest floral dreams.

For instance, on page 96 there is an underwater floral arrangement. There are upside down glasses, with flowers in them, floating in the water and facing outwards in a huge vase. Then, OH MY..I happen upon page 212 and there is a hanging upside down Christmas Tree dangling dangerously from the ceiling. I am not sure I approve! Decorating the tree looked a bit dangerous, but it sure was creative.

A Floral Ice Bowl on page 248 is one of my favorite ideas as the flowers are suspended in their original beauty in ice. Then, in the summer...how about a "watermelon vase?" The Floral Place Setting is a way to beautifully decorate each place setting is a wonderful summer idea or dried herbs could be used in the winter. The mini-christmas trees are an idea even children could help make.

An A-Z plant guide is a huge section. This visual guide will introduce you to just about every flower you would ever want to use in an arrangement. Some useful addresses complete with Web site addresses gives you even more information. An easy-to-use Index helps you locate your favorite flowers.

If you want inspiration and information, this is the book for you!

~The Rebecca Review

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure book for flower-arranging lovers, March 4, 2001

By 

Nathalie DESTRUEL (Philadelphie, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flowers: The Book of Floral Design (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books I read on floral design. This one is very visual : it has gorgeous pictures. It makes a great present for flowers lovers or even as a coffee-table book. For each arrangement you get to know the proper season to find the flowers, how long it will last, how difficult it is. This book clearly brings inspiration. The choice of containers is daring. The only critics I will make : not enough step-by-step instructions for some arrangements, the use of scientific (latin) names instead of the common name, and as usual in this kind of book, you need a lot of flowers to reach the pictured effect, which means that these arrangements are not affordable to anyone. Still, I love it !

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars lovely, but it's more of a recipe book, really..., October 2, 2004

By 

Legray - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flowers: The Book of Floral Design (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeous book, with gorgeous flowers. However, it's less of a learning tool, then a recipe book. While it does grace upon a few floral design basics, it doesn't spend a great deal of time on it. The raw information it conveys is pretty light, having more to do with warm, neutral, and stark colors, as well as a few techniques on drying flowers and taping them (etc). The bulk of the book is taken up by pictures of arrangements, and little "recipes" on how to make them. A good book for someone who doesn't want to learn the mechanics of floral design, a good book for the coffee table -- but ultimately, not a good book for someone who wants to study design on a more advanced or technical level.