Bringing Nature Home is a book about "floral arrangements inspired by nature". It's a beautifully produced book with amazing images. It's a collaboration between the photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo, flower arrangements by the florist Nicolette Owen, styling by Amy Wilson and foreword by the editor Deborah Needleman as well as all the people who provided their homes to be used as locations.
Ngoc Minh Ngo is a New York based photographer who photographs not only flowers but also gardens, interiors and food.
Nicolette Owen is a florist who owns Nicolette Camille Floral Design and runs the Little Flower School in Brooklyn.
The book is divided into the four seasons and each chapter has sumptuous seasonal arrangements. In the spring section the pink cherry blossoms is a favourite of mine and how could you resist when the caption says: "What better way to celebrate spring than to wake up under a cloud of cherry blossoms."
Many of the different locations are filled with art and books, there are interesting furniture, props and backdrops.
The arrangements vary from simple and delicate one-stem spring arrangements to fruit-laden autumn branches. There are also some pages on how to make more elaborate arrangements using three easy steps starting with a "basic structure", adding "points of focus" and ending with "gestural finish".
A few flowers are highlighted such as Peony and Fritillary for spring, Carnation (Dianthus) for summer, Dahlia and Chrysanthemums for autumn and Christmas Rose (Helleborus) and Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles) for winter.
I love this simple arrangement of two flowering branches with spring blossoms in a beautifully shaped dark green glass bottle.
I am also pleased to see that Carnations are being used again in new and inventive ways.
In the back of the book are chapters on caring for cut flowers, tools for flower arranging, vases, how to arrange flowers, a plant calender and useful addresses.
It is not a traditional flower arranging book that shows you step by step how to do an arrangement more a book to go to to find inspiration.
I fell in love with this book and I was so happy to find so much inspiration and so many beautiful images. It will be a place to come back to over and over again.
Happy floral reading!
Thank you for visiting and see you back here soon.
xoxo Ingrid
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