Books of Knowledge

About This Book

Nothing lights up a room like flowers. Whether it's baby's breath draped on a table at a wedding reception, clusters of daffodils in small pots scattered throughout a living room or a bucket of sunflowers on a picnic table, a strategically placed bouquet has the power to create a mood and make us feel special. Unfortunately, most of us don't know how to display flowers properly, and they often end up clumsily thrown together in a vase.

In A Passion for Flowers, Carolyne Roehm teaches readers how to create arrangements that set off a flower's natural beauty. She discusses the overall features of dozens of the most popular flowers and helps readers understand how these elements relate to each other. Though the book is filled with ideas for brightening holidays and special occasions, Roehm stresses that the magic of flowers should be enjoyed year-round. Organized by season to profile the blossoms as they come into their glory, bouquet "recipes" with step-by-step instructions are sprinkled throughout along with special care instructions for more sensitive blooms. Sections detailing containers, conditioning flowers and elements of floral design are included at the end of the book. A Passion for Flowers features 250 breathtaking photographs and is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration that will help readers stop and smell the roses every day.

A Passion for Flowers
	Price Disclaimer Amazon.com Price: $37.80 (as of 2010-07-30 20:04:49 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Manufacturer: HarperCollins Customer Rating:   Sale Price: $37.80 Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available Buy Now
Customer Reviews
The Ultimate Gift for the Lover of Beauty   Review Date: May 25, 2001 Reviewer: , Carolyne Roehm demonstrates her exquisite taste from the very first page of this lavish book. Organized by season, each chapter celebrates the beauty of all sorts of blossoms in stunning arrangements. These arrangements are lush and full and show an artist's mastery of texture and extraordinary combination of color. The photos are reminiscent of the sumptuousness of the movie, The Age of Innocence, with lovely gilded gold, crystal and porcelain containers. The photography truly is breathtaking and includes not only close ups of the bouquets but also glimpses of elegantly set dining tables, gorgeously furnished rooms and spacious gardens. Her prose is poetry, but also practical in the sections on containers, elements of style and basics. A better book on flower arranging couldn't possibly exist. Incredible photography of the most beautiful flowers   Review Date: December 29, 2000 Reviewer: Lissy Friedman, The flowers depicted in this book gave their lives for a truly noble cause and have been honored appropriately by the photographer. Quite simply they were displayed and photographed in the most beautiful fashion possible. Perhaps the key word there is fashion -- Carolyn Roehm has the experience and eye for fashion, having been a former designer, and that experience may be what enabled her to display the flowers in a way that truly does them justice. I coveted this book for a long while, having seen it in a bookstore, and couldn't get it out of my mind. Now that I own it, I consider myself very fortunate indeed. The book is divided into the four seasons. Particularly strong are the photos depicting the flowers prevalent in Fall and Spring. The smoky greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns of the Fall months's foliage manage to look festive and lovely despite their representing the waining of life until the Spring. The photos of lilacs and daffodils in the section on Spring make one hopeful for the end of winter and make one realize why all that shivering is eventually worthwhile. I loved this book and recommend it heartily for anyone who loves pretty flowers and doesn't particularly have any special horticultural knowledge. The Bible of Flower Arranging.   Review Date: October 12, 1999 Reviewer: Doris, Malibu, California As an avid gardener and reader, it was such a pleasure to find a reference book that not only told me things I didn't know, but gave my eyes pleasure in the process. I am buying several for all my friends. This one will stay on my shelf for the rest of my life. Simply Breathtaking.   Review Date: November 5, 2000 Reviewer: Nicole Flowers, United States This book was given to me as a birthday gift, and I am still in awe at my good fortune. Not only is the floral design breathtaking, Ms. Roehm gives excellent design tips on color, which vase to use, what flowers work best with each other, and on conditioning flowers whether they be cut from your own garden or purchased through a wholesale flower market. The title of this book is so perfect, as it is truly about flowers and style, and it's well worth the price. **Fantastic Photos**   Review Date: May 3, 2001 Reviewer: Merrilee G. Anderson, Frigid, PA This book is a joy- the vibrant photos actually helped me through the long Pennsylvania winter. Lots of great tips on arrangements- from colors and containers. I envy Roehme's budget for entertaining! Eye candy for gardeners...   Review Date: October 8, 2007 Reviewer: Ellie Z, Portland, OR This book is so beautifully photographed, so lovely to look at, so engaging... it's nearly impossible to stop thinking about it. This is more than a book filled with nice pictures of flowers, it is ART. Each photo has been carefully staged and presented in a manner that evokes memories of 17th century still-life paintings. If you can tear yourself away from the pictures, you'll find useful information on arranging flowers in European fashion as well as tips for choosing the appropriate vessel for displaying your arrangements. I found it particularly useful that Ms. Roehm identified each of the blooms used in her arrangements, as well as what time of year they are in season. In my opinion, this is by far the best of Ms. Roehm's books, and if I had money to buy only one - this would be it!