Arranging Roses Book

One of the joys of gardening is bringing cut flowers into the house, enjoying their colors, textures, and perfume close up. No flower is more beloved than the rose, so it always seems as if the growing season for roses is far too brief. Arranging Roses: How to Create Glorious Fresh and Dried Displays contains a variety of ideas for making roses last and enjoying them indoors in far more innovative ways than the typical florist's dozen long-stemmed red roses (not that there is anything wrong with that, either). Full-page color photos provide inspiration, and close-up detailed photos illustrate techniques for making garlands, swags, corsages, table arrangements, and wreaths out of fresh and dried roses. The ideas range from the simple to the more elaborate: dried roses wrapped with raffia packed into a colorful olive oil tin, rosebud candle rings, or an autumnal bundle of orange roses wrapped with leaves. Tiny rose buds mixed with eucalyptus are wired onto hair combs, red roses and lavender are tightly packed together and tied with ribbons to make a fragrant old-fashioned tussie mussie, and pale pink roses are laced with conifers for a holiday swag. A wide variety of other garden materials are mixed with the roses in these projects: leaves, cones, pods, wheat, lavender, moss, and dried fruit expand the range of decorating styles from the classic to the modern. How to handle the roses is explained in great detail, from steaming and drying to wrapping and wiring. If you long to bring your garden inside and enjoy your favorite flower every month of the year, you'll enjoy making these innovative yet simple arrangements. --Valerie EastonRead More