Ikebana: The Art and Beauty of Flower Arranging (Rizzoli) by Frédéric Girard is a beautifully illustrated volume that celebrates the Japanese art of arranging flowers with reproductions of classical 17th-century artworks from the New York Public Library’s Spencer Collection. Meticulous reproductions of sublime paintings showcase rikka, the oldest and most traditional form of flower arranging, which is linked to the Ikenobō school, Japan’s first and largest school of ikebana. The images presented here perfectly illustrate the main principles of ikebana—harmonious juxtaposition of flowers, balance between foliage (leaves, fronds, reeds, etc.) and branches, and naturalistic compositions for display.
In A Year of Cut Flowers: A Life of Growing and Arranging for All Seasons (Bloomsbury), the latest book from gardening expert Sarah Raven, you’ll learn what to grow when, how best to harvest (cut lower for a longer stem!), tips on combining color for a successful display, and much more. With this information up your sleeve, you’ll have a house full of flowers and a garden that looks better—always jam-packed with color—because of your harvest.
