Flower Fix: Modern arrangements for a daily dose of nature

by Anna Potter, India Hobson (Photographer)

Overview

The Flower Fix presents wild inspiration and modern arrangements by Swallows and Damsons florist Anna Potter, with beautiful photography by India Hobson.

Blousy blooms, speckled branches, rich foliage, and delicate petals; nature has the power to inspire and energize, calm and soothe, focus and still. Anna has harnessed this magic with 26 tailor-made combinations of flowers to bring a floral boost to your home, no matter what your mood.

With easy-to-find seasonal blooms, found items such as twigs and dried fruit, and any assortment of containers, discover how simple it is to bring a little bit of nature’s mystery into the everyday. Spanning all seasons and including both larger installations and smaller, simpler projects, there is something for anyone looking to play, experiment, and create atmosphere with flowers.

Get your daily flower fix with these and more inspiring arrangements:

• Inspire Playfulness is a spring arrangement to bring joy, featuring lilac, roses, ranunculus, poppy, narcissi, and forget-me-nots.
• Flowers for Gratitude is a mix of summer’s bounty to inspire thankfulness, including garden rose, daucus, echinacea, and chocolate sunflower.
• Find Beauty in the Everyday is a colorful arrangement to bring a fresh perspective, featuring autumn foliage, hydrangea, dahlia, crab apple, and rosehip.
• The Shape of Self-Expression is a circular wreath design to express individuality, with holly, lamb’s ear, yellow holly berries, twigs and dried seedheads, and ivy berries.

Each project lists the equipment, flowers, and foliage needed to start the project along with step-by-step instructions. You’ll also find a guide to basic flower arranging; notes on color palettes and how to use color; and a flower glossary listing the color, seasonal availability, and vase life of each flower.

Be led by the flowers, foliage, stems, follow their shapes and form, feel their weight and heft to create versions of these gorgeous arrangements that are uniquely your own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781317884
Publisher:	White Lion Publishing
Publication date:	05/30/2019
Series:	Fix Series , #2
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	655,214
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Anna Potter is the florist behind the flower shop Swallows and Damsons and author of Flower Fix (2019). Her style of arranging has a luxe and wild feel that uses containers of all sorts and moves beyond the confines of blooms in her decoration—incorporating foliage, fruit and vegetables, sea shells and most things that grow out of the ground. She is based in Sheffield and can be found online at @swallowsanddamsons on Instagram.India Hobson is a UK based editorial, lifestyle and still life photographer, and one half of Haarkon. Haarkon published their first book, Glasshouse Greenhouse, in 2018. India has enjoyed a creative partnership with Swallows & Damsons for a number of years, working with Anna Potter to develop their signature style.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Creating Atmosphere With Flowers 10

Part 1 The Arrangements

Taking Your Time 20

Inspire Wonder 25

Inspire Playfulness 30

Meaningful Colour 38

Letting Creativity Flow 43

Flowers for Gratitude 49

Inspire Creativity 57

Bringing the Wild Inside 60

Appreciate the Unappreciated 67

Learn to Let Go 73

Meaningful Memories 79

Find Beauty in the Everyday 84

Bringing Energy to a Dark Space 90

Simple Focus 96

A Still Life 100

The Shape of Self-Expression 107

Silence and Growth 110

Ageing Gracefully 120

Blossoming Hope 124

Beauty in the Imperfect 128

Be in the Moment 135

The Colour of Growth 139

Capturing True Beauty 143

Making the Everyday Magic 152

A Season to Contemplate 159

Everything Belongs 162

Part 2 Basic Skills

Choosing and Buying Flowers 174

Tools and Equipment 176

Vessels 178

Preparing Flowers 180

Longevity of Floral Arrangements 183

Basic Skills 184

Glossary Of Flowers 198

Index 204

Acknowledgements 206

About The Author And Photographer 207

Editorial Reviews

05/20/2019

In this instructional, if slightly uneven, how-to guide, Potter, founder of U.K. flower shop Swallows & Damson, champions a “less controlled, flower-led approach” to flower arranging, promoting “sustainable and locally grown flowers that are ‘field-to-vase.’ ” The 26 projects—for arrangements, wreaths, garlands, and larger-scale “installations”—are organized by color, with mood boards highlighting sources of inspiration (such as baskets, vintage clocks, and old Bakelite radios) to “approach flower arranging from a place of storytelling and creating feeling, rather than designs to suit certain occasions.” Potter’s instructions sometimes describe how her arrangements went awry and forced her to improvise, which she calls “a beautiful lesson in releasing expectations.” The “Basic Skills” section covers choosing flowers, tools needed, and guidance on choosing a container (which Potter finds “surprisingly significant in determining the overall effect”), accompanied by rudimentary illustrations which seem larger than necessary and lack the elegance of India Hobson’s desaturated photography. While some projects feel absurd (one arrangement uses 40 roses, among other flowers, and fills a whole bathtub), the gorgeous, seemingly effortless aesthetic Potter lays out in her well-stocked compendium should appeal to design-minded, Instagram-savvy readers. (June)

Publishers Weekly

...the gorgeous, seemingly effortless aesthetic Potter lays out in her well-stocked compendium should appeal to design-minded, Instagram-savvy readers.”
 —Publisher's Weekly

"We’ve long admired Anna’s way with flowers (especially when she reminds us that even a staircase can be the perfect place to install something floral and dramatic) and we’re all just so happy to see her incredible style turned into something we can bring home." —Design*Sponge

"A study in living at a slower pace, Anna Potter’s gorgeous coffee table guide The Flower Fix uses floral arrangements to revive interiors and soothe the spirit."—Foreword Review

“In this dreamy book, Potter shares 26 floral projects to invite wellbeing, calm and beauty into the home.”—Psychologies

“Nature lovers will delight in Anna Potter’s new book, The Flower Fix, where the founder of Swallows and Damsons shows off her skills to great effect.”—Crafts Beautiful

"In her first, photograph-packed book, Sheffield, England flower-shop owner Potter teaches the how-to’s of what she calls “the slow flower movement,” gathering stems and posies to create more of a relaxed, subtle, Dutch Masters’ effect."—Booklist | ALA

"With stunning photography by India Hobson, the 26 projects may inspire you to try them yourself and bring the outside in for spring."—WI Life

“The new old way to relax” —The Irish Times

“Captures the mood boosting power of flowers with ideas for nature-led displays, plus instructions on the mindful process of arranging the materials.” —Country Living

"Hone your inner florist to create thoroughly modern arrangements and posies."—Wedding Ideas

“Take time out from life’s daily chaos with a soothing dose of mindful flower arranging.”—Period Living

“Offers 26 floral projects to inspire wellbeing in the home.”—Real Homes

"Details the wide range of benefits that come from filling your space with blossoms."—Healthista

“A sumptuous guide to modern flower arranging, with 26 season spanning projects.”  —House & Garden

“Offering easy to follow tutorials on how to create a series of stunning bouquets.”—Gardens Illustrated

From the Publisher