cover image The Flower Fix: Modern Arrangements for a Daily Dose of Nature

The Flower Fix: Modern Arrangements for a Daily Dose of Nature

Anna Potter. White Lion, $27 (208p) ISBN 9781781317884

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)