Simply Elegant Flowers with Michael George

by Michael George, Bob Shuman

New York's premier fashion industry florist, Michael George is known for his signature graphic, modern arrangements that are as popular in Manhattan hotels and storefronts as they are on the pages of Vogue and on the set of Good Morning America . In Simply Elegant Flowers , George shares his secrets for creating these beautiful arrangements as he guides you, season by season, through a year of flowers. George's philosophy of living and creating with flowers is contagious, and soon you'll agree that fresh, seasonal arrangements can enhance your life every day, not just on special occasions. His compositions recreate flowers as they are in nature—which, as he reminds us, is already perfect. Typically overlooked blooms, like carnations, take on a stunning new character when arranged en masse in a perfect dome, while more exotic stems, like dendrobium orchids, are at their most elegant when allowed to stand alone in a simple vase. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and photographs show you how to master George's techniques for building clean, contemporary floral compositions with his trademark architectural precision. Along the way, George shares helpful insights from a lifetime of working with flowers, and his recommendations of choice blooms for every season give you the confidence you need to begin creating your own unique arrangements, regardless of your budget. Beautiful photography brings the flowers to life on every page as he shows you how simple it is to apply these basic techniques to virtually any bloom. With Simply Elegant Flowers as your guide, you'll be arranging flowers like a professional—and displaying them like a celebrity.

Genres: Reference

208 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2008

Reviews

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visual delight.

[Starbubbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a pretty good book. The simple, yet modern angles and subject matter was photographed tastefully, and in a way that did not induce headaches upon gazing. The instructions were easy enough to follow, but basic enough to be able to be applied to for other materials. There were photographs to match descriptions of flowers, and there were divided by season of when they bloom/are available.

The organization was refreshing, as most just try to match color or theme to the season with disregard to when they would actually be available at an almost reasonable price. George even goes through the places they would be coming from during which season, where you would purchase the flowers for the best quality, and general pricing.

I didn't give five-stars here because he didn't describe the nature of the flower, and even with that gap of information, I often found descriptions to be wordy. I do not need a page describing the season, or even two pages on the origin of the name of the orchid. Okay, those were slight exaggerations, but I believe my point was made.

Another point, if I decided to spend the $6 George describes for a couple of stems of kale to add zest to an Autumn arrangement, I would be appalled to discover in a few days that my kale began to secrete a foul-odor slime and was threatening to recruit its neighbors to do the same. I would also like to know how often I should change the water of my arrangement. For Stock, it should be about every other day; otherwise a terrible stench will fill just about any size room, and take away from the actual pleasant smell of the bloom. What about germs? Some flowers, such as Gerber daisies, are more susceptible. How do you account for that in the water? How does he?

You can tell George is used to working with expensive flowers (see the arrangement of about 100 orchids, often at $3/stem or the Hypernicum berries at $4/3 stems), and not worrying too much about longevity (see Hydrangea, $10/3 stems, in Oasis - lasts about a day or two in the foam). Now, it could be that he knows greater techniques for securing longer blooms, which is highly possible, but that would be something I would like to know.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There was a time when orchids were the dominant species on the planet because of their ability to procreate independently...they're dragons who smile, as frightening as any flower would ever dare become."