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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Sheer Joy of Flowers, 22 April 1998
By A Customer
In "A Passion for Flowers," Carolyne Roehm puts the skills she honed in a fashion design career to what is obviously an equally compelling use -- combining color, texture and proportion to create fabulous flower arrangements that inspire and delight."Try to avoid being safe all the time," she tells her readers. "Safe is a hairsbreadth away from boring and utterly forgettable. If in doubt, go a bit overboard. Better to make an impact with your flowers than to have them go unnoticed." Indeed, Roehm's flower creations are as far from boring and forgettable as one can imagine. Tucked in tiny pots, lavished in oversized urns, strewn among fruits and vegetables, her flowers are more than mere table decoration -- they are a way of life. In setting after setting, Roehm stages her own personal flower show and shares with readers the seemingly simple secrets of receating her masterpieces. Her directions are clear and concise, from how many stems of each flower to use to choosing appropriate containers. If, after following directions, novice flower arrangers are still unsure of themselves, they need only look to the larger-than-life color photos for petal-perfect models. While Roehm's natural eye for color and form makes flower arranging look easy, her approach to preparing a book on the subject was serious -- she apprenticed to Paris florist Henri Moulie. The results are breathtaking. My personal favorites include an outdoor wedding table draped in delicate wreaths of baby's breath and spirea and an autumn centerpiece that tantalizes the senses by using dahlias, sedum, wild blackberries and chocolate cosmos! Oh, and readers intimidated by elaborate garden parties -- take heart. Roehm admits to an inability to grow some of her favorite flowers, instead buying them in-season at local farmers' markets -- an option even for those who love to adorn their home with flowers but haven't the time or desire to garden. At first glance, "A Passion for Flowers" is a c! offee-table picture book or a winter pick-me-up, and, if nothing else, serves those purposes admirably. But it's also a valuable "how-to" and reference guide to arranging flowers, and a showcase for the shining bits of nature that they are. If you love flowers -- and all things beautiful -- this book will be a visual feast. If you don't appreciate their subtleties, try picking up this book anyway. It may change your outlook permanently.
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by Carolyne Roehm
by Carolyne Roehm
by Linda Hetzer
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