Images from the Book

Posies
I love giving and receiving fresh flowers, but experience has taught me that as delighted as I am with a lovely bunch of flowers, it is hard to give it the attention it needs when I am greeting guests or preparing a meal. A dried flower posy is an ideal alternative. Lavender is my favorite. With its intense colour and heady scent it seems that no one can resist its charms and, appropriately presented, it makes a suitable gift in most situations. Decorate a little bunch with tiny roses and tie the posy together with a sumptuous bow—it can grace the most elegant drawing room. A more austere treatment, using simple cord to bind the lavender, creates a modern effect which will look striking in contemporary surroundings.

Pomanders
Scented pomanders and boules have been in existence for centuries. In the early days they were worn by noblemen and women as much to ward off disease as to make the wearer smell sweet. Now, these delightful objects are used to scent wardrobes and linen cupboards, bedrooms or china cabinets. Simple to make, the pomanders or boules—as I sometimes call these decorative spheres—in this chapter are an adaptation of their predecessors. Some are studded with roses, others are wrapped in soft moss or textured with graphic poppy seedheads. You can scent them with an essential oil or use them for ornamental purposes. Whatever you choose, you can be sure your guests will be unable to pass them by without an admiring comment.

Terracotta pots
The warm, natural earth tomes of terracotta are a perfect foil for dried flower arrangements. As the subtle blooms are a muted reminder of the fresh flowers of summer, so the terracotta is a gentle echo of soil in which they grew. So many flowers, grasses, mosses and leaves of varying shapes and hues sit well in an old weathered pot: roses, sunflowers and wheat are just some examples you can use. Or try a popular design where an ivory-colored candle is potted amidst flowers and moss.

Topiary trees
These elegant and stylish trees are not as difficult to make as you might think. Conical or mop-head shapes, tall or short, these delightful objets d'art make wonderful gifts or are satisfying to keep for yourself to adorn your own mantelpiece. Some of the trees in this chapter are made from foam shapes which are covered with moss, but there is no reason why you cannot adapt the designs shown here to make trees of bold seedheads or dense flowerheads.

Garlands
The hot pinks of the Bowl of Beauty peonies and little roses, combined with the deep blue lavender, remind us of warm summer days on this colourful garland. By using contrasting rather than complimentary colours you can create a dazzling effect. Bright yellow achillea or sunflowers would also look stunning with the lavender.

Baskets
Baskets of all shapes and sizes have always attracted me, and I am known to buy them for no other reason than they simply look so appealing. Of course, baskets and dried flowers go hand-in-hand, and in this chapter I have used a variety of basket designs, including an unusual display with a Chinese steamer basket. Boxes, too, are ideal containers and are perhaps overlooked for dried flowers. Pretty shapes such as oval or heart-shaped boxes make lovely gifts when scented and filled with a selection of plump flowerheads and pretty foliage.