Garden to Vase: Growing and Using Your Own Cut Flowers

Flower arrangements can bring the delights of the garden indoors, but good gardeners are not always successful floral designers. As both an accomplished gardener and a professional florist, Linda Beutler is able to offer unique insights into creating inspried floral arrangements and growing the plants that go into them.

Among the topics that Beutler discusses are the philosophy of floral design; making creative use of plants you're already growing; techniques for harvesting and preparing cut flowers; bouquet basics; and creating arrangements for special occasions. Because certain flowers are considered classics both in the garden and in arrangements, Beutler devotes an entire chapter to these well-loved mainstays: lilies, narcissi, tulips, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and tropical flowers.

The book's wealth of expert information reaches its culmination in the section entitled Plants for the Cutting Garden: Flowers, Foliage, and Fruit. Here, Beutler presents detailed descriptions of more than 200 outstanding plants that are as lovely in the garden as they are in a vase. Included in each entry are the plant's botanical and common names; it's habit, hardiness, height, fragrance, and appearance; when it can be harvested; how to grow it; how it should be conditioned; and insider tips about what to look for if you're purchasing the plant rather than growing it yourself. Visually stunning and replete with information both practical and inspirational, Garden to Vase will help you grow both as a gardener and as an artist of the garden's bounty.

"There is something magical about a garden-grown arrangement that makes it different from the commercially grown roses, lilies, and tulips that we buy at the store...homegrown blossoms are lovable because of, not in spite of, their imperfections. Who couldn't love a crazy, homemade, one-of-a-kind bouquet?" Amy Stewart, San Francisco Chronicle

Oregon-based Beutler writes with a light touch and is very knowledgeable about plants; readers will benefit from both in this beautifully illustrated guide. Initial chapters discuss bouquet design, classic flowers in bouquets, garden tips for growing and harvesting, creating bouquets, and bouquets for special occasions. A catalog of flowers and other plants follows, with detailed entries describing each plant, culture for cutting, harvesting, and other practical details. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

As an accomplished gardener and professional florist, Linda Beutler offers unique insights into creating inspired floral arrangements and growing the plants that go into them. Among the topics that Beutler discusses are the philosophy of floral design; making creative use of plants you're already growing; techniques of harvesting and preparing cut flowers; bouquet basics; and creating arrangements for special occasions. The book culminates in Plants for the Cutting Garden: Flowers, Foliage, and Fruit, which contains detailed descriptions of more than 200 outstanding plants. Adding greatly to the book's appeal and usefulness are Allan Mandell's breathtaking photographs of flowers in every stage from the garden to finished arrangement.

An accomplished gardener and florist, Linda Beutler offers unique insights into creating inspired floral arrangements and growing the plants that go into them. Creative uses for plants in your garden; techniques for harvesting and preparing cut flowers; "bouquet basics"; and arrangements for special occasions are included, with detailed descriptions of more than 200 outstanding plants.

When you feel the urge to re-create the combinations of color and texture that enliven your garden in arrangements to enjoy indoors, does a crisis of confidence follow? Which flowers should I use? Will they last in a vase? At what stage should I pick them? Do they need some kind of conditioning? Could I be growing other plants that would add excitement to my arrangements?

The answers to these questions, and many more, can be found herein. An accomplished gardener and professional florist, Linda Beutler offers unique insights into creating inspired floral arrangements and growing the plants that go into them.

In her lively and down-to-earth syle she explores the essence of floral design; making creative use of plants you're already growing; techniques for harvesting and preparing cut flowers; bouquet basics; and creating arrangments for special occasions. She devotes an entire chapter to the well-loved mainstays: lilies, narcissi, tulips, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and tropical flowers.

A wealth of expert information culminates in an alphabetical directory that describes the flowers, foliage, and fruit of more than 200 oustanding plants that are as lovely in the garden as in a vase. Each entry includes the plant's botanical and common names; its habit, hardiness, height, fragrance, and appearance; when it can be harvestedd; how to grow it; how it should be conditioned; and insider tips about what to look for if you're purchasing cut stems rather than growing the plant yourself.

Allan Mandell's breathaking photographs show flowers in full color at every stage from the garden to finished arrangement. Visually stunning and replete with information both practical and inspirational, Garden to Vase will help you grow both as a gardener and as an artist of the garden's bounty.

Linda Beutler works as a floral designer and garden writer. She is currently the president of the Pacific Northwest Clematis Society and is active in the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon as well as on the governing council of the International Clematis Society. She is also the author of Gardening With Clematis Linda lives in Portland, Oregon.

Allan Mandell gives photography lectures and teaches workshops throughout the Northwest. He has received six national awards for his photography from the Garden Writers Association, and has completed five of his own books, including Artists in Their Gardens and Naturalistic Gardening. Allan lives in Portland, Oregon.