Susan McLeary - Flowers for All

To Chaad, Leda, and Maceo.

Its not too late to turn you into flower people.

Love, Mom

Copyright 2023 by Susan McLeary.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McLeary, Susan, author. | Berger, E. E., photographer.

Title: Flowers for all : modern floral arrangements for beauty, joy, and mindfulness every day / Susan McLeary; photographs by E.E. Berger.

Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2023]

Identifiers: LCCN 2022037938 | ISBN

9781797215662 (hardcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Flower arrangement.

Classification: LCC SB449 .M387 2023 | DDC

745.92--dc23/eng/20220822

LC record available at

https://lccn.loc.gov/2022037938

ISBN 978-1-7972-1567-9 (epub, mobi)

ISBN 978-1-7972-1566-2 (hardcover)

Design by Rachel Harrell.

Photographs by EE Berger.

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FLOWERS ARE FOR ALL I fell in love with the medium of flowers entirely by chance. About two decades ago, a friend asked me to arrange the flowers for her wedding. I said yes to the challenge, trusting my creative leanings would respond to the task, but I honestly didnt have any particular feelings about the work ahead. I can distinctly remember the exact moment I realized that Id found something very special: I was alone, standing in my kitchen in the middle of the night, ankle-deep in detritus, surrounded by buckets and buckets of flowers, with a considerable amount of work left to do. I realized with a start that I hadnt stopped to eat, drink, or rest in several hours. I was so completely absorbed in the work that everything else had melted away. I also sensed that the sappy little smile on my face had been there the entire time. It was an intoxicating and novel mix of seemingly discordant emotionsserenity, excitement, joy, exhaustion, and total engagement.Id never felt so completely transfixed by a task before. I recognized that when you find an activity that makes you feel this way, you owe it to yourself to explore it fully. From that moment on, I became completely obsessed with being a florist.Looking back, I see that floral design is the perfect creative expression for me, as it weaves together my lifelong fascination with nature and my love of fashion design, accessory design, and art. Im so grateful I found a practice that has brought so much richness and enjoyment to my life. Years later, now a floral design instructor and writer, I am most interested in welcoming everyonenot just floriststo engage with flowers. Over the years, Ive benefited tremendously from how theyve captured my imagination and calmed my mind. I hope to pass on the lessons they have offered me over the years.While I am a florist, this isnt meant to be a traditional floral design book. You wont find detailed step-by-step instructions or principles of design here. Floral design is a visual art form, and like any other, it possesses rich design principles to explore, but the ideas within this book are kept intentionally simple and approachable to inspire everyone to participate in this gratifying practice. This is a book meant to invite you to simply engage with flowers more often. Its meant to encourage us all to see flowers and natural materials as accessible art supplies to be used to enrich our lives and enliven living spaces. Flowers continuously inspire me, delight me, pique my curiosity, give me pause, and add to my daily well-being. I hope that my ideas invite you to connect with flowers too.Nearly all of the materials Ive used in this book are seasonal and locally sourced. I wanted to create with materials available to me at any given time instead of exotics available only to those of us with access to professional floral wholesalers or specialty sources. I hope this makes the projects here feel accessible to as many people as possible. I gathered the bulk of my materials from my (very) humble garden and yard, my neighborhood (with permission), and my local farmers market, grocers, and flower farms. By deliberately valuing what is available locally, we nurture a pride of place that not only benefits us personally but also boosts the local economy, supports local growers, and reduces environmental harm. Locally sourced materials also convey a sense of season, making them that much more evocative and meaningful. Over the years, this deliberate practice has strengthened my appreciation for the place in the world and time that I inhabit.Some of the flowers in this book may seem ordinarythat was also intentional. Even the ubiquitous patio geranium is beautiful, smells delightful, and offers nostalgia and vibrant color. I deliberately practice the act of seeing beauty in what is available to me at any given time. I encourage you to find inspiration in familiar everyday plants. When displayed thoughtfully, they can capture our attention and appear novel once more. As the seasons change, pay attention to what is available to you in the green spaces you have access to. The ever-changing, ephemeral nature of flowers has much to teach us about living in the present and relishing the moment. I hope to inspire you to regularly pause to observe the natural world and invite flowers into your home often. I hope they offer you the same sense of serene engagement they have offered me.Ive organized this book into four sections. We begin with Before Flowering (the basics), followed by projects in these sections: Flowers for Me, Flowers for Friends, and Flowers for All. There are thirty ideas on how you might create with flowersfor yourself, for friends and loved ones, and for small gatherings. Living with flowers can remind us that:

• Art is for all.
• We are all creative.
• Flowers and plants are accessible to all.
• Nature is endlessly inspiring.
• Locality and seasonality matter.
• Flowers have mood-boosting qualities.
• Pausing and appreciating moments of beauty regularly enhances well-being.
• The practice of floral appreciation has value.
• The value of flowers is not tied to their longevity.

In Flowers for Me, youll find my favorite ways to display flowers in my home, just for me. I buy and grow flowers for myself for many reasons. They lift my mood, they spark creativity, they remind me of the past, they create pause, they calm my busy mind, and they simply make my daily life more colorful and beautiful. Just as you might gather seasonal ingredients and cook a nourishing meal for yourself, gathering flowers and creating for your own pleasure is an act of self-care. I invite you to treat yourself to this simple beautifying practice.In Flowers for Friends, youll find ideas for creating simple floral gifts or intimate displays for friends and loved ones. Ive always recognized that flowers make a perfect gift, even before I was a florist. Flowers are emotive and evocativeIve never seen a person receive them without pausing to smell them, touch them, or otherwise relish them. They make meaningful gifts that envelop the senses of those lucky enough to receive them. I also consider displays created for guests as gifts of sorts. Guests may not always leave with these pieces in tow, but they can feel that the displays were created for them, and that in itself is a gesture that lifts the spirits and elevates any gathering.In Flowers for All, there are ideas on how to use flowers and natural materials to create celebratory settingsperfect for marking the important moments of our lives. Engaging centerpieces, floral installations, and large-scale floral displays should not be limited to professional florists. I hope you enjoy my approachable yet impactful ideas to create inspiring floral spaces for yourself.The Reliables and Resources sections provides more information and links to the many vendors noted throughout the three main sections.Next page