This is a book about flower arranging from the perspective of a gardener.

Harvesting from the garden means short, wonky stems, bruised petals, insects crawling out of blooms and the open invitation to claim a weed or vege as vase fodder. Unlike the demands that florists are under to produce perfection, we at home are only out to please ourselves, or if they are lucky, our friends.

It’s easy to lose ourselves in the fast pace of life, family, work and global events beyond our control. Moments of meditation, creativity and connecting with nature are often difficult to find, but we are well reminded of the benefits when we do – the pinching of 30 minutes in a day to wander with secateurs in hand and the calm comfort in playing with foliage and flowers to be enjoyed during daily, domestic life. Flowers for Friends is both a reflection, and story of the seasons brought indoors by Julia Atkinson-Dunn when harvesting from her garden and foraging in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Written in her signature casual tone (as seen in her first book Petal Power), Julia offers an accessible guide to picking, conditioning and arranging home-grown treasures, celebrating their quirks and encouraging unexpected combinations. Seasonal chapters profile arrangements she has made, detailing plants in season and inviting readers to play without the hunt for perfection, or restraint.

Photographs by: Julia Atkinson-Dunn