French Blooms Floral Arrangements Inspired by Paris and Beyond

This first book by Sandra Sigman, award-winning floral designer and owner of Les Fleurs, presents arranging flowers in the French style—bouquets that are chic and romantic.

As Sandra Sigman learned while living in Paris in her twenties, the French consider each floral arrangement a unique work of art filled with passion, movement, texture, and surprise. In French Blooms, Sigman shares the distinct design principles she learned from her favorite Parisian florist, and offers tutorials, with images and instructions for creating French-inspired arrangements for different areas of the home. Projects include a mantle display in Ironstone gravy boats, compote-style dining room arrangements, powder room posies, and beribboned hand-tied bouquets. With chapters on choosing the right containers—from vintage stoneware crocks to baskets and white ceramic footed vases—and flower care and tools, along with lush photographs, many taken in Paris, Normandy, and Provence, this book is both inspirational and practical. It’s also a love letter to France—from Parisian sophistication to the simple grace of provincial life.

In 1989 Sandra Sigman established Les Fleurs, the floral and garden shop in Andover, Massachusetts, where she teaches workshops, along with ones in France. Her arrangements have appeared in myriad publications, including Flower and Victoria magazines. Victoria A. Riccardi is a lifestyle journalist and the author of Untangling My Chopsticks: A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto. Foreword writer Sharon Santoni launched the popular blog and magazine My French Country Home in 2010. She conducts French-lifestyle tours. Kindra Clineff has photographed features for Better Homes and Gardens and collaborated on numerous lifestyle books.