Sensational Bouquets by Christian Tortu is at once an intimate profile of the artist--who has designed floral arrangements for Dior and Chanel, as well as for the Cannes Film Festival--and a useful guide to how he creates his exciting and unique bouquets.

Tortu always looks to nature for inspiration. There, he finds freedom: of form, of color, of scent, all mixed together flawlessly, without artifice or ostentation. Paying homage to nature's inherent sense of design, Tortu creates stunning arrangements while bending all the rules of traditional flower arranging. Unexpected plants join in clever, surprising combinations to celebrate the drama of nature--of birth and death, and everything in between. Garden roses nestle in a tangle of blackberry branches much as they would in an overgrown garden. Wild thistles poke their prickly blossoms out of a bunch of softer, rounder bred thistles and speak of a miraculous harmony between wild and cultivated plants. Green almonds, lotus fruit, and poppy capsules come together in an enthralling play of yellow against green.

As if Sylvain Thomas's sumptuous photographs of Tortu's arrangements weren't inspiration enough, the text of Sensational Bouquets reads like poetry. This book will both motivate and guide readers to toss out what they've learned about flower arranging and let nature and their own unbridled intuition dictate how they assemble their next gathering of wild and/or cultivated plants. --Robin Donovan

This is writer Corine Delahaze's first outing and she shows promise of a fine observor and poet. The photography is by Sylvain Thomas and emphasizes the closeup details as well as the free-standing wonders of Tortu's designs. The combination of text and photographs balances well with Tortu's creations. There is much more to learn about nature than just an ordinary treatise on flower arranging here. In Tortu's words "Nature is a place of total freedom. All plant life is accepted as equal." And from this humble belief Tortu lifts the spirit as well as the imagination with his artist's gift.

Christian Tortu grew up on a truck farm in Anjou, and is proud of his agricultural roots. Now he designs backdrops for fashion shows and the Cannes Film Festival. He operates floral shops in major cities around the world.

Let me share a little of his philosophy, as described in the many sections he wrote for the book. "Each plant is a fragment of a landscape . . . ." In his arrangements, he creates that sense of landscape in a way that I have never seen before in flower arrangements. Nature is palpable in them.

"If man were to stop rushing around for one moment, he might take a look at flowers -- and then take a closer look." I remember having that experience in the orchid garden in Honolulu. I was enthralled with the beautiful blossoms in my 20 minute self-guided tour. As I was about to leave, an elderly gentleman asked me if I would like to have some help in looking around. I agreed, and spent the next three hours going over the same ground with him. Except I saw about 100 times as much with his help. I was astonished at how many delightful orchids I had totally missed in my haste (and I had thought I was being leisurely).

"In time, his convictions would crumble, and he would realize classification is fruitless even beyond flowers." People love to judge, and that judgment gets in the way of really seeing and experiencing life. So these arrangements are a metaphor for breaking down our closed mental sets.

The basic premise is that "all flowers are created equal." Weeds and shrubbery get as much attention as rare orchids. And the moment of perfection is not all that is explored. " . . . [E]very stage of the flower is a moment that deserves attention." One bouquet even captures burned foliage and flowers after a fire. Seeing these images makes one realize the truth of these observations. " . . . [I]n the name of harmony, each one [arrangement] has its own touch of anarchy."

Mr. Tortu changes things in terms of color, type of composition, and form. I was especially fascinated by his many monochromatic arrangements, especially the green bouquets.

The book is done in sections: Genesis; Revolution(s); Crossroads; and the Chronicle of a Black Bouquet. Using these themes makes it easier to appreciate the statements his designs make.

Here are my favorites in the book:

Agave foliage with euchasis in gray wax vases

Green tomatoes and basil, tomato flowers, dog rose fruit and vine foliate

Green arum lilies, tea grass, viburnum, and narcissus buds

Garlic flower and nasturtium

Nasturtium, wild strawberries, and blackberries

Privet berries and King Arthur orchids

Lime tree branches and iris

Violets

White hyacinth, and catmint

Osage orange, pears and chayote, quince, eggplant, and begonia

After you enjoy this delightful book, I suggest that you take some other element of nature and see how arranging it differently changes your perceptions. Now that it is spring, you could start by taking fresh shoots and making arrangements of them in new combinations, new shapes, and in different types of containers.

Open your mind to the potential of new combinations, expressed in new ways!