It is possible to create your own seasonal decorationg using ordinary craft techniques, such as sewing and quilting. Here are some books with some wonderful ideas.

When it comes time for your holiday gift shopping, you won't go wrong with books. Here is a look at some titles on a wide range of subjects.

Hand-made gifts are a great way to show someone you care.

Winter brings many interesting kinds of materials for floral design. One of my favorites is the kumquat.

Baby´s breath or gypsophila is a familiar cut flower. This filler flower is so common in the floral industry.

All sorts of foliage add beauty to floral arrangements. They fill various roles, such as adding mass to designs. Depending on the type chosen, they can also provide color, texture, and contrast. One of my favorite greens during the summer months happens to be the caladium.

Ageratum is often grown aas an annual bedding plant. Also known as floss flower, this deserves a place in the cutting garden. Taller growing varieties make great cut flowers.

A decade or so ago the pitcher plant was just a curiosity. Along with the Venus fly-trap and other carnivorous plants, these were hard to come by. Happily, that has changed now with tissue culture, which allows the plants to be propagated in great numbers.

A lot of floral designers are interested in having a cutting garden, but have limited time for this endeavor. When that is the case, the solution is to create an easy care cutting garden that requires minimal attention.

Spring or fall, take your pick. The Cornelian cherry is a wonderful seasonal material for floral arrangements.