On the shelf

A read that might change the way you see things.

Forever Flowers by Antonia de Vere (Schiffer, $60)

Do you believe in destiny? Reading the introductory chapters of floral designer Antonia de Vere’s new book, you just might begin to. Several serendipitous happenings in the life of the more tattooed, pink- and platinum-haired half of creative duo Mark Antonia (the other side of the coin being her designer husband, Mark Seeney) have led her to become the maker of some of Aotearoa’s most sought-after dried florals. Ever artsy, she grew up in the Garden City, Ōtautahi/Christchurch, exploring its civic green spaces with her family and immersed in the activities in their own floriferous backyard. She loved pressing petals between the pages of her books filled with fairytales; went on to study fashion, jewellery and floral design; and has long had a thing for Egypt and the way its ancient artists used flowers to preserve the moment. She seems to >

have been born for her current role, and her telling of her journey to it makes for a great story, even before you get to the bit about the actual dried flowers.

On that front, Antonia invites her readers into her studio, before ushering us beyond the velvet ropes of her craft. “I don’t want to be a florist who simply recreates what’s been done before — I want to be an artist who uses flowers as my material,” she says, while encouraging us to take her tips on foraging, harvesting, drying and styling, then let our own creativity blossom. Her guides cover beautiful wreaths, wall hangings and more — though what might strike you above all about this book is how heartfelt it is. Let yourself be inspired by Antonia’s deep love for this medium to make your own captivating dried floral pieces, destined to last for a good long while, whatever your future holds.

THIS PAGE Antonia made this understated yet carefully balanced Japanese ikebana creation using dried strawflowers, jasmine buds, eucalyptus leaves and willow branches. “This style is most like a floral sculpture, and therefore assumes the air of an art piece rather than a floral arrangement,” she says. “I think ikebana arrangements are best when they’re very simple; however, I like to incorporate unexpected materials. In the past, I’ve used pearls, rose quartz and even cashmere, to name just a few different elements.”

LEFT For traditional cottage bouquets, Antonia favours fragrant flowers and foliage, like the dried eucalyptus, lavender, limonium and nigella seed heads (also pictured below) she used alongside hydrangeas here. BOTTOM The author likes her studio to be a visual library of materials and vessels in which to place them in. “I really do have a lot — often it’s absolutely brimming over the studio, seemingly wanting to explode into the street! I regard my vase collection as an essential tool of the job. I love to imagine how I can use them to show off their best aspect.”