Life In Full BLOOM

Celebrated flower aficionado and award-winning fashion artist and illustrator Cathy B. Graham inspires and entertains with her second beautiful book, Full Bloom - an exquisitely produced visual compendium of her fantastical illustrations, fresh floral designs and exuberant entertaining ideas. The new coffee table tome follows Graham’s first book, Second Bloom, which has become one of the most coveted books on the artistry of floral design in recent years, engaging both novice enthusiasts and seasoned aesthetes alike. Graham's uniquely personal point of view on the subject of flowers has helped readers rethink the influence and joy that incorporating flowers into one’s personal life can bring, whether it’s through a single blossom or a billowing arrangement. 

For decades, at-home entertaining has been second nature to Graham, hosting both informal and formal events with the same attention to detail and with aplomb. From "casual Saturday night suppers with neighborhood friends to more august dinners, including cultural influencers and titans of industry— and often a mix of both” at her home on New York’s Upper East Side, Graham continues to redefine the rules of entertaining. “Creatively dressed table and beautiful flowers can be a conversation starter and ultimately serve as a bridge to connect one and all,” she shares. 

In her second book, Full Bloom, Graham distills the secrets of her educated eye for both newfound friends, as well as floral aficionados. Graham is a visual virtuoso of flowers, having worked on projects with the late floral designer and event empresario Robert Isabell, noted for his parties and galas, each of which 

was over the top and one of a kind. Coupled with her inspiring social media posts (@cathybgraham), popular live talks, floral demonstrations, and partnerships with non-profit organizations, Graham has become an authoritative voice bridging art and flowers with her signature grace and humor. Cathy shares her five top tips for spring arrangements with LUX flower lovers below. 



1. When arranging with tulips, remove almost all the leaves. It not only looks prettier when they open but it makes the stems look better in the vase and they’re easier to arrange with other flowers this way. It does require using more tulips, but the more the better! Remember that tulips continue growing when cut and in water so they may need extra snip the next day. 

2. If you are feeling ambitious, take bok choy or cabbage leaves and secure them around the outside of a glass vase with nylon thread and glue dots as a pretty trick to hide stems and branches. Remember to always cut your stems at an angle for best hydration. 

3. I love to create my own spring garden as a table centerpiece, or along a mantle. I do this using various spring flowers in single stem bud vases, small stem vases, and long stem vases (you can find these at Two’s Company or Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies). Mix various spring blooms like hyacinths, grape hyacinths, lily of the valley, pansies, daffodils, and fritillaria, among others! 

4. For a larger spring arrangement, I like to use tulipieres (shop enchantedhome.com) which come in a variety of designs and patterns. Blue and white is traditional, but I prefer simple white ceramic ones. They’re a perfect way to display the beauty of tulips. Don’t be afraid to mix in other spring flowers as well! 

5. Instead of glass vases, terracotta pots and woven baskets lined with a plastic liner (shop on Amazon) look charming filled with a mix of spring flowers.
My favorite spring floral arrangement mixtures: 

• Simple white tulips with ranunculus in Clooney yellow.
  
• Blues, lavender, and a bit of pink: I love to create this combo with anemones, 
  lilacs, and purple and white variegated ranunculus.
  
• Pinks, peach, pale yellow, and white.
  
• All white lily of the valley with white ranunculus, green viburnum, white tulips, 
  hyacinths, and white lilac. * Visit cbgraham.com