It’s April the 1st, and Spring has officially sprung. With all the gloomy and scary news swirling around lately, I thought you might enjoy a little Flower inspiration to springify your life. To kick our WISDOM WRAP off, I share a lovely quote by Miranda Kerr. I think it’s a perfect metaphor to remind us all to be comfortable in our own skin. Spring is in the air in many parts of the world, and below are IDEAL FINDS that will bring beautiful flowers into your home and your travel plans. Have a lovely April weekend World Wise Beauty!

BOOK CATEGORY:  ‘Bringing Nature Home’ by Ngoc Minh Ngo ( arrangements by Nicolette Owen)

IDEAL FIND:  DIY and Educational. Beautiful photography from cover to cover. Ideal gift for Mother’s Day.

Unlike most flower-arrangement books, which rely on expensive and often nonseasonal flowers from florists, this book presents an alternative that is in line with the “back to nature” movement. This is the first volume to showcase how to be inspired by nature’s seasonal bounty and bring that nature into the home through floral arrangements.

From the well-known lifestyle photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo and Nicolette Owen of Brooklyn’s Little Flower School, Bringing Nature Home presents a portfolio of unique and original floral arrangements directly inspired by the seasons and the local environment, with sources ranging from farmers’ market offerings to the backyard garden. Presented through lush photography that also showcases the beautiful interiors the arrangements are created for, this is as much a decorating tome as it is a floral-arrangement guide.

A how-to section offers advice on the selection, trimming, and care of the arrangements and on repurposed and unique containers, making this book practical as well as inspiring.

     ‘Celebrate Spring at These Spectacular Flower Festivals

Around the World’

                                                                                               ( excerpt from Architectural Digest)

Architectural Digest Photo

TRAVEL WISE:  Wonderful travel piece from Architectural Digest for my Flowerista Followers ready to travel the world!

IDEAL FIND:  Inspiration for your travel bucket-list. Follow the Flower Festivals! Plan a trip with loved one, friends or your mother!

AD EXCERPT: From D.C. to Kyoto, signs of spring are all around. Cities and towns across the world are ushering in the fairest of the seasons with flower festivals, shows, and parades. There are cherry blossoms in both the U.S. and Japan, colorful tulip fields in Holland, fragrant rose gardens in Oregon, lilacs on picturesque Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, and delicate apple blossoms in the Shenandoah Valley. You don’t have to be a horticulturist to partake in the festivities—just show up and smell the roses. You might even get some landscaping ideas for your own home.

New York Botanical Garden

America’s Best Botanical Gardens

TRAVEL CATEGORY: In addition to Flower Festivals, we can’t forget beautiful Botanical Gardens often found in our own regions where we live. Thanks to our friends over at PRO FLOWERS  I can share this fantastic list of the 25 Best Botanical Gardens here in the United States. Indulge in a little flower-power and make your next road trip a visit to your local Botanical Garden.

IDEAL FIND: Another ideal trip to take with your Mom for Mother’s Day! And for those seeking some solitude, I can personally say having been to many Botanical Gardens around the world, sometimes on my own, they are the best places to clear out the cob-webs in your brain and ‘just be’ with the flowers! ~Lauroly

PROFLOWERS EXCERPT: Botanical gardens are a great way to escape from the city, unwind and enjoy all that nature has to offer. From beautiful flowers to pristine plant life, botanical gardens are sure to amaze turn after turn. If you want to immerse yourself in the wonder of nature, be amazed by the intriguing shapes and colors of exotic plants, and learn about the roots of local history, then schedule a trip to one of the top botanical gardens in the United States.

After surveying the fascinating landscape of botanical gardens throughout the country, we’ve chosen these 25 based on select criteria: number and variety of plants, uniqueness of the collections, commitment to preserving regional habitats and highlighting local flora, and how each garden’s staff engage the public with arts, culture and educational programs.

These amazing attractions earned high marks across the board. We hope you enjoy exploring our top picks.