Entertaining with Flowers

Micah Humphries and Laura Hathaway, the hosts of this guide to creating floral arrangements for various occasions, are such good friends that they frequently echo each other's remarks (Laura: “Floralife—it's like food for the flowers.” Micah: “Yeah, food for the flowers…”) and sometimes finish each other's sentences. Advising viewers to purchase flowers at a floral wholesaler (only available in larger cities), the pair discuss flower selection and pricing, and non-floral supplies, before offering step-by-step techniques and tips for choosing a container, using an oasis (foam base), and fashioning floral designs for projects ranging from arrangements for bridal or baby showers to dinner parties, as well as a richly elegant holiday display of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Since the awkwardly-worded title includes the word “entertaining,” the hosts talk briefly about harmonizing table settings, but the focus here is on the flowers (apparently the rose urn demonstration was planned to be aired first, since many of the general instructions are repeated in that segment). The materials lists sometimes mention specific roses, but they're usually just termed by color (and since I'm a picky rose grower, I must point out that the flowers called “old roses” here are actually modern hybrid teas). Despite a certain lack of polish in post-production, this inexpensive how-to is recommended, overall. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)