With skillful snips, Mitsuko Takeya prunes a few leaves from bamboo stalks and several red berries from heavy nandina clusters to use in a flower arrangement. The cuts would hardly register in ...

I arrived at work with a handful of flowers wrapped in a soggy paper towel and asked a colleague if I could borrow a vase. I explained that I'd just come from a flower-arranging class. My co-worker ...