Just Jennifer

The Flower Workshop: Lessons in Arranging Blooms, Branches, Fruits, and Foraged Materials by Ariella Chezar

Based on workshops taught by Ariella Chezar throughout the United States and in the Netherlands, this book is the perfect thing to get gardeners and flower lovers through the last long weeks of winter as they await the spring blooms…but aren’t there things out in the garden right now that might make gorgeous arrangements, bringing a bit of the outside inside in between snow falls.  Before the cutting, purchasing and arranging even begin, Chezar sets the foundations for all arrangements, suggesting flower and branch arrangements be thought of in painters’ terms, color, value, light and tone.  She offers suggestions for where to forage for unusual things to add to arrangements and then describes the tools necessary for building successful, not frustrating arrangements and then techniques starting with building a good base.  She discusses living with flowers, taking things found in the supermarket and repotting them to bring life to any area and suggests having more unusual things (fruits, perhaps) making their way into arrangements to add interest.  Chapters on single color arrangements illustrated the idea of tonal arrangements, and include in which season you are likely to find these flowers.  If you like brining in forsythia each winter to force, the chapter on branch arrangements will spur your imagination as you look around a winter yard waiting for the first robin to appear before bursting into spring beauty, and then to consider using these same branches in all their budded glory.  Some more complicated arrangements such as garlands and wreaths and a marigold curtain are included.  A list of seasonal blooms will help with planning for year round fresh flowers.  Gorgeous photographs accompany the clear text with easy to follow instructions, but plenty of room for improvisation for your own tastes.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.