The Flower Book (★★★★☆)

Rachel Siegfried   *   DK Publishing   *   February 7, 2017   *   224 Pages

I usually associate DK Publishing with children’s sticker books (hello, Lego superheroes!), so I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Flower Book. It turns out it is a genuinely beautiful resource–aimed for the adult reader–on arranging flowers.

Though the author’s name doesn’t make the book’s cover (which is weird), it is clear from the book’s foreword that Rachel Siegfried is the person behind all the tips and tricks. According to her, she has no formal training and isn’t technically a florist. But she does have many years of experience working in gardens, and she currently owns her own flower farm, called Green and Gorgeous, in Oxfordshire, England.

The Flower Book is simple, straightforward, and very well-organized. It starts off with roughly 15 pages of guidance for creating beautiful arrangements. Siegfried walks readers through her own process of choosing a container, picking flowers and foliage, and then placing everything together in an attractive way.

She also offers tips on how to prep flowers before arranging them (I had no idea this was even a thing…), and then she gives even more detailed instructions for creating front-facing arrangements, centerpieces, and hand-held bouquets.

Her directions are simple but also very clear and informative. The book is huge and well-photographed, so it’s easy to follow.

The rest of the book (over 200 pages) focuses on individual flowers, featured by season, that Siegfried believes are ideal for arrangements. Each flower featured has a gorgeous two-page spread with a big, up-close picture of the flower, accompanied by a helpful write-up of facts and suggestions for working with that plant. Siegfried covers size, color, fragrance and other physical attributes, as well as specific tips for growing, caring for, and displaying the flower.

Every three flowers or so, Siegfried also gives instructions on how to create a display. So, for example, after she features the cherry blossom, she devotes the next pages to creating an attractive cherry blossom arrangement.

Ultimately, this is a beautiful and helpful book. I loved the arrangement suggestions, and I also enjoyed learning about the individual flowers, too. And because I recognize so many of the flowers featured in here, I feel like I can actually recreate some of these arrangements in my own home.