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

by Ariella Chezar, Julie Michaels

Written by a celebrated floral designer and lavishly illustrated with full-color photography, this book provides step-by-step instructions for more than 45 stunning floral projects from simple to spectacular and equips you with the skills to customize arrangements at home.

Whether hosting a party, helping out with a friend's wedding, or wishing to incorporate the beauty of flowers into everyday life, The Flower Workshop allows you to create dazzling arrangements that go beyond merely pretty and into realms of the dramatic, the unexpected, and sometimes even the magical.

Known for her hands-on flower workshops at FlowerSchool New York, Ariella Chezar walks you through the nuts and bolts of creating a variety of small flourishes, tonal arrangements, branch arrangements, handheld bouquets, wreaths, garlands, grand gestures, and more—all accompanied by detailed photography. Chezar offers advice and philosophy on everything from texture and color to foliage and containers, providing an overall approach to living and working with flowers, with an eye toward fresh, local, wild, seasonally influenced floral design.

For every occasion, from relaxed and simple to lavish and monumental, The Flower Workshop celebrates the special moments in your life with glorious, fragrant floral arrangements and enhances your surroundings with abundant beauty.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Adult, Education, Nature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know a book full of pretty pictures of flowers could be so boring. Chezar clearly knows what she is talking about when it comes to arranging flowers but this book didn't really resonate with me. I guess I'm not destined to become a florist. I was expecting this to be more of a how-to book on floral arrangements with basic starter information. I was looking for general rules for floral arrangements and a guide to different flowers, how to use them, and what flowers were best for what seasons. Instead I got a book that is mostly, "here is a picture of a floral arrangement and here are the steps you take to recreate this exact thing." It's very detailed and great if you want to make the floral arrangements in the book but it doesn't teach you anything about making your own.

I received a copy of this from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

[Abby Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The layout of this book is stunning. This isn’t exactly a book you’re meant to read, rather one to assist with flower arranging and care. I still enjoyed learning about it though!

[asiya | アセヤ (free palestine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this book a couple of days ago and it was really fun!!!! Great to just reference at and skim through, but perfect for looking in and out of at the same time! An amazing and beautiful find!

[East Gwillimbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of photos and basic tips on creating your own flower arrangements using flowers from your garden. My favourite section has pages for many of the popular flowers (hydrangeas, dahlias, clematis, peonies and more) as well as branches (crabapple and dogwood), sharing tips on how best to handle them. It has instructions on making bridal bouquets too. Even if you are not wanting to learn the art of flower arranging, the photos in this book are so gorgeous that it is worth a look for that alone!

[Linnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful tips and techniques; gorgeous photos. I want to try all the arrangements!


While Blacklock's book deals more with traditional arranging, Chezar's style more closely echoes what I will probably be doing. I want to know and become proficient at the traditional and classic design principles, so I have that versatility, but I think my style tends more toward Chezar's, which she describes as "painterly." It tends to be looser, with more emphasis on local, seasonal, and even foraged elements.

She suggests having just one or two colors in mind for an arrangement, then adding darker or lighter tones of those basic choices to add movement within your bouquet. Once you have chosen the colors, then you can focus on finding and adding in various textures, sizes, shapes, etc., all within your chosen color scheme.

She has some great tips and techniques, as well. Rather than using floral foam for her arrangements, like Blacklock, she relies more on flower frogs anchored to the bottom of the vessel with floral putty. She suggests always starting biggest to smallest--so starting with a base layer of branches and/or greenery, and working your way up to focal flowers, and finally ending with vines or "floaters"--little sprays of flowers that will float above the main arrangement. Every one of her arrangements includes a vine of some type.

I appreciated her advice on achieving abundant, generous bouquets without breaking the bank. Choose a handful of "dynamite" focal flowers, which tend to be most expensive anyway, then either grow or buy cheaper flowers to fill in around them.

She advises searching thrift stores and flea markets for vessels to use: pitchers, footed compotes, vases, apothecary jars, and so on. Yes, this part will be fun. I may need a shelf or cabinet in our new shed just for my arranging containers! In the past I have mostly used either glass canning jars, or one of my glass vases. However, I really want to try some arrangements in a low, footed bowl.

One problem with doing arrangements at home is that one of the best/only good places to put them is in the middle of the kitchen table. Well, a tall arrangement in a vase does not work when you're eating dinner. It's in the way of seeing, talking, passing food, etc. So if I can get good at some of these lower arrangements, then they could stay on the table during dinner! Wow, novel idea. Besides, it would give us a good place to use flowers cut by my kiddos, since their stem length often leans toward the short side. :)

From there she goes into talking about various arrangements: tonal arrangements, favorite flowers, branch arrangements, and so on. Nearly every spread contains a full-page photograph of the finished arrangement, with a brief discussion, "recipe," and step-by-step instructions for creating it on the facing page. She likes to use fruiting branches in her arrangements, and even things foraged from the vegetable garden: sweet peas still on the vine, for instance. She also includes "alternate flowers" for each arrangement shown, which expands the possibilities even more.

Her last chapter is "Celebrating with Flowers." She includes projects to make that are a bit different than some of others I've seen, including a marigold curtain and fern chandelier.

Finally, the photographs in this one are simply fantastic. Whether illustrating her flower recipes, or just showing off flowers in various shades, it's worth the price of the book just to see all the pictures.

I blog at: www.ofbooksandblooms.com

[Natalie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit, I have zero interest in actually creating a flower arrangement at this time, but I got this from the library just to look at the beautiful pictures! The author has a passion for flowers and is very good at arranging them. I loved every photo.

I also loved this quote from page 200, when she's talking about white flower arrangements. "'White is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing,' wrote novelist and philosopher G.K. Chesterton. 'God... never paints so gorgeously... as when He paints in white.'"

As the proud (former) owner of a beautiful white bird, I AGREE!

[Alissa Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very beautiful book and bouquets. However, as a novice cut flower gardener and arranger, it is unlikely that I will be able to access (and afford) such extravagant displays. I appreciate the diversity of project types and emphasis on incorporating branches and allowing flowers to naturally dance in arrangements.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of visual perfection.

It helped take me away somewhere beautiful for a few minutes during the busy work day.

There are loads of arrangement descriptions and useful ideas for parties and holidays.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully presented book. Great ideas for arrangements, but due to the volume and variety of flowers listed, probably prohibitively expensive

[Claudia Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book with beautiful photographs. I would have liked more examples of white and ivory bouquets.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little more intense of a book than my normal little flower arrangements around the house but it was certainly pretty to look at.

[Zayd Tarjuman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for looking for nice arrangements for flowers. It includes pictures of the arrangements and steps.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such magnificent flowers, an easy way to add beauty to life.

[Sara]

rtc

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent staple for any aspiring florist’s bookshelf.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flower Workshop, Lessons in Arranging Blooms Branches Fruit, and Foraged Materials,  Ariella Chezar, Julie Michaels

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  non fiction, crafts and hobbies

 I adore flowers, and even as a child I loved to forage in the garden making posies all year round and pick wildflowers on the way home from school, buttercups, milk meadow, kingcups and ferns from the commons and ponds, queen anne’s lace, pink clover, campions, wild scabious from the roadsides, bluebells and primroses from the woods, and of course tree branches with blosson or new leaves, and honeysuckle, wild roses etc. so when I saw this I had to have it!
Its a fabulous read for those who love flowers, not just for arranging but for themselves. There’s advice on growing them if you have space, buying wholesale at flower markets if you need large quantities, choosing best blooms from flower shops, or as I  did scavenging and using what’s seasonal. ( Of course conservation and legislation need to be kept in mind when doing that too, something that bever occurred to me as a child, though even then I only picked what was plentiful).
 It also covers how best to make arrangements last, what containers to use to show flowers to their full beauty, how to match colours avoiding those awful clashing arrangements we see. Why on earth do people want vividly dyed artificial colours when there are so many beautiful natural ones. My heart drops when presented with a bunch of lurid fluorescent pink, bright unnatural blue and acid yellow chrysanthemums. Its lovely to get flowers – and for me they’re a present always welcome - but the first thing I have to do when given these is separate the colours and try to tone them down with pastels in complementary colours and lots of soft greenery....I swear the garden cringes when it sees me approaching with the secateurs yet again. Now I’ve read this book I’ve lots more ideas too ;-)

The illustrations are drool worthy, gorgeous lush towering arrangements down to showing the beauty of flowers as individuals. I found it so great to see more unusual flowers used, along with tree branches and strands of ivy and other trailing plants. There really is an arrangement for every occasion here – from a simple get well posy for a friend, to lavish wedding or party full scale arrangements.  
I read this on my kindle fire so could see the photos in full colour, but like most non fiction books I really think this would be best appreciated as a traditional print book, where the pages can be flicked through and the photos in much larger size show the details better.
 
Stars: Five, a great gift for any flower lover or buy as a treat for yourself!

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

[Susan Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book. While I’m not exactly an accomplished gardener, I do enjoy creating festive wreaths and dried floral arrangements and was ready to learn all about fresh flower arrangement. Unfortunately, I wasn’t nearly as impressed with this book as I expected to be.

First off, there are painfully few step by step photos in this book. Less than five photos are step by step. The majority of the photos are of completed arrangements with only informational text and a materials list in the sidebar.

I’m sure these floral arrangements are beautiful. However, the photos aren’t the quality you’d expect in a book that depends greatly on its visual appeal. The paper is matt and the photos severely suffer because of it. The colors aren’t nearly as vibrant as I’d hoped. The resulting photos are grainy and at times seem out of focus. Glossy paper would have been a much better choice.

I’d like to say that I’d at least found the information in "The Flower Workshop" valuable, but I honestly can’t. It reads like a somewhat dry instructional manual. Passages like, “Once you choose a basic color--in this case yellowy peach--search for a variety of blossoms that fit this category. The challenge is to find flowers that take your basic color and run the scales with it, from taupe-yellow to butter, from gold to cream, from citrus to speckled,” are the norm and don’t come across as inspirational at all. In fact, I found them downright boring.

As much as I hate giving a poor review to any book, I’m going to give "The Flower Workshop" just three stars.

http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'm an avid gardener but don't often do much in the way of flower arranging/celebrity flower trends outside of Martha Stewart. I was not familiar with the author, Ariella Chezar, but was greatly intrigued by the book's description. Upon receiving this book, I immediately poured through it, intrigued by the beautiful close up shots of de-stemmed flowers amongst reclaimed barnwood and so on. On this note, I would categorize this as more of a younger generation flower guide; it's certainly not fussy and it has a more rustic, Brooklyn hipster vibe to it than anything I'd seen prior. Chezar breaks down each season by which flowers it spurs naturally and then offers arrangement with the flowers to highlight the time. The book is divided into sections sorted on style of flower arrangement. There's a wide array of arrangements for vases, table decor and bouquets. One of my favorite ideas was her various flower chain ideas in marigolds, which seemed like a perfect wedding adornment over a gazebo or pergola. All in all, the book is informative without being too text heavy, with beautiful, close up photos to illustrate each arrangement.
I wish she had dedicated more space to growing flowers outside of a list of which she grew and recommended, but alas, perhaps that will be for her next book. I would recommend this book and think it's a wonderful introductory for younger individuals who love flowers. It's certainly inspiring and informative to help people go beyond the usual supermarket and florists arrangements. A perfect gift!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be the odd-ball out because I didn't pick this book out so I could learn more about flower arranging. Instead, I requested it hoping to learn more about flowers as well as use the arrangements (both bouquets and table top) as inspiration for my watercolor painting practice. I adore the curves and color of flora, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to better familiarize myself with it.

This book blew me away. The two page photo spreads were not only vibrant and clear, but the arrangements are truly gorgeous. The art of flower arranging is now on my radar of skills to acquire, while my floral watercolors happen to be exploding in their variety.

In looking over the physical layout of the "lessons", I realized the necessary flowers, fillers, and tools is clear and concise (often the flowers are the most expensive part). I found some of Chezar's tips really insightful (obviously she has amazing experience), but I was daunted at the task of acquiring some of the flowers. I did realize substitution is simple and doable, making your at-home flower arranging experience budget friendly on top of everything. I am looking forward to hosting a get together so I can put my skills to the test!

** I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully presented with excellent photography and gorgeous floral designs.

Chezar has a distinctive style, romantic and rustic, and all the designs in the book reflect this. Each floral design is introduced with enthusiasm and elaborate description.
The text instructions for each project are clear and detailed, and as a trained florist, I have no problem following them and being confident I could replicate the designs. However, I think beginners might struggle a little with only written directions; there are very few step by step photographs; most projects have just the image of the finished design.
The materials required for each design are laid out clearly, and Chezar helpfully gives suggestions for suitable alternative flowers. A seasonal availability list is also provided; as well as sections including tools and necessary equipment, basic techniques, colour theory, foraging and sourcing flowers.

Overall, I've learned some new techniques and understand more about this lovely natural style of floral design. I do feel like I'll use this book more for inspiration rather than directly following the instructions; I love just flicking through all the stunning images.

* I received a free e-copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Alexandra Consolver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have made it a goal the past few years to learn how to arrange flowers, but I never seem to make it. This book was an incredible one to read, because Chezar's passion for flowers as well as incredibly approachable advice really help you dive into the idea of arranging flowers. She gives very helpful insight into choosing a palette, arranging by size, working in rules of three, tools you need, etc. She even goes so far as to share which flowers come in various colors seasonally. So you can search for yellow spring flowers, and not feel like you might get to the market to purchase your flowers... only to find out they aren't in season. Chezar takes it one step further in showing you specific arrangements, and exactly how to reproduce them. I think this is an incredibly helpful addition to the book, that allows beginners and experienced floral arrangers alike the chance to copy a successful arrangement. The last thing I want to note, is that this book is absolutely gorgeous. It is filled with passion, understanding, helpful advice, as well as some of the most beautiful floral arrangements and photography I have ever seen. If you have been looking for a source on flower arranging, I highly recommend this one!

[Valorie Hallinan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, with reservations. I wanted to learn how to arrange the kinds of floral displays that are popular now, and the author seems to do this effectively, though I haven't been able to try out any of the arrangements I'm interested in. For one thing, the particular designs I'm attracted to require dozens and dozens of flowers, and so the cost is prohibitive. Many of the flowers she uses are not available to me in Rochester, NY, although she does helpfully list substitute flowers. This isn't her fault, it just happens that what's in vogue now is expensive arrangements with many, many blooms. Her instructions do seem a bit sketchy, but since I haven't tried them they may be sufficient. The other criticism I have is the quality of the photographs. I really dislike the cover - those pinkish blooms on a black background look awful - I see dozens of better flower photos on my Instagram feed. A few of the photos seem too dark, so that one can't really see definition, which is a problem if you're trying to copy an arrangement. This many not be a problem of the original photos, it may be a printing/repro problem. Still, this is an issue, I think, for an art/craft book of high quality. So, I like the book, but with some strong reservations.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember taking a flower arranging class during my undergrad and it being loads of fun, so I was excited to receive this book to review. Bottom line, this book is gorgeous (!!) with pages of pictures of various flower arrangements and color schemes that had my yearning to go out to the market to buy flowers to decorate my house with (which I am unashamed that I actually did a few times).

I accepted it long ago that I didn't need a loved one to buy me flowers... I just needed this book instead! One of the best things to do when receiving a instructional book to review is to actually complete one or two of the recipes that the book suggests and afterwards, flower arranging may become a new stress relieving hobby. Not only did I learn color schemes and which flowers suited for the best moods, but also seasons that flowers grew, the math that goes into planning an arrangement (and not just the budget, there's symmetry to be had when it comes to roses!) and how to manipulate flowers, fruit and even birds nests into works of art.

For anyone who likes to dabble in home decorating or entertaining, or enjoys home and garden nonfiction :)

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book speaks quality when you hold it in your hands. A perfect companion for building arrangements in your home or business, or using as a coffee table pictorial book. The title is embossed on the front and accompanied by a glorious photo of flowers. Well laid out and very impressive. It would make a great gift for a flower lover.

The book has text on the inside cover and the inner outside cover. Then you move in through the pages to the guts of the books, which essentially teach you how to arrange blooms, branches, fruits and other foraged materials.
It is rich with information, rich with flowers, rich with quality. I haven't said it enough, but this is an exquisite book.

On the downside, I'm not an expert when it comes to flowers and I find that it is more geared to someone who already knows quite a bit about flowers. Those who have a strong desire to learn more, especially when it comes towards arranging them. I have a friend who is like that and would devour this book from beginning to end.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for NetGalley.

Ms. Chezar, along with the photography of Ms. Michaels, has created a beautifully illustrated and well written book about flower arranging.

I began reading the book, expecting the standard flower arranging kind of book - dry and detailed. Happily, as I read on, I discovered Ms. Chezar's work to be the pleasant antithesis of dry and boring. This book begins with the artistic approach to floral arrangements and Ms. Chezar's approach and philosophy of floral arrangement. Her approach is one of combining natural found elements (leaves, branches, etc.) with flowers. Quite a welcome change from the usual flora composition.

Her instructions for creating floral arrangements and compositions are very clear, concise and well illustrated by Ms. Michaels' lovely illustrations. Even a klutz such as myself could create a lovely floral composition after reading this book.

Very well done and an enjoyable read!

[Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which Hayden gets a book mainly because she likes looking at pictures of pretty flowers. It's true: I love flowers. Not to the extent of my botanist-in-training sister-- or, at least, I don't care so much for gardening--but I love flowers and hope that one day I can fill my future home with them. And The Flower Workshop is full of ideas on how to do that.

Filled with bright colors and eye catching arrangements, it took me a while to actually read the text because I kept focusing on the pictures! Author Ariella Chezar shares a host of great tips, and I love how she references Dutch floral paintings, of which I happen to be very fond. In fact, most of the arrangements in here are worthy of a still life painting. And as someone who doesn't have a lot of experience in this area, it was good for a beginner.

But mostly, I admit I just like looking at the pictures ;)

I received this book for free from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for my honest review.

[Hannah Christmas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really one to read books about arranging flowers. I don't really arrange flowers myself, although I can appreciate a good bouquet. But I saw that this book had pretty pictures of flowers, so I thought, "Why not?" And now I'm glad I did. It's really fascinating to learn about new arts, and this is one I could really see myself using. I'm not super fancy, but I would like to occasionally decorate my home with some fresh flowers, and Ariella Chezar does a wonderful job at describing how to decide on the combination of flowers, types of textures and greenery, as well as how to get all the stems to stay in one place. I enjoyed this book so much, and will keep it on my coffee table to bring my guests joy from the brightly colored photos.

A copy of this book was provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully done book! It's hardbound with beautiful, colorful flowers adorning the front and an embossed title. The pages are top quality and contain a LOT of pictures of flowers and flower arrangements. I love how there are pages that show flowers that fit with a certain color scheme and also names those flowers. I love how she illustrates the use of branches and fruit to complement an arrangement. She also has a seasonal flower guide.

I love flowers! So whether I ever use this book to make a flower arrangement or not, I'd keep it around on a coffee table just to look at the pretty pictures! :)

*Thanks to Blogging For Books for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions state are my own.*

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book! The pictures are so pretty of all the different flowers. Granted I am limited in going to the flower shop where I live but this book has good ideas. There are explanations on how to create a good bouquet and is organized by colors. There are also good examples of using foliage and flowers as decor. How to buy flowers and when to buy flowers is also helpful!

I only wish I could grow a huge flower garden like the pictures, but I also have good thoughts on what to do with my wildflowers.

Great book for those who enjoy flowers and decorating with them.



"I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for an honest review."

[Bharti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had professional interest in flower decor and what goes into the making of a stunning floral decor piece of any scale. The flower workshop is a beautiful book with eye catching illustrations. As a coffee table book it will be a visual treat in any house. The instruction and the sheer basic, working practical know;edge of everything flowers is a blessing and comes in very handy when working with flowers.