Flower School: A Practical Guide to the Art of Flower Arranging

by Calvert Crary

Create the flower arrangements of your dreams to keep at home, take to the office, or display on any special occasion using the simple tips and tricks and masterful techniques taught by Executive Director and professor Calvert Crary and the master florists at FlowerSchool New York.FlowerSchool New York is one of the world's premiere institutes for floral design and artistry, offering career development courses certified by the New York State Board of Education, and exclusive master class programs taught by celebrated master florists including Kiana Underwood, Remco Van Vliet, Lewis Miller, Emily Thompson, and Ingrid Carozzi. Now, for the first time, FlowerSchool Executive Director Calvert Crary is publishing a book that will make it possible for even the greenest at-home arrangers to create gorgeous, Instagram worthy bouquets. This hands-on, comprehensive guide provides readers with step-by-step instructions that cover all the most crucial aspects of flower arranging, to buy the best flowers and how to get the best pricesSelecting your flowers based on texture, color, and seasonalityConditioning your flowers to ensure they last as long as possiblePairing your flowers with the right vaseCreating arrangements in a wide variety of styles that will work for any occasionIncluding advice from the school's well-respected master florists, and featuring beautiful color photographs of each unique arrangement, Flower School offers invaluable, insider tips and tricks that can only be gained through years of experience, providing readers with the fundamental tools and education they need to create homemade floral arrangements that are on par with any professional design.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Crafts

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Natalie Scherck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books had some great explanations of techniques and vases and beautiful pictures. I was hoping for more of a home based flower arranging book and it spent a lot of time going over buying flowers from vendors, etc. But it was a good intro to some flower arranging techniques.

[Lisa Simonds · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like the author wrote this book in 30 minutes and never made edits, let alone a second draft. Many of the tips on how to build arrangements are lacking the key points. For example, when attempting to help the reader pick the right flowers for an arrangement, the book simply states “there are varying degrees of flower shapes, which you should keep in mind.”

Which made me think:
- what are the varying shapes
- how do I mix the varying shapes
- perhaps a list of common flowers and the type of shape they have, what a good pair is, etc would be helpful

None of this was provided. The author just moved on to the next topic of how to pick a vase. And in case you’re wondering, the master class advice for that one is “pick the smallest vase you can get away with.”

Skip the book. I would have been better off just googling how to build a floral arrangement.

[Cody · Rating 1 out of 5]

"We are interested in helping the casual, at-home florist create standard vase arrangements, so we've necessarily narrowed the creative margins in order to ensure success for everyone".

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretentious, and I think the author and contributors are okay with that.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure who this is book is written for. There’s a lot of talk about product and making sure you have a list to keep your budget in check when you go to the wholesale flower market (farm stands are out, folks, but apparently foraging at your neighbor’s “with permission” is ok). I’d be pissed if a neighbor thought asking to pilfer my garden for their paying clients was okay, but…There’s also a primer on what defines different types of arrangements. So, it’s for professionals? But maybe just newbie hometown florists? There’s a lot of talk about the aesthetic sensitivities required for the work (it’s a bit precious) and the importance of meaning-making for the client. Bah. I’m not a florist and I have no clients to appease, so I just let my mind wander about how I’d break all the rules they laid out. Creativity needs breathing space, adaptability and a wandering mind.

[Fati Sanogo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am no floral literature expert and this is my first book on floristry and floral design, as such I have nothing to compare it to. That being said, I learned a few things as an aspiring floral designer. I think it’s a great reference book to have on your shelf to pick up when needed. It has great pictures of beautiful and inspiring arrangements. My biggest takeout is probably all the great Master Florists mentioned in the book whose work I now follow.

[Aishwarya Iyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good intro to color theory. super practical and I learned a lot about how to pair flowers and vessels. there is a lot of info about vendors in New York that isn't needed. could have had more flower arrangements specific content instead of vendors in New York. Worth reading!!!

[Lcharlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is not to love about flowers? Pure beauty!

[Erin King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not impressed. I did not find the information in this book helpful at all. I’m giving it 3 stars because the pictures are gorgeous.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Photos are beautiful, but as someone looking for advice on making flower arrangements at home, directions were not very helpful!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Five stars for the pictures alone! Like others have said it doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but there’s definitely enough information to get started.

[emma p · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well designed and great ideas for working with glowers

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book with gorgeous photos for inspiration

[Lana Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for aspiring florists !

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to learn from this book! Flower arranging broken down step by step for anyone.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not well edited, but beautiful photos and some good info.