The splendor of a flower in bloom can elevate the atmosphere of a room or provide consolation in a time of grief. With tips on growing, selecting, and designing you can make stunning floral arrangements to suit any occasion. We’ve gathered a list of books to help you put together the perfect bouquet, decorate your home with flowers, plan a special occasion, or just sit back and enjoy the blooms.
Learn to make your own bouquet like a professional with Jane Packer’s Flower Course: Easy Techniques for Fabulous Flower Arranging by Jane Packer. The book opens with information on sourcing materials for binding and designing bouquets. Then, with the help of full-page, full-color photos, Packer shows readers how to assemble arrangements for every occasion with step-by-step instructions. Photos show the gradual progression as every piece comes together. Discover the secrets to hand-tied bouquets, blooming baskets, and vases of all varieties. Learn to create centerpieces, garlands, wreaths, and wedding flowers. Best for flower arranging.
$24.95, Hardcover
160 pages, 8 3/4 x 10 1/4
Ryland Peters & Small
ISBN: 9781788791885
Apply floral design to a variety of innovative applications with Living with Flowers: Blooms and Bouquets for the Home by Rowan Blossom. You’ll discover how to put together arrangements in bottles, jars, and vases with step-by-step instructions of what to add and when. Make conversation starter displays like the “candlestick with floral touch” where flowers bloom mid-way between candle and base. Add floral touches to centerpieces and string together garlands. Select flowers for wear, whether in the hair for a night out or combined in a corsage for a special occasion. Be inspired by gorgeous photography and designs like the blooming chandelier. Best for innovative applications.
$24.99, Hardcover
176 pages, 7 1/2 x 10
Laurence King Publishing
ISBN: 9781786273994
For a more rustic approach to floral design, choose Foraged Flora: A Year of Gathering and Arranging by Louesa Roebuck and Sarah Lonsdale. Be inspired by bouquets on display in full-color photos staged in homes and a barn with low, perfectly situated lighting. Flowers crawl over shelves or bloom by the bud in vases. Learn how to forage flora by season and work with familiars like magnolia, hydrangea, fennel, and peonies. Discover design tips and read conversations between the authors as Londale, co-founder of Remodelista, interviews Roebuck, an artist and floral designer. Best for inspired floral foraging.
$40.00, Hardcover
66 pages, 8 1/2 x 12
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 9781607748601
If working with color is your passion select Flower Workshop: Lessons in Arranging Blooms, Branches, Fruits, and Foraged Materials by Ariella Chezar with Julie Michaels and photography by Erin Kunkel. The introduction is filled with information on how to begin: find your focus and color palette, learn seasonal sourcing and foraging, and gather tools and tips for growing your own blooms. Be inspired by full-page photos of arrangements organized by colors like bold red, bright orange, sunny yellow, and blue mood. Each arrangement offers an introduction to the color variety, then step-by-step instructions for when to trim and what to add to build the perfect bouquet. You’ll find lots of inspiration for vases featuring popular blooms like the rose, dahlia, or dogwood. Learn how to make simple but stunning displays like the marigold curtain. Best for working with color.
$25.00, Hardcover
250 pages, 7 3/4 x 9 ¾
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 9781607747659
If you’re too intimidated to try your hand at flower arranging and you’d rather just enjoy pictures of blooms up close, select something from the Floral Favorites Series. With books on Dahlias, Peonies, Tulips, Hydrangeas, Vintage Roses, and a forthcoming book on Lilies, you can surround yourself and fill your home with hundreds of blossoms. Full-color, full-page photographs bring every bloom to life. Each book begins with the history and botany of the featured flower and is followed by a page-by-page list of dozens of varieties with accompanying photographs. For those looking for more than just visual inspiration, you’ll find helpful tips and information beside every bloom. Read basics about size, height, and best planting conditions and periods. Learn about the history, benefits, and lore of every variety. With colors so bright, the blooms practically dance off the pages, you’ll feel like you’ve just stepped into a glowing garden. Delight in names like Blue Bayou dahlias, Coral Sunset peonies, Queen of the Night tulips, Endless Summer hydrangeas, Forever Susan lilies, and Tuscany Superb roses. Best for inspiration, gifts, gardeners, and collectors.
$21.99, Hardcover
240 pages, 7 1/2 x 9 3/4 and 7 3/4 x 10
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
Dahlias ISBN: 9781423648321
Hydrangeas ISBN: 9781423654025
Lilies ISBN: 9781423656821
Peonies ISBN: 9781423648314
Tulips ISBN: 9781423651291
Vintage Roses ISBN: 9781423646716