Seasonal Flower Arranging: Fill Your Home with Blooms, Branches, and Foraged Materials All Year Round Kindle Edition

I really like the IDEA of this book - creating floral arrangements from foraged flowers which you, supposedly, have easy access to, and the sustainability of the "farm-to-vase" movement. But then you get into the book and find that the author's idea of "foraged" in many cases is to grow your own or find a neighbor who grows what you want and offer to buy from them. Um...ok , like I'm sure none of you guys ever thought of that before. Even though I live very near the author (New England), I've never seen a lot of the flowers in this book. She gives alternatives, but unless you know what they are, you will have to look them up because there is only a mention of them. A big pet peeve is that most of the photos have no captions, so if you don't KNOW what a certain flower is, you are sh!t out of luck (SOL). The author assumes that we should know what everything pictured is, and she assumes wrong.A lot of these arrangements look scraggly too. I'm ok with things being a little less formal, but some of these arrangements just aren't well-balanced looking from a design perspective. And her colors - also I don't care for. She uses what she calls "tone-on-tone" color schemes, what I have always known as monochromatic and frankly, a little boring to my eye. I like pops of color. Personal preference.This book also has basic floral arranging information such as how to use florist wire and tape, information which is readily available for free on-line. There are no arrangements in here that I want to make. I give it three stars because like I said, I like the IDEA of it and I don't want to poo poo it too much, but it's a big MEH for me.

This book is beautiful in so many ways. The photographs are sensational, and I love the format (not huge and glossy like some pretentious books). I recommend this book to anybody who loves flowers. So why only four stars? Because Amazon sent it in a lose envelope and it damaged the book in a way that I couldn't use it as a gift, and won't put it on the coffee table either.

The hours I have spent gazing at the floral arrangements in this book have blessed my heart and soul. The tasteful and inspiring displays of floral arrangements in this beautiful book by Ariella are the work of an artist who coaxes nature to come right into my home and live with me! The many floral pictures not only in a seasonal format, but one that reflects moods as well (Mine, for sure!). Some arrangements are delicate, to be caressed and cared for; others a bit on the wild side (not too much)--the sort that make me think of the out-of-doors, to be placed near a window, or on a patio. One arrangement gave the impression it had just been touched lightly by a passing breeze--so natural! The artist has thought of everything, every possible setting. As I turn the pages again, dashes and splashes of ravishing colors--the bronzy red leaves of a plum tree! "The yellow iris as they sink into the center of an arrangement so they act as a bridge between the lilies and the peonies..." (quote from Page 90) greet my eyes and I want to breathe in deeply for the aroma, as if these gorgeous flowers were here in my living room this moment! I can almost feel the delicate textures. And what a practical suggestion she gives us on page 25, "if you don't want a superabundance of flowers, you might consider a French kitchen garden, or potager, where vegetables, flowers, fruits, and herbs intermingled serve a multitude of needs. The parsley, mint, and dill you raise for cooking can easily find their way into a pretty arrangement of posted." Great idea!

I adore Ariella Chezar’s work in everway. I have all of her books and love each more than the next! The product she uses is ever incapsulating and makes me want to run to the market and forage in the fields! I am a professional florist and recognize the flowers she uses but she always has a new take on color and combinations used! I would recommend this beautiful new book to new and advanced florists, farmers and flower lovers!

This may be one of the most beautiful flower books in my library. The designers approach to the seasons and how to gather and design flowers is both easy to understand and utterly inspiring. Her work seems at once classical, timeless and completely modern. From her descriptions of what varieities she likes to grow, how she stays awake to what is blooming each season, and the mechanics of how to design in what vessel; you get a sense that flower arranging is an art that can be enjoyed and practiced by novices to expert alike. This will be a book I return to time and time again.

I simply love this book, I bought her other book, and was pleasantly surprised that it contained new and help information. I love how she shares the names of all of the flowers and foliage’s used, and that even if one page doesn’t have it, in a page or two there it is! Her work is loose, romantic, a bit wild and always fresh and stunning. She takes at home flower arranging to a whole new level. No, you can’t make these arrangements from typical store bought flowers, but with a creative mind, and the guts to do some foraging, you can make something fresh and gorgeous with the help from this book. Even if you live in a concrete jungle with little access to incredible flowers and foliage this book would be a gorgeous coffee table book that you can pop your nose into for a dose of beauty! I see this book as inspirational, rare flowers of specific colors and types are hard to come by, and obtaining every one, like a recipe for a dish, is difficult, but you can use it to nudge you in a direction when your wanting to get creative but hit a wall. Perfection!

I have all of Ariella's books and this one did not disappoint. I love her style and talent. She is a master floral designer and an incredible person, as well. This book is so beautiful. I look at it again and again. I also design flowers and I have gotten answers to a lot of design questions as well. If you are a seasoned designer or a beginner, this book is for you.

Excellent Arrived on time

Print is on dark cheaper paper so not as colourful as I hoped for. Overal dark book. Would not recommend to a budding floral arranger. Just dissapointed , not seeing it in person i would not have purchased.