Customer Reviews

Flowers by Design

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a professional floral designer I was very disappointed in this book. About half of the arrangements are this:

select a bundle of flowers - probably of all one type

arrange them so all of their heads are at the same height

tie the bundle together or simply cluster it so it stays together

stick it in a vase so the stems don't touch bottom and the thing leans at an angle at the top of the vase

or.....lay it across the top of the vase out of water.

or.....do exactly the same as above only slant the bouquet in the vase at an angle and allow it to touch the bottom.


Over 45 photos illustrate that single technique. The designs are mostly made of callas and roses. The repetition is pretty annoying as a person usually buys this sort of book to learn new techniques not to just see the same old one repeated again and again.

Oh, I forgot - and for some real excitement make a bouquet exactly as above then stick it in a clear glass vase standing straight up.

There's a lot of single flowers alone in a vase and a lot of flowers beheaded and set to float in clear glass vases. There are a few flowers shoved upside-down into clear vases and a few settings highlighting flowers out of water but there's really nothing terribly original. The arrangements were all pretty and all photographed in marvelous settings but unfortunately I learned nothing new from the book.

Being inspired by Jane Packer and Paula Pryke floral decorator books for years I think I have been spoilt and this book by Jeff Leatham, while being beautiful, is not really a flower arrangers book. In actual fact, the flowers play very little part in the actual photography. At times the "eye catching creations" (the reviewers comments) could not even be found. Nothing "genius" in this book except pretty interiors with flowers on the mantle -sorry Jeff, I will stick with the girls.

I had the good fortune of working with Jeff personally, and I own this book. I love his idea of decorating the space as opposed to just decorating a vase, and putting it on a table. Most Floral designers just think too small!Jeff only uses the most beautiful flowers and displays them in a way, that they not only are most beautiful, but can be most appreciated. The flowers are not "shoved up-side down in a vase" they are placed carefully and willingly. Jeff has the upmost respect for flowers, more than most people who call themselves floral designers, that shove hundreds of flowers all together in a vase in a contrived matter and call it beautiful.

If you want to know what's really going on in floral design you better pay attention to this book and his other books. Jeff is admired by the most prestigious and forward, and successful floral designers and floral event companies in the world. As a Professional Floral Designer myself of over 25 years, I know sometimes we think we know everything about what we do. But, sometimes something new comes along and blows us out of the water, and this is what Jeff Leatham has done, in America and Europe! Hope to see you again sometime in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or Paris Jeff! Christina

What a wonderful book! Jeff designs are painfully beautiful! Simple, understated elegance! As an Interior Designer and flowers being one of my passions I can appreciate how he complements the space with the flowers, vases, light etc. He totally understands the design concept: size, scale, proportion, harmony, balance and rhythm. Always respecting the architectural elements of the space and integrating the art pieces (when offered) to create a composition. I am humble and inspired by his talent!