Jane Packer: Flowers, Design, Philosophy [Paperback]

Jane Packer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006

Jane Packer has transformed the traditional craft of flower arranging into a modern art form, and in this lush volume, she shares her design philosophy, reveals her tricks of the trade, and explains how to assemble shapes, colors, and textures. In addition to discussing aesthetic issues (such as the relation of flower height and form to the container) and detailing wiring and other professional techniques, Packer provides more than 40 inspirational designs. There’s an arrangement for every mood, occasion, and level of expertise—from a simply gift posy of hyacinths and a single-stem poppy in a stoneware vase to a love heart of pale pink roses and a sumptuous wreath of hydrangeas—all with instructional text and images.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jane Packer is one of the world's most influential florists at work today and a talented teacher of flower arranging. She has two shops in the West End of London, as well as schools in London and Tokyo.

Jane Packer is one of the world's most influential florists at work today and a talented teacher of flower arranging. She has two shops in the West End of London, as well as schools in London and Tokyo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Conran (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840914270
• ISBN-13: 978-1840914276
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern flower arranging book, June 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Jane Packer: Flowers * Design * Philosophy (Hardcover)

This book has lots of colour (and some black and white) photographs and is divided into 4 main parts.

First, a 32 page section on philosophy which discusses the colour, texture and shape of flowers and foliage and how to combine these elements.

Next, a 32 page section on materials and techniques including cutting and caring for flowers.

There is an 80 page section on designing with flowers. This section includes instructions for making a party headdress (written in five steps with 4 small black and white photos for steps 1-4, and a full page photograph of a close up section of the finished product). There are about 11 other design projects (including a candle garland and a bride's posy) set out in a similar way to the party headdress instructions. There are also a number of other design ideas without the step by step instructions.

Finally, there is a 20 page section on the different types of flowers, foliage and plants (some, but not all, descriptions are accompanied by photographs).

I may have preferred if this book had a little more information or step by step instructions for arrangements instead of so many large photographs. However, it is a pretty book and has lovely modern ideas for flowers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh take on Flower arranging, April 26, 2002

By 

secrethalo (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Packer: Flowers * Design * Philosophy (Hardcover)

Those of you that enjoyed Martha Stewarts book "Arranging Flowers" might want to take a gander at this gem. The ideas are plentiful and exotic. It is a nice break from traditional arrangements, though none are so off the wall that they would clash with your decor. With the use of unique containers and beautifully chosen plants, "Flowers Design Philosophy" is a wonderful buy. A+

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, October 18, 2008

By 

NLC "Cal Girl" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Packer: Flowers * Design * Philosophy (Hardcover)

It's modern and contemporary. Things you can do at home but I rarely use this book compared to the others in my floral design collection. For people who are serious about flowers, it's just a bunch of fluff.