Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design [Hardcover]

Paula Pryke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2006

Paula Pryke is one of the world's leading floral designers and an inspiration to novices and experts alike. Her flower school in London, which attracts students worldwide, provides one of the most sought-after credentials for anyone serious about mastering the art of floral design. Now with Flower School, Pryke offers the essentials of her London program in gorgeously illustrated text, allowing readers to feel as if they have enrolled in her school. Simple step-by-step instructions and clearly defined photographs make even the most ambitious design achievable. Drawing on her signature designs, she discusses design rules, color concepts, equipment, and flower preparation, and then offers a series of formal lessons on hand-tied bouquets, the use of water in containers, wirework, and designing for special events. This impressive collection is rounded out with a flower directory detailing those flowers and plants best suited to Pryke's dramatic approach to floral artistry. Packed with original ideas and invaluable techniques, this comprehensive volume is an inspirational sourcebook for flower arrangers of any level.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paula Pryke has a world-renowned reputation for innovative and brilliantly colorful floral designs. Her previous books include Simple Flowers, Flowers! Flowers!, Living Color, and Wedding Flowers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847828050
• ISBN-13: 978-0847828050
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 0.9 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design, August 27, 2006

By 

J. David Spade (Bradenton, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design (Hardcover)

I bought the book as a present for my wife who has an interest and talent in floral arranging, but no formal training. She loves the book. It has numerous wonderful color photos and discusses colors and texture in floral arranging. The book covers design ideas for shape and form; balance; harmony; scale and proportion; texture and contrast; movement; dominance; rhythm; repetition; massing flowers; grouping; bunching and bundling; carpeting; layering; manipulating plant material; structural designing; and season. It also has an excellent and informative section on color concepts. A key feature of the book is the step by step instructions for making decorative arrangements, along with photos of the arrangement as described in the steps. I cannot speak for what professional florists would like, but for my wife it was a perfect book. It would have been worth it just to see the beautiful pictures of floral arrangements, but the lessons really make the book what it is.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful but General, November 11, 2007

By 

MysticFireball (Salem, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design (Hardcover)

I would never contest the beauty of this book, but I found the lessons section to be lacking in terms of specificity. After all, this book is meant to be instructive. The instructions were often much too general for someone actually trying to learn floral design. Sometimes the generality is along the lines of 'put the twigs in the vase, put the roses in the vase,' while at other times it is more specific. In essence, the real process of placement is sometimes excluded.

Also, many of the arrangements are of a similar style, round and mouned, and though this is a particular style, I would have appreciated fewer examples of this type of bouquet, which I consider to be less complicated to make. As a florist, I would recommend this book to other florists looking for interesting ideas for using alternative floral materials such as food. I would also recommend this book for beginners needing very basic informatioin, such how to use greeneries and basic floral tools.

I would not, however, recommend this book for beginners or florists hoping to make commercial sorts of arrangements. After all, her book is the "art" of floral design, not the "economics" of floral design. Many commercial floral arrangements make more economical use of stem length and amount of flowers. This is not universal, but it is something to keep in mind when deciding who to buy this book for.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, March 17, 2006

By 

Holly L. Perry (Murfreesboro, TN) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design (Hardcover)

The step-by-step instructions in the book are extrememly helpful -- but she still allows for the reader to think creatively in their review of her information. It is a beautiful book with many, many photos, including step-by-step photos for the instructions.