Customer Reviews

Teach Yourself Flower Arranging Pb

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This isn't the longest flower-arranging book in the under-$20 category, nor the most profusely illustrated, but Judith Blacklock's TEACH YOURSELF FLOWER ARRANGING has considerable merits of its own. The British series of TEACH YOURSELF books covers everthing from learning Afrikaans to practicing Zen, and this is a worthy, relatively short (120 pp.) work that doesn't stray too far from its promise to teach just the basics.

One aspect of this book I noted in particular -- and I wish the several other flower-arranging books I own had tried to do as well -- is cover the guiding principles of form, balance and symmetry when it comes to fashioning any particular arrangement. Other books in this price range roll out the technique and sometimes mention that such-and-such a bouquet embodies such-and-such a principle; but this isn't as useful, IMO, as Blacklock's considerate approach that teaches the theory first and then immediately puts it into practice. This is not to say that TEACH YOURSELF FLOWER ARRANGING is hung up on "the rules"; photographed arrangements run the gamut from a simple flower-and-eucalyptus setup in a vase to a boundary-pushing and quite striking display of a field of roses perched atop a regiment of identically red chili peppers. (In this case it's the texture, not any color differential, that lends drama.)

Since I am a firm believer that one must know the rules even in order to flout them, I appreciated the Blacklock approach. I really did "teach myself" the beginning techniques of the art, and better yet, learned to think for myself. Those looking for strict floral "recipes" should go elsewhere.

This book does a good job teaching the basics of flower arranging. I am now able to read other books about flower arranging that I didn't understand before

enjoyed book was very helpful just wished for more information. Seemed a little outdated and reasources limited.

This book is Very helpful. It takes things one step at a time which is perfect for first time floral arrangers.b