The Flower Arranging Expert

I have a half dozen flower arranging books and this one is the most direct, informative and useful as far as the basic vocabulary and styles of arranging. Excellent.

To begin with, THE FLOWER ARRANGING EXPERT is NOT a book for flower-arranging experts! It's a part of an 18-volume softcover series that covers all aspects of gardening and home agriculture, with volumes bearing names like "The Rock & Water Garden Expert," "The House Plant Expert," and "The Evergreen Expert." Perhaps in their native UK these works are not confused as how-to's for experts only; instead, they take a neophyte and turn him/her into a relatively sophisticated practitioner of the craft, up to the threshold of expertise, as it were. I used "craft" in the above sentence to distinguish it from "art." The author, D.G. Hessayon, makes it clear in Chapter One that he is offering a set of useful empirical skills. In good blunt English English he differentiates craft from art: "[B]y following the step-by-step instructions you should be able to make attractive displays which your family and friends will admire. Artistry, however, is a talent within you and is not to be found in a book." So expressionists need not apply, but the interested who wish to establish, draw upon and build upon their skills should find this tome quite useful, and at a good price. The author does a good job of introducing the "mechanics," by which he means tools of the trade like floral foam and the glue gun-while realizing that some people may not make use of these items at all. Hessayon plumps for the innocent freshness of one's own home-grown flowers, but is sophisticated enough to give tips as to how to find a reliable florist with reliably hardy blooms or soon-to-be blooms. He also touches on silks, and includes a glossary for preparation and preservation of dried flowers along with the arranging tips. Further chapters introduce the classic modes of arranging: the "line," the "mass," the hybrid "line-mass" and "miscellaneous," which can include anything from avant-garde to wreaths and Japanese style-ikebana. This is a relatively short work (128 pp.) so don't expect masses of floral "ideas"; however, the new reader will encounter good illustrated demonstrations about the construction and show of the various types of flower arrangements, and a fair amount of insider "goodies" along the way. I for one especially appreciated the Latin-to-common-name glossary of relevant plants (I never knew that "Limonium" was just plain old purple Stattice!). For this reason, even an expert will be happy to keep THE FLOWER ARRANGING EXPERT on the garden bookshelf, but it's really best for the assume-no-knowledge newbie. Because of the wealth of information and its helpful, straightforward way in teaching skills, I can recommend it highly.