4 comments about Keiko's Ikebana: A Contemporary Approach to the Traditional Japanese Art of Flower Arranging.

1. I bought a beautiful Ikebana vase at the Atlanta Arts Festival last year as a gift for my 81 year old mother. The potter who made the vase recommended this book as a companion gift. My mother loved the book with it's clear instructions and visuals. I wish I could attach the photo of her first Ikebana arrangement made with a branch and berries.



2. This book is well written and illustrated giving informative instructions on the Japanese art of flower arranging.



3. Nice book, explains various techniques used in this flower arranging art.
   I liked the techniques of creating decorations using more than one vaze side by side and the ways they are connected with flowers.



4. This book is a pleasure to read and look at even if you don't do flower arranging. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is clear and direct. I bought multiple copies and gave them to clients for holiday presents, and it was very well received.

5 comments about A Passion for Flowers.

1. I love, love ,love this book. I had the pleasure of meeting Carolyne in Seattle when she came for a Junior Legue fund raiser. First of all, she is the most down-to-earth person you will ever meet. Her mid-western up-bringing never left her despite all her years in the high-fashion business. She is the first one to jump in and "get the work done" and does it with trmendous style and grace.
   
   Her book, A Passion for Flowers, is always my fall back when I'm not sure on how to approach a garden project. The photography, the floral combinations and her sense of style have made this my all-time favorite book to own. Any time I feel the need to see some beauty in my life, I pick up this book! Even though it has been thirteen years since it's first release, I would highly recommend this book as a gift for yourself or for anyone who loves flowers!



2. What a Life!!!! A super divorce from the richest man on Wall Street, a new flat in the fabulous city of Paris and a new lease on life becoming a student of the greatest florist of the entire world.....the result, this incredible heavy tabletop book with the talent of the best of the photoghers money can buy. I have given this book as gifts for 10 years now and it has stood the test of time. I highly recommend it....also visit the Parisian Florist on your next trip to Europe. I travel there in May.....wanna go?



3. This book is so beautifully photographed, so lovely to look at, so engaging... it's nearly impossible to stop thinking about it.
   
   This is more than a book filled with nice pictures of flowers, it is ART. Each photo has been carefully staged and presented in a manner that evokes memories of 17th century still-life paintings.
   
   If you can tear yourself away from the pictures, you'll find useful information on arranging flowers in European fashion as well as tips for choosing the appropriate vessel for displaying your arrangements. I found it particularly useful that Ms. Roehm identified each of the blooms used in her arrangements, as well as what time of year they are in season.
   
   In my opinion, this is by far the best of Ms. Roehm's books, and if I had money to buy only one - this would be it!



4. Just so lovely that my four year old granddaughter could not resist opening this book. Better still, she carefully turns the pages and studies each flower....now she gets flower lessons on each visit.
   
   True passion begins early! Another flower lover is born!



5. Carolyne Roehm demonstrates her exquisite taste from the very first page of this lavish book. Organized by season, each chapter celebrates the beauty of all sorts of blossoms in stunning arrangements. These arrangements are lush and full and show an artist's mastery of texture and extraordinary combination of color. The photos are reminiscent of the sumptuousness of the movie, The Age of Innocence, with lovely gilded gold, crystal and porcelain containers. The photography truly is breathtaking and includes not only close ups of the bouquets but also glimpses of elegantly set dining tables, gorgeously furnished rooms and spacious gardens. Her prose is poetry, but also practical in the sections on containers, elements of style and basics. A better book on flower arranging couldn't possibly exist.

5 comments about Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arrangement.

1. I am a newcomer to flower arranging but I want my arrangements to look professional. This book is perfect for people like me -- the author tells you exactly what you need, what tools, what equipment, what plant and accessory materials, and then shows you step-by-step where to place each piece of the arrangement. I have varied my plant materials and accessories according to what I could find in my area, and the arrangements have been stunning. A book that explains the philosophy behind Ikebana would complement this book.



2. I teach classes in regular floral design and needed something to be a little different and this was it.



3. The problem with this book is that most of the shown arrangements are plainly not beautiful. They don't look balanced as real ikebana should look, containers don't seem suitable for flowers, color combinations are not always harmonious, and in many cases it is not clear why this is called ikebana at all. There are some pieces of useful information such as diagrams, tools, and tips, but I don't think it reasonable to buy the book for those 10 pages (like I did).
   There is a really great book on ikebana: "The art of arranging flowers; a complete guide to Japanese ikebana" by Shozo Sato, but it is out of print I am afraid. For examples of good ikebana look at these sites: http://www.nihonkoryu.org/, http://homepages.stmartin.edu/fac_staff/elias/index.htm, http://www.ikebanahq.org/



4. I got this book to go with Origami Flowers by Hiromi Hayashi. Reiko Takenaka does a good job explaining how to make an arrangement that looks like the pictures, with step by step instructions and clear diagrams. Some of the containers seem to clash with the flowers, and some of the special occasions arrangements are lost in translation for someone not intimately familiar with Japanese culture like me. My only real criticism, however, is that the book does not really explain any principles about why and how and what looks good - it's more a menu to find an arrangement that looks nice in the picture and repeat it.



5. This is a clearly written, well thought out explanation of the basics of Ikebana. The photographs demonstrating the combinations of materials, and their height relative to each other, are great as examples for beginners. Many ikebana teachers don't speak English well, so this book is useful for a cross reference for something you were taught in class. One problem - there are many schools of ikebana so the book has to be quite generic in its explanations, which is not necessarily how your particular school may approach a certain principle. But again, as a study supplement to a class, it works well.

5 comments about The Center of Attention.

1. Ron Morgan is a miracle worker. He clearly loves his work, pays attention to what is around him, and then brings Season and Celebration to the Table. Of all the books I have bought of this genre, this is certain to become the Bible! Trying to combine materials and execute so brilliantly has become a new fantasy to be explored with the examples he offers in this book; floral design at its best!



2. I have actually met this very talented, classy, funny, " crazy about the color green " ( his quote ) . A very interesting and beautiful book that sits on my coffee table for all to see... Worth every penny ( especially autographed ) As a floral designer I am so glad that I got this book !!
   Enjoy looking through it...



3. This is a stunning book!! It is a treat to sit down and get lost in the creative genious of Ron Morgan and the sensitivity of the photographer. I purchased this as a present for a friend, but will be purchasing another for myself.



4. This is a long awaited book by Ron.This is as wonderful as the classes he has given on floral design.I would put him in the same catogory as Kenneth Turner.



5. WOW! I was just given "The Center of Attention" as a holiday gift and was stunned as I opened each page. The cover did not do the contents justice. Some of his concepts seem simple enough for someone like me to replicate. The photograpahy and lighting was beautiful. This is a book to keep out for others to enjoy as well as a perfect gift for anyone with an eye for beauty.

5 comments about Great American Wreaths: The Best of Martha Stewart Living.

1. This book has great pictures. Wreaths are very creative. In making one of the wreaths(dogwood wreath) I had to use my own judgment as to how much flowers and bundles of twigs I needed. The material needed is not accurate. The wreath came out beautiful.
   The book is useful in getting creative ideas. It is not reliable on instruction.



2. I'm sure it is a good book for those that don't want something simple (as I do). There was not a thing in there that I really liked and certainly would not try to do. I expected more from Martha Stewart but then I guess she doesn't do "simple things"



3. I bought 4 other books on wreaths by other authors, and this one is the most inspirational one with clear directions. Not fussy. We turn to it every year when it is time to decorate the house for Christmas.



4. I am not from the United States and still adored this book. The photographs are amazing and the ideas are astonishing and so symbolic. Martha and one of her staff members embarked to create a wreath for each of the states, and each wreath reflects some natural element of the state in question. Whether it's wheat, moss, succulents, palm leaves, pinecones, tumble weeds, sunflowers, grasses, pine branches or sea shells the ideas will inspire you. Martha's introduction shows a photo of Martha on the balcony of the White House where she writes about her exhilerating experience decorating the White House with Hilary Clinton for Christmas one year and how that very American event inspired the idea for the series of wreaths and the book. This is a must-have for any Martha fan!!



5. Just as Martha's magazine is a joy of visual delights, this book get's the creative juices flowing. Divided into wreath making by types: wire wreaths, living wreaths, gathered wreaths etc. it is also written with a focus of wreaths presented by the 50 States with the bounties of each state proudly displayed in stunning wreath form. Maybe because it is fall and the beautiful changing leaves in Minnesota make me feel all homey, I am stirred to actual creation. Unlike some of Martha's projects when I say to myself, "yeah, sure...." I truly believe I can do these! This would make a wonderful birthday or Holiday gift to anyone who loves visual delight or poking in nature. "It's a good thing."

3 comments about Harvesting, Preserving & Arranging Dried Flowers.

1. Excellent detailed information on many different ways to dry flowers including charts on how long flowers take to dry in different methods and which methods should be used for which plants. This takes up about half the book and is very useful for those frustrated with the few miserable pages that most books give on drying.
   The rest of the book is taken up with a variety of flower displays for different styles and seasons. Instructions are given but they are fairly basic such as "add hydrangea from front and center' For a beginner these instructions may not be sufficient to achieve the results show without a lot of perseverance. The Majority of the photographs are good, helpful and easy to use as guides. A few however concentrate more on the scene than the display making it difficult to duplicate. Overall it's a very good book.
   My major complaint about this book is the mixing of displays and instructions into the chapters on drying rather than concentrating them in one section of the book. It means you have to keep paging through to find what you want rather than just looking in one section.



2. Great book full of info and ideas, worth your time and money



3. This book is great for a beginner. I went to the library to find a book that would tell me how to dry my valentine roses. I so thourghly enjoyed this book I am going to buy it for myself as well as for others as a gift. Not only does it tell you how to dry flowers, but it demonstrates step by step how to grow them, and different ways to arrange them. It has beautiful pictures in it with arrangements from elegant, country to modern - something for everyone. I highly recommend it. It makes a lovely tabletop book as well as a reference book. The author Cathy Miller has designed flower arrangements for presidents throughout the years, even for President Clinton who has allergies. Cathy has designed the flower arrangements for him encased in glass!

1 comments about Zen in the Art of Flower Arrangement: The Classic Account of the Meaning and Symbolism of the Japanese Art of Ikebana.

1. Although this book is not at all what I expected (it is what it says it is: "an account of the meaning and symbolism of Ikebana" which I somehow missed before I ordered the book), it is well written and offers excellent information. If you want a greater understanding of the art form, then this is an excellent book. If you're hoping for illustrations to go along with that understanding, then this is not it.

5 comments about How to Do Wreaths If You Think You Can't (How to Arrange Florals If You Think You Can't).

1. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ANY FLORIST OR CRAFTER. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO DECORATES AND DOES CRAFTS!!!!



2. This is a wonderful book! It has been in my collection for several years now and I have used it a countless number of times for inspiration and as a valuable reference guide in creating my own floral designs.

   Whether you are a novice or have been making floral crafts for years, this is the ultimate book on creating beautiful wreaths for your home. It outlines everything you need to know to get started: identifying and explaining in detail the different types of tools, supplies and floral materials commonly used in floral crafting, as well as providing step-by-step instructions for basic floral techniques and bow making. Once you get a feel for the basics, there are 94 beautifully illustrated projects to create or to be inspired by, including some neat alternatives to the basic wreath. I highly recommend this book.




3. I was very disappointed in the wreaths that the author was going to help me make, because as many as there were (a lot) I found them overloaded with decorations, unbalanced and nothing I would make to give or sell. The step by step "recipes" for each wreath did have some helpful tips for the novice.



4. How To Do Wreaths gives you good ideas. And the easy to follow step by step instructions are very helpful. Also included are the tools needed to get yourself atarted. Overall a very useful book.



5. How To Do Wreaths gives you good ideas. And the easy to follow step by step instructions are very helpful. Also included are the tools needed to get yourself atarted. Overall a very useful book.

5 comments about Easy Ikebana: Floral Accents for the Home.

1. This book is awesome. It has a lot of pictures which is what I wanted. It has step by step instructions on how to recreate the arrangements and they are modern arrangements not old fashioned ones. Almost every single page has a different arrangement so you really get your moneys worth. It truly is Easy Ikebana. This book is wonderful.



2. The two friends I gave each book loves the illustrations and ideas the book provides



3. This book was given with a pottery Ikebana vase as Christmas gifts--it was warmly received. The book explains Ikebana arranging in a very simplistic manner and gave some wonderful ideas to create a little beauty indoors especially when the outdoors was so drab! Was the perfect "first book" for someone just starting out in this manner of floral arranging.



4. Purchased this book to use as a guide when I gave my garden club a program on Ikebana. It was extemely useful with great photos of completed arrangements in the different Ikebana categories.



5. I really enjoyed this book. It gave me many new ideas. The arrangements can be created easily, quickly, and inexpensively. I recommend the book highly for anyone interested in Ikebana--especially for "beginners" or those who might enjoy a slight "twist" on the "traditonal."

1 comments about The Gourd Book.

1. If history of gourds is what you seek, this book is for you.
   Not a book that delves in to the gourd crafts per se, but a very good book.