As a creative and hands on person, the internet is a great resource to find and keep track of content - I mean we are all here together because of it right!?. The ability to research anything I want to try or inspiration for a future project couldn't be more convenient, but there is something I still love about having a tangible book in hand. I find a sacred quality to having a physical book that I can watch become worn and write notes in. I think it stems back to the hours I spent pouring over instructional books from the craft store as a kid.
I have started quite a little collection of Art and DIY books that I am pretty proud of. I love sitting down and taking in the knowledge someone spent so much time and care to put together without the constant temptation to open a new tab with every new thought that comes into my head. I try to be pretty selective when it comes to actually purchasing instructional/inspirational books since they tend to be larger and more expensive. If they haven't been written by someone I love or recommended multiple times by people I respect, I tend to check them out of the library and try a few things first before I take the plunge.
I thought it would be fun to start a series of book reviews and recommendations here. I by no means consider myself a book critic, so this series will mostly be for my highest praises and to make suggestions to you out there!
First up is a brand spanking new book that I anticipated greatly: Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms. Erin Benzakein, runs a Flower Farm in the Pacific Northwest and a blog/website that is chock full of inspiration and helpful instructions for anyone hoping to grow flowers for harvesting.
Benzakein, is a promoter and encourager of the slow flower movement or as some people call is the farm to vase movement. The concepts and consciousness of the movement are the same as the Farm to Table movement that has become more popular in the past decade. I first found her blog when researching the topic last year. With the goal of planning events and decorating my own home, I never before thought twice about going to my local flower warehouse and picking up a few bunches - even when they are sorted by the countries that they come from!
After pouring over the book for a few days after is arrived in the mail, I am smitten with it. It is full of practical and well laid out knowledge that as an amateur and hobbiest flower gardener I actually feel like I can use. There are so many things I love about this book, but for the sake of this post I will share my three favorites.
First, there is so much heart and sweetness behind her writing. This is not a bland instructional manual. Bensakein's story about how flowers have affected her life and the way she has affected others gives a beautiful intention to the concept of planning and coordinating tediously - as you seem to have so much more to gain from the bounty. Secondly, the images in this book are absolutely stunning! Again, rather than a text heavy format - and there is a lot of text - there is a coffee table book quality to the layout that I love. It draws you in at each page turn, just as you may start to think "I don't think I can read much longer". Finally and most important to me this book is ordered in an intentional and smart way. I often this a lot of publishers miss the mark on this, but I am glad to say Floret's did not. This book is laid out seasonally, starting in Spring so that you can use it as a guide throughout the year!
I LOVE this book and I think you will too, you can pick it up here. Also, check out Flouret's blog while your at it for and instant hit of floral goodness.
