Monday 8 August 2011

Book Review: Jane Packer's At Home With Flowers


Hey there, sweetness,


Let's begin right at the start of doing up your dining room with a book review.  
Yes, it's time for another Book Monday.

If you want to do something right here, right now 
to give your house a gorgeous injection of loveliness 
on a very small budget 
then this book is a GREAT place to start.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?
{Is an owl wise?! Err......YES!}


Are you looking for some jaw-dropping 
but achievable flower displays in your house? 
Then this is the book for you: 
At Home With Flowers by Jane Packer, 
with photography by Catherine Gratwicke, 
published by Ryland Peters & Small
It is a collection of the flowers florist-to-the-stars-Jane loves most.
The book covers all the basics you'd expect
about choosing and caring for your flowers,
including plenty that can be grown in your own garden.

{If you want more ideas about growing your own flowers, 
the very lovely Belinda at Wild Acre has started 
a fantastic and utterly addictive series 
over at her blog every Friday 
teaching us all how to grow our own cut flowers.}


We're then taken on a tour of every room in the house, 
including the garden, hall and bathroom, 
and given ways to make them luscious-looking
with beautiful flower ideas.


There are so many ideas here. 
I've been thoroughly inspired to play around with shop-bought bunches
and adding my own foliage to create fantastic displays. 
As well as to think outside the vase-box about which containers I use. 


At Home With Flowers is BULGING with ideas that are so simple,
you'll wonder you haven't thought of them yourself.


One of the points that Jane Packer makes is that 
you really don't need to use many flowers to make 
a huge impact. 
Look at this page, for example:


All white flowers in a collection of white vases 
are lined up in front of a mirror, 
giving the wow factor on a pretty low budget. 

Look again....there are only ten flowers used. 
{though I might not have chosen orchids to make a low-budget statement.}
But the impression created is of much, much more.


The displays all have a lack of formality, 
highlighted by the relaxed interiors 
used to feature them.


Each image has an explanation alongside to help extrapolate 
from Jane's enormous floral experience 
to bring a bit of flower magic into your own home.


Yep, this book is a keeper.

Speaking of keeping gorgeous things, 
The winner of the Emma Bridgewater mugs giveaway 
{chosen by Random Number Generator...}
is.....

Deborah at With All My Heart.
Congratulations, gorgeous.
An email is winging its way to you right now.....

Now then.
Who has a fireplace that needs a huge makeover?

Oh, yes. 
Ahem......
that'd be me.

Swing by later in the week and see what I did.....


And who fancies another link party?
Me, me, meeeee!
Coming up very soon.....



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40 comments :

Unknown said...

So nice! Only ten flowers and look what comes from it. That Eames rocker deserves a whistle too.

Ricki Treleaven said...

Congrats to the winner! This book looks like a keeper! I need to see if I can find it around here. Lovely post!

Deborah said...

Good morning my sweet Sarah!!!
I came to visit you here this gorgeous sunny morning and I ended up in tears....happy ones of course!!!!
I just sent you an email but I had to come back and publicly announce my pure joy with seeing that I had won these beauties..I love them!!
I will treasure them and ponder on our sweet friendship everytime I look at them, and drink my delicious coffee and hot chocolates and chai lattes from them.
Its funny because I was just wanting a mug tree and wondering if my hubby could make me a barnboard one with a rustic look to it, and now I will have to give him a push to see what we can create together.
Thank you so much for your fragrant friendship my sweet Sarah
that has touched my heart so.
I am more than humbled and honoured to have won such a beautiful gift.xo
Thank you so much....
I love this book you are posting on here today! What great photos and ideas for dispalying blooms.
I love the all white vases and the blooms spread out on the mantel.
It sounds like a wonderful book to own!!
Thanks for sharing with us!

All my love,
Deborah xoxoxo

camp and cottage living said...

Every time I visit your blog I'm reminded of how peaceful a simply decluttered home looks.
This book is another example. This time with flowers in simple arrangements. Very inspirational!
Congrats to Deborah!

Deborah said...

Such a sweet book, great photos and ideas :)

Bee happy x
Have a delicious day!

It's me said...

I love flowers......love ...xxx...

Unknown said...

Awww, thanks for the very kind mention! Looks like a great book, hope Santa heard that! xx

Robynne's Nest said...

O.k., Sarah, I'm sold...another book to put on my 'wish list'. It looks amazing, with lots of clever ideas and inspiration...sometimes I need a little of both! Robx

michele said...

congrats to the winner!

i have this brilliant book too! i love how you styled it, sarah!

hugs to you.

michele

Susan T said...

You minx. I am off to Amazon now to have a little peek at the book. I have a twitchy finger, it makes magic things happen, one click and a nice parcel man brings me a gorgeous book. Who would have thought.

Congratulations to Deborah.

Can't wait for the mantel update - mine needs a touch of inspiration.

Karen said...

Floral design books are another of my obsessions I mean collections, I don't own this one, I may have to get it. Thanks for the review.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Sugar Booger!
This is the third time I typed a comment... hope it takes. Trying to type from my phone with no coffee is a bad combo. I just love this book! I will have to add it to the list. The collection of white vases with a stem in each is brilliant!!! So pretty! Fresh flowers make me smile. I just picked up some Gladiolas (Spell?) from the Farmers Market on Sat. You can buy flowers for yourself, right?!! I put them in an old galvanized pitcher and they look gorgeous today!
Congrats to Debra, too! How cute are those mugs! Enjoy them!
Trust you had a nice week! All my best for another great one! Miss you sweet girl! :)

Blondie's Journal said...

What a lovely and inspiring book! I love to make arrangements form a bunch of florist or store bought bouquets, but could definitely use some help! Thanks, Sarah, and hooray for Deborah!!

XO,
Jane

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Looks like a fantastic book!! Looking forward to your next linky party too! :)

Unknown said...

I just found your blog and I love it. I also love this eames chair on pic 1.
Your blog is stunning. I will follow you right now.
Hugs from Germany,
Tanja

Loo xx from Jumbles and Pompoms said...

Hi Sweetness, I adore the pics in that book - v inspiring.

Little Leslie said...

I went downtown to the gift mart to buy and it seems that bud vases are making a comeback. One showroom, had a line of them in all sizes, colors, and materials. Even miniscule glass vases that couldn't hold much more than a few 1 inch sprigs., so that picture of the vases is right on. Thanks for featuring this book!

Sarah said...

Looks like a fab book!! I love the churn that the bathroom flowers are in!!

S x

Laurel@ChippingwithCharm said...

Looks like a wonderful book...love the white vases all layered up. Thanks for the review :) Laurel

Paula Jo @ Home and Garden Decor said...

The flowers are displayed beautifully. Some ideas I would have never thought of. I like the birdcages, and the white vases with white flowers. How elegant. Also, Congrats to the winners.

summerland cottage said...

Oh thank you Sarah,
it looks delicious !
I just ordered my copy.

Unknown said...

What a lovely book. Why is it that nearly all the books I love on my bookshelf are published by Ryland Peters Small? Fresh flowers make such a difference and the simple arrangements are often the best.
Thanks
Kylie

Kirsty Girl said...

I love how they've put that little sidetable/stool next to the bath... brilliant!

alison said...

Looks like a keeper to me too! Thanks so much for another great book review...oh so much inspiration. Alison x

michelle said...

Yeah! Congrats to Deborah!! She is such a sweet and dear heart. I know that she will love them, she loves heart, alot. :)

This book looks wonderful and very pleasing to my eyes. I just adore all the books you review and one day I will actually get one, maybe I can start making my Christmas list. lol!
xoxo

Le said...

love the cornflowers ... just love :) le xox

Privet and Holly said...

Always LOVE your
book reviews, S!
And, I was so excited
to attend a big flea
market and meet a
shop owner who was
demonstrating and
selling Annie Sloan
Chalk paint! Woo-hoo!
I couldn't buy any
as I'm on the West Coast
on holiday, but I can't
wait to try it back home.
Thanks for the intro to
so many cool things.
xx Suzanne

Privet and Holly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Privet and Holly said...

PS: I'd LOVE to
know where you got
the Union Jack pillow
in your last post...
the pre-reveal pic at
the end?? I've been
wanting one for ages.
xx Suzanne

lisaroy said...

This looks like a lovely book - filled with gorgeousness xo

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Wow, fabulous eye candy. Love them all. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

Erin S. said...

What lovely vignettes, and so many of them have things that would be easy to copy and implement. I'm going to see if my library has this...

Cindy said...

Congrats to the winner of the beautiful mugs.
That does look like one wonderfully interesting book.
Looking forward to seeing your fireplace makeover.
Hugs, Cindy

Gwen @ Gwenny Penny said...

What a beautiful book. I wish I could have flowers (or any sort of house plants, for that matter) in my home, but my cat is evil and eats anything that comes in the door. Someday I will have fresh flowers in my home. Someday :)

Valerie@chateaualamode.typepad.com said...

Oh I'm so happy that sweet Deborah won your give away. She is so deserving! Love your blog Sarah and yes, I would love another linky party...just hopefully I don't goof up this time :)

Meghan @ Wishful Thinking said...

Perfect! This is just the kind of book that I was looking for! I suck at flower arranging and can really use all the help I can get!

Anonymous said...

Pretty insightful. Thanks!

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Glamour Drops said...

What a delightful book this looks. And I have to agree, using single flowers in a mismatch of vases/containers can look really striking.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous book! So many good ideas.

Unknown said...

Oh what a gorgeous book! There are so many great books out there, my Amazon wish list grows by the day. Can you believe it's taken me THIS long just to buy Holly Becker's Decorate? Yes, I am very very far behind the times. But this one - oh this one is right up my street. I've never felt very confident about flower arranging but the casual elegance shown here is just lovely and definitely do-able.

Gorgeous post as always my lovely Sarah! xxx

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