Book review: Living with Flowers by Rowan Blossom

Living with Flowers by Rowan Blossom is about creating bouquets for your home, from scratch, using the “recipes” in the book.

The 25 flower recipes move from everyday posies to party displays, with step-by-step instructions (and visuals) on how to recreate the style.

I love that blossom season is such an inspiration for the author. In spring, so many people feast their eyes on nature’s changing beauty. Even the blossom falling, as the wind blows later in the season, is stunning. Just a quick reminder to stop and enjoy …

“… flowers are so important in our everyday lives: they bring hope, give you joy and force you to live in the moment.” 

Rowan Blossom

*This post contains an affiliate link. I was given a copy of this book by the publishers, with no obligation to review.

Who is Rowan Blossom?

Rowan Blossom is a florist, stylist and writer. She left a career in fashion for her love of flowers, and now runs a studio based in Notting Hill, where she creates and styles for big-name events.

Rowan Blossom specialises in using seasonal blooms to create whimsical, natural creations. Her clients include Topshop, Matches Fashion and Manolo Blahnik.

You can find Rowan Blossom on Instagram here.

What’s in Living with Flowers by Rowan Blossom?

The book contains around 25 floral “recipes”.

These provide the ingredients and method for different floral displays, from a posy to a floral archway.

The floral displays in the book are very natural, boho and whimsical. But just because they look effortless, it doesn’t mean they’re easy to put together. That’s why the step-by-steps visuals are so important for beginners (and beyond).

Having read the book, I’d feel confident to try any of the projects in it, armed with bucketfuls of blooms and a strong coffee!

Best takeaways from Living with Flowers by Rowan Blossom?

Living with Flowers will give you the confidence to just have a go. After all, the author herself terms it “foolproof floristry”.

The first and best takeaway for me from Living with Flowers is to play with scale and height for maximum visual impact.

Starting small, I practised styling an everyday bud vase/jam jar collection and was surprised at the effect of building the arrangement with taller-than-usual blooms.

Once all the fillers were added, this looked just right. It will stop me being so snip-happy with secateurs in future.

Happily, many of the arrangements in the book were simple. In fact, the whole book reinforced that, although you can go all-out with bloom quantity, you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune on flowers to make a big impact in your interior.

Sometimes a collection of smaller blooms is just enough.

What can interior stylists learn from Living with Flowers?

This is a great floristry book for first-timers and seasoned flower arrangers.

If you’re starting from scratch with floristry, then Living with Flowers will lead you from a simple posy arrangement right up to a complicated, supersized floral archway.

I recommend starting with an arrangement in the Everyday section and climbing the difficulty ladder from there. Next thing you know, you’ll be transforming a hula hoop into a floral chandelier.

The book also has a useful section on items for your toolkit, detailing all the equipment you need.

The flower conditioning tips were helpful too, as was the practical advice on UK stockists for sourcing blooms and equipment.

Oh, and welcome a new word too! How about … blossomary?

The final section of the book summarises all the practical stuff using this evocative title.

I’m also going to try to recreate that 80s favourite, pot pourri. Living with Flowers has a simple one-paragraph recipe for making your own, infused with your favourite essentials oils.

(Who else remembers Joey from Friends suspiciously sniffing pot pourri, then coming up for breath to say “It’s like summer in a bowl”?)

Also what about styling an underrated everyday corsage? Don’t just save them for weddings. They have the potential to enhance a simple outfit, and you can make them quickly from garden blooms.

Inspired for flower faffing & need a copy now?

Living with Flowers: Blooms and Bouquets for the Home by Rowan Blossom (Laurence King Publishing).

Order a copy now and grab your vases and secateurs!

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