Book Review: Flowers for All, by Susan McCleary
As its title suggests, Susan McCleary’s latest book, Flowers for All, is not only meant to reach professional or aspiring floral designers. It’s for everyone, “meant to invite you to simply engage with flowers more often.”
Susan McCleary is a floral designer, artist, writer, and educator known as much for her wearable flowers as for her experimental approach to sustainable floral mechanics. With over 20 years of experience in the floral industry, Susan has mastered the art of sharing her inventive ideas in a way that feels approachable and exciting.
As I flipped through the pages of Flowers for All, I kept a list of all of the projects I wanted to try. From simple floral meditations, to an avocado-inspired arrangement and a floral wall of amaranth and strands of marigold, Susan’s ideas strike a balance between delightful play and artful sophistication that is evident in much of her work. (Her recent Instagram post, in which she pairs stalks of brussels sprouts with calla lilies and amaryllis is a perfect example of this, and had me eager to get my hands on some fresh brussels.)
As a foam-free floral designer I’m always drawn to her use of mechanics–ranging from the organic (twisted and tangled branches) to the industrial (command hooks and umbrella stands)–and the way she uses the perceived limitations of sustainable, foam-free mechanics to her advantage.
Flowers for All is, by design, more inspirational than it is instructional. While Susan walks through a few how-tos, and includes helpful design resources at the back, many of the ideas are presented with loose direction, encouraging readers to explore their own instincts and work with what they have on hand.
The book is nearly pocket-sized, with a striking marigold-hued cover that adds brightness, much like a bouquet of flowers, to any bookshelf. It’s a wonderful introduction to the possibility of flowers, while still providing inspiration for even the most seasoned florist, and has given me a notebook full of new ideas for how to engage with flowers every day.
Originally published at https://elderflower.studio on February 15, 2024.
