Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style

You know that feeling when a book is so good, you just don't want it to ever end?I recently treated myself and *ordered a book* instead of checking it out from the library (I know!) and I was not disappointed. I was charmed and delighted. Best of all? I closed the book informed, inspired and feeling like I'd made a lifelong friend (books can be lifelong friends).Christin Geall's (IG: @cultivatedbychristin) Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style struck multiple chords in my flower and word-loving heart, which all reverberated down into my soul. I'm not exaggerating.First, and oh-so-refreshingly, Cultivated is not a step-by-step recipe book on how to reproduce the gatherings Geall has created. Instead, the author reaches deep to the roots of what it means to arrange flowers from the bounty of nature that surrounds us, especially blooms, branches and bracken from the garden. She writes on designing with the seasons in mind, with what we have on-hand in the moment we begin to create. She dives into color theory, into the history of flower arranging (!!!), into finding our styles and strides as designers, and more.Geall is a writer by first vocation; I so appreciated her well-crafted words and the stories woven into and throughout this work. She writes and designs from a gardner's perspective, someone who intimately knows soil, sweat, plants and pollinators. She shows how this all comes together in a work of art that can be shared with others: a flower arrangement. She has confidence that you can do the same.If you're like me, you've checked out every floral how-to book from the library, have flipped through all the offerings on the shelves of your local bookstore. But maybe you've been looking for something more, something that digs deeper into the broad spectrum of floral subjects. I devoured it in two days, read it with a pencil in hand, underlining and peppering the margins with hearts and wow faces and exclamation points.Have you read Cultivated? Not yet? If we were neighbors, I'd let you borrow my copy but then you wouldn't want to give it back. I recommend you buy your own copy of this remarkable book.

The word “cultivated” it’s how the reader feels when reading this book. Christin Geall walks us through so many aspects of floral design with seamless care and attention to detai as she grows us in our understanding of flowers and the many ways they can artfully speak to us. She dives deeper when needed but directs us for further study on our own before we get lost in the details. I have been following Christin for three years on Instagram. Her photos of her arrangements have inspired me more than any other designer to be daring in my choice of material, shape, and style. I bought her book not to learn a formula for arranging, and not even to explore theory... I bought her book to be inspired. I own well over 30 books on flower arranging but most are without a voice or clear concept. I bought Cultivated mostly to support Christin in the publishing of her book during this most difficult time for small businesses I thought the pictures would be beautiful but I was surprised by how much more there was. I settled down with some tea and was delighted to find a book about flowers that actually kept me reading the words on the page instead of just skipping to the next picture. Christins designs are magnificent, her perspective is fresh, forward, and entertaining. This is THE book for amateurs and professionals alike. There is soo much in here! I encourage anyone reading this review to add this lovely book to your collection.

This book came to me from my husband as a gift as he knows I love to get all the best books on flowers and design. I had been wanting her book for some time, and boy was it a gift for sore eyes! This book is so beautiful - every single page - filled with photographs of the most stunning floral arrangements. More than that, I have to say that she is a bright scholarly genius when it comes to color and design. She is so bright and inquisitive and it comes through in every word she writes. She never makes any one feel less than her in their ability to grow and create. There a beautiful style to her writing, and so real and genuine, that that to me is the best part of the book. You almost don't ever want to put it down! Last but not least, I love following her in IG and the pictures of her dog and the flowers are one of my favorite things! Thanks Christin. @flower_lover43

Well written although at times it goes into too much detail. Most Floral Designers will be able to look at the finished product and know what to do. For the beginner it gives great background information!

Nice illustrations

I wholeheartedly agree with all the wonderful reviews. I’ve had this book on my coffee table for almost 3 months now (got it right when it came out!) and it is fantastic! One of the best I’ve read and reread, numerous times already! Not only is Christin Geall, the author, a phenomenal floral artist, she is a gardener who understands her medium intimately well. She is also a lyricist (yes!) and poet who has an incredible and intelligent way with the written word. Her writing style brings depth and charm to her life lessons and anecdotes in the book. I just can’t get enough of all the lessons in there—she draws from history, her own experiences, literature and art and so much more! There is just so much valuable knowledge and insight shared! This book is a beautiful achievement and is a true chef-d’oeuvre✨I’ve enjoyed every bit of it!

I just purchased this book and could barely put it down. Not only are the photographs stunning, but the content (often sadly secondary in flower books) is equally engaging. It’s exactly the book I wanted— lots of food for thought without pedantic ‘recipes’ to try to replicate. I’ve been growing flowers to cut for a number of years without knowing how to do much more than bunch them in a vase, and this book is inspiring. My first ranunculus blooms are coming on in the greenhouse and I’m so looking forward to experimenting with what I’ve learned! Thank you, Christin, for blending good writing with broad interests and experience to create something worth digging into.

This review is from Jane Barber, as she doesn’t have an account.Every so often a book comes along that has a profound impact on my life.Years ago I read “The Colour of Heaven” a novel by James Runcie, in it a painter is searching for the perfect ultramarine blue. The book made me fall in love with Venice, it’s artists and artisans. In 1995 I was given “The New Floral Artist” by Paula Pryke. That book made me want to be a florist. Fast forward 25 years later and “Cultivated” makes me want to be a better florist. One with a conscience, one with a deep connection to the natural landscape and what it gifts us.Reading Christin’s text is like talking to a kindred spirit. She’s an inspiring, generous, knowledgeable and amusing writer. But she’s not just a writer, she’s a storyteller. Like all good storytellers she draws us in so we want to know more. I like how she refers to historical style and design and also tells her own flower story. I like that she is not a ‘flower snob’ , allowing statice, begonia leaves and even thing’s ‘on the turn’ to be noticed alongside their prettier vase mates!The photographs in this book are spectacular and need to be looked at again and again to be fully appreciated.I feel like this is probably the wrong adjective to use, in view of the world’s current events, but this book is simply breathtaking!Jane Barber. Florist.

As a flower photographer I can only describe Christin’s ‘Cultivated’ as a delicious tome. A fabulous journey through colour, form and beauty. I have been following Christin’s images on Instagram for a while and have fallen in love with her compositions. Cultivated is inspirational and will now become a permanent companion. Thank you

I love the way Christin writes, her style is engaging, captivating and actually useful. The pictures are beautifully shot and the illustrations are lovely too. So many floristry books are pretty, this one is more than that, it has real substance and style. I shall be recommending it to absolutely everyone.

i am to devour all the knowledge in this book to enhance my photography shooting flowers the old painting dutch way! thanks for creating this wonderful book christin geall:))) alice

Ein ungewöhnlich schönes Buch mit traumhaften Fotos von wunderschönen und modernen Blumenarrangements. Außergewöhnlich gut auch durch die behandelten Themen, die alle möglichen Aspekte eines Blumenarrangements ansprechen: u.a. Farbtheorie, verschiedene Farbpaletten, Konstraste, Form, Rhythmus, Wiederholung, Stile verschiedener Epochen, Design, Fotografie, Beschaffung, Pflege ... FAZIT: Ein optischer und intellektueller Genuss!