Erin Benzakein

WHOA. If you have even the smallest interest in flowers, or you are like me and just go gaga when you see amazing arrangements, this book is a real delight. I want to rush out to my closest local flower farm right now and just buy armfuls! It's also VERY cool that she takes us behind the curtain and shows how to actually make those out-of-this-world arrangements, complete with lists of tools, tips and flower instruction. Do yourself a favor and take a moment to stop and smell the FLOWERS(ha ha!) in this gorgeous book!… (lisätietoja)

From Floret Farms in Washington state, this is a big book that tells you everything you need to know about growing dahlias, including planting tubers and growing from seed, how to make cuttings, dividing tubers and storage, all with photos. But the flower photos are glorious. Going by color variety, each section if filled with photos of each variety and their characteristics and preferences. It's like a beauty pageant because all of them are gorgeous. And more variety than I expected, as I would have thought some dahlias were chrysanthemums or peonies or weird daisies.
This would make a great gift for a gardener or just someone who likes pretty books.… (lisätietoja)

I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden is a beautiful book full of photos. The book starts with the basics of planning, digging, and essential techniques. Then, it is arranged seasonally through the year. I felt that this layout worked well for a gardening book. Everything is written from the viewpoint of the author and how she does things. I really liked some of her techniques for managing weeds and supporting the flowers.

Once you get into the seasonal part of the book, each season starts with a list of tasks for that season. Then, bloomers for that season are gone over. Specific varieties that the author uses are listed. Lastly, there is a section of flower arranging projects. At the end of the book is a list of the author's favorite resources.

I loved getting the point of view of someone who obviously knows what she is talking about. It was nice to see varieties of flowers listed that suited a cutting garden. The pictures were especially welcome.

Floret Farm is located in the Skagit Valley of Washington. As you may guess, this area doesn't have a lot in common with many other areas of the country. The author talks about 20 degrees as cold. Those of us in the northern midwest wish we only got that cold! The author did mention some things to do differently for colder climates but the advice was very generic and needed more detail. I don't imagine her suggestions work well in the hotter regions of the country either.

Overall, Floret Farm's Cut Flower Gardens is a great book to see a working farm in action. Just remember to supplement it with a good regional gardening guide.… (lisätietoja)