Staff Picks: Our Favorite Flower and Business Books
Technology is truly a beautiful thing. We have so much right at our fingertips for furthering our floral education: DIY floral design videos, countless flower blogs and how-to articles, even flower podcasts! Each of these avenues are excellent ways to dive into the world of floral design and flower farming.
However, there's nothing quite like flipping through the worn pages of your grandmother's growing books or finding inspiration in fixed botanical beauty with the turn of every page. At Team Flower, we have been exposed to a slew of flower books (and business books that help inspire sustainable flower businesses!), and we have an appreciation for the role that books play—whether it's for inspiration, teaching, or just for fun. Take a look below to see the Team Flower Staff's top picks!
Amanda
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
This is my favorite flower fiction! If you need a good story to whisk you away (while also getting a chance to dive into the world of flowers and learn about their hidden Victorian meanings), this is the book for you. And we even have a Team Flower Blog article that mentions the book here! I also appreciate that the central character of the book had a foster care experience and how the story reveals the challenges of that experience—which is a topic close to my heart.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
This book was recommended to me by an artist friend who also studies environmental and natural science. It's a nonfiction reflection written by a botanist, with some of the book diving into the plant experiments conducted in her own garden as well as her personal musings on the lessons that we learn from plants and the natural world. So although it's not a flower book directly, it's a lovely book if you're someone who enjoys reflecting on what the botanical world teaches us—as many flower people do!
Janine
The Flower Appreciation Society: An A to Z of All Things Floral by The Flower Appreciation Society
I have an affinity for old things. I have a vintage couch in my living room that I bought from a thrift store for $40 and more antique knick-knacks than I can count. This book combines two things I love: vintage things and flowers! The book is illustrated in such a unique way, and it is perfect for introducing my love of flowers to my little girl—she’ll get to learn her ABCs and fun facts about flowers at the same time.
Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves by Christy Wright
This book rocked my world. What doesn't it cover?! This book (in addition to the Business Boutique Conference) is what convinced me that I could make money doing something I love. It addresses things like womanhood and motherhood as a business owner, foundational points to getting started, accounting tips, and so much more. After this read, I left this feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed, and it helped give me the confidence to take the leap into floral design.
Meagan
The Flower Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo
This was the first book I purchased when I was starting on my journey with flowers. It provided so much inspiration for my first arrangements and is still a beautiful book I love to come back to.
Arranging Flowers: How to Create Beautiful Bouquets in Every Season by Martha Stewart Living
This is another book I discovered when first starting with flowers. I love the simple tips and tricks it covers and the way it walks us through the garden season by season. I can implement a lot of the tips now, and I am saving the rest for when I have my own garden one day!
Capital Gaines by Chip Gaines
It may be a stretch to call this a business book, but it was undoubtedly a source of inspiration for me! Chip's lessons learned in entrepreneurship, family, and life encouraged me to take risks in my own world and inspired me to take a leap of faith to start a flower business with a friend in a city that was totally new to me.
Jacelyn
A Wilder Life: A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature by Celestine Maddy and Abbye Churchill
I bought this book while studying horticulture at university and completely fell in love! Right off the bat, they explain that the book should "find it's way off your coffee table and into your backyard and your backpack." Not only is the photography beautiful, but the information is specially curated to each season of the year. This book shares DIYs, gardening tips, recipes, and much, much more! If you have any interest in adventure or nature, this book is for you!
Foraged Flora: A Year of Gathering and Arranging Wild Plants and Flowers by Louesa Roebuck and Sarah Lonsdale
What a beautiful book, inside and out. In the early years of my flower journey, this book brought me so much inspiration. Again, the photography is absolutely stunning, each page exuding colors and interesting flowers! Designers Louesa and Sarah showcase new and unique ways to design with local and organic flowers and foliage. Reading through this book has shown me to appreciate the beauty that resides in nature and how we as designers can apply that in our creations.
Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path by Erin Loechner
This was such a pivotal read for me. Erin shares her story about starting her business as a blogger and speaker. She explains how living in a fast-paced tech world left her questioning her career and how to live in it. Sometimes we need to "surrender it all, and to veer right into grace." If you are overwhelmed by the hustle of your business and need a good read, go to your nearest bookstore and buy this now!
Kelly
$100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau
If there's anything that makes starting a business simple, it's this book. With so many stories of people pursuing their passions and the details of how easy it was for them to do so, it's pretty hard to read this book without a fire being lit. It also includes a few things NOT to do—which is really helpful when you're new in the industry. If you’re well-versed with the creative magic, but business is difficult, this book will be so helpful!
Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature by Ngoc Minh Ngo
It isn't difficult for me to be inspired, but this book speaks to me like most others don't. The pages are filled with so many lovely arrangements. Some are simple, some complex, and some utilize just one ingredient while others have too many to count. It's my favorite flower-filled book, and now it's full of little polaroid photos of fellow flower friends. I use it as my "yearbook" of sorts, so it's my go-to (especially now) when I need to feel thankful for all that nature has to offer and when I need to be reminded of my "why."
Jesse
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
I started reading this book in high school and used it throughout college to help me manage several jobs along with schoolwork. While it was written before smartphones were a reality and work was still very paper-based, all of the principles are still relevant today. The system and philosophies of managing your task list I learned from this book are even more helpful today with so many different "inboxes" that can stress us out. If I were to summarize this book: it's all about how to get your task list out of your head and organized, so you know what it is you've committed to. As David Allen, the author would say, "Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them." Once you free up your mind from keeping a running list of what you should be doing, you're more mentally present and able to focus on what your mind does best: creative thought!
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
This one was written for the modern era of distraction. It's actually a perfect complement to Getting Things Done. While Getting Things Done focuses on organizing your work, Make Time helps with how to manage time and distractions in our life better today. If you’re like me, you likely have more you wish you had time for than you actually have time for. This book encourages you to set one—and only on—"highlight" each day that you make time for that brings you closer to your longterm goals. You won't accomplish every task on your to-do list, but by making time for what's important every day, you'll always feel accomplished.
Have a favorite flower or business book you’d like to share? Head on over to the Team Flower Community and let us know your favorites!
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