A Bit of This, A Touch of That October 21, 2009
I’m once again taking a floral design class, and I’m also finishing up my flower growing season. As a result, I’m getting quite an odd collection of design samples to show you. Rather than put up a bunch of snippets, I thought I’d put a collection of them together in one post. Forgive me if this seems a tad unorganized.
autumn mille de fleur
hydrangea & grapevine wreath
PASA Dinner @ Longwood October 12, 2009
This past Saturday I had the privilege once again of doing the floral work for the PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) fundraiser dinner at Longwood Gardens. This event is quite special, featuring ingredients sourced from local farms and served by the outstanding catering staff at Longwood in the Main Conservatory just as the autumn sun is setting. This year I not only arranged all the flowers and created custom name tags, but I also grew/picked all the flowers myself. What fun to be a featured grower at this delightful dinner!
Snazzy Succulents October 2, 2009
So I’ve been playing around with planting succulents in some antique store finds to make them real focal points in the house now that winter is coming and my darlings can’t stay outside any longer. I am also planning to give some of these as gifts for the holidays. Wouldn’t these also make classy centerpieces when grouped on a table at a formal dinner or wedding recption?
Sweet Love & Summer Sizzle September 9, 2009
Two additions to the floral design portfolio, though these are mostly meant to serve as a reminder of color combos rather than any real design. The first is a sweet medley of buttery yellow zinnas, soft pink dahlias and the clean green and funky texture of the love in a puff vine twirled around the outside. Quite the bohemian romantic, don’t you think?
The second is a festive sizzle of hot summer colors, nearly all zinnias with a few pink gomphrena and green euphorbia mixed in for texture. What a great hand-tied bouquet this would make for a bold late summer bride! I plunked it into an equally unconventional red glass vase and was amazed that the colors played off each other with surprising ease. A definite eye-catcher!
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Dahlia Deliverance August 30, 2009
My garden has been noticeably waning in the damp humid and hot weather of August. The lack of sun is certainly taking its toll on the flowers. The zinnias, my workhorses for color both in and out of the garden, have never taken off this year. What blooms I’m getting from them are nice, and I like the new seed mix I selected (Cool Crayon Colors from Renee’s), but the plants are short and are producing new blooms very slowly compared to last year when it was hot, sunny and dry all August. The same can be said for just about every other bloom in my garden, save for the dahlias.
Little Jewel August 17, 2009
This is a little jewel of an arrangement, perfect for restaurant tables, sitting beside the guest book at a wedding, or marching in a line down the mahogany bar. The dimensions are petite – 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide – but the textures are bold. Sedum ‘Autum Joy’ acts as a base for Scabiosa, Nigella, and Panicum ‘Frosted Explosion’, all of which are nestled in a minature version of a brass florist bucket. The best part about this arrangement is that it has dried perfectly in the vase and will remain vivid for many weeks (even months) if kept out of bright light.
Summer Icicles August 17, 2009
I am in love, folks, plain and simple. I have never so instantly felt an affinity for a cut stem the way I have for this Euphorbia ‘Summer Icicles’, which is stunning in color, texture and outright “pizazz” in arrangements. In addition, its vase life is incredible – still going strong after 14 days! I’ve always steered clear of Euphorbias as cuts before because I didn’t want to mess with searing the stems after cutting (they leak a white sticky toxic sap). But the fresh white and green foliage of this particular cultivar intrigued me enough to push past my distaste for “fussy” harvest steps.
Tucked into a large enamel pitcher with angelic white cosmos, punchy green ‘Envy’ zinnias, feminine pink ‘Melody Lisa’ dahlias, and wispy Talinum spikes, this Euphorbia made my heart sing a happy tune. The ‘Summer Icicles’ have lasted so long that I actually had to throw out all the other flowers and put in a fresh combo of white cosmos, brilliant fuchsia zinnias, and pink snap dragons which I equally love with the texture and colors of the Euphorbia.
Funky Town August 5, 2009
I have to admit, this arrangment is not “me”, but it may very much be “you” so I wanted to include it in my portfolio. Very dynamic and perhaps a little vintage, this small design includes coleus foliage, bunny tail grass, and pin cushion flowers for an airy and warm flavor. If you like it, please do say so as I’m still trying to make up my own mind about it.
