Feature Flower: Greens

This was another project for school which required us to showcase six different kinds of foliage and only foliage.  We also had to incorporate a lot of lines throughout and manipulate the greens.  It's definitely a different kind of challenge and surprisingly difficult.  I do love those dramatic monstera leaves on the right though.

Let me know if you're curious about the specific varieties.

Feature Flower: Bird of Paradise

This was another arrangement for design school showcasing the fibonacci sequence played out in floral design.  It also used birds of paradise, so I thought I'd focus on them!  They're a tropical flower and, like most tropicals, long lasting. They are more expensive but you get size, durability, and long life. They lend a very structured and modern effect to arrangements.  (I used them in a wedding this summer that I still need to post pictures from.)  What do you think?  Do you like them?

Feature Flower: Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas are fantastic!  I meant to post this a couple months back when the sweet peas were actually blooming but... things get crazy and I forgot it was sitting here unpublished!  They come in all sorts of colors, are easy to grow from seed (make sure they have something to climb up), and look spectacular in arrangements or bouquets.  I just love the tendrils!  

(All these flowers came from our local cutting garden.  Mine got hit with the weed whacker. These were for a friend's baby shower.)

Classic Bridal Bouquets

I've been working on completing my advanced certification with the Portland Floral Design Institute.  Here are some of the required bridal bouquets that I had to complete.  With these I had to follow specific design patterns and tie techniques.
They are all pretty classic looks. The one above is a hand wired bouquet featuring gardenias and stephanotis.  A petite bouquet and it smells spectacular!

Here's a dutch spiralled bouquet with free spirit roses.  This picture doesn't show it completely but the stems come around and form a spiral.  Neither of these are my favorite ribbon style, but it's great to work outside of your comfort zone.

And this is a faux-hand tied.  It's actually in a foam holder for extremely hot days, but with stems attached to conceal it.  These are eskimo roses.

I'm really curious to know what you think!!  Would you opt for any of these? Interested in what they cost?  What do you like or dislike about these classic versions?

Feature Flower: Free Spirit Rose

Free Spirit is one of my favorite orange roses! It has a large head with slightly ruffled petals that smell amazing! A lot of greenhouse roses don't have scent since they're bred for size, color, life span etc.. but these have a great scent along with a decent life span.

Willow and Larkspur

Feature Flower: Mini Cymbidium Orchids

Orchids are a great long lasting cut flower.  As long as you keep the water clean and the flowers out of drafts they can live for as long as 4-6 weeks!
Potted orchids are also fantastic since they'll keep re-blooming for you and aren't that hard to care for (but details on that is for another post!).

Thinking Spring

Isn't this monochromatic table fabulous?! And all the bright cheerful yellow is perfect for any springtime party or just to dress up your house!  This would also make a spectacular Easter table.

The flowers they used are tulips, snapdragons, spider mums, carnations, gerbera daisies, billy balls, stock, and freesia.

(photo from She-N-He Photography via The Sweetest Occasion)

Feature Flower: Dahlia

Dahlias have become another one of my favorites - right up there with peonies and anemones!

They are tuberous perennials that grow well in the garden, esp zones 7-11.  They prefer light, sandy, well-draining soil (unlike a lot of our clay-like soil in Moscow) so add peat moss. And since our winters are so cold it's best to dig up the tubers after the first frost. 

In bouquets they are absolutely splendid!  They provide a lot of show and shape especially since they come in so many varieties. So if you're getting married in summer - don't forget the dahlia!  

Feature Flower: Peony

This is a small corner of bliss in my kitchen amidst a lot of chaos. We just returned from vacation after leaving with boxes all over the house waiting to be unpacked. I was so thrilled to come home and find that my peonies were still blooming (although just past their peak). So I brought some of the stragglers inside.

They're such a great flower! Easy to grow, loads of varieties, and greenery that lasts all summer. You can use just one for a bridesmaid bouquet or a few full ones and you have a magnificent but oh-so-simple bridal bouquet or throw them in a vase and no need to fuss with arranging them.

Feature Flower: Anemone

The anemone, or windflower, comes in lots of colors and varieties. It's available in red, pink, purple, blue, white, and yellow and can look more like a daisy, have lots of petals, or look more like a poppy(as seen above).  Vase life is not that long, ~ 5 days, but it can be extended if you keep them out of direct sunlight, re-cut the stems (cut underwater - water temp should be lukewarm), and use floral food.
Don't you love the black centers?

Feature Flower: Billy Balls

The Billy Balls are a great stand alone flower. (I just got some in so they're on my mind!)  They'd be a wonderful theme flower in a yellow and gray wedding or event. And here again is a yellow and orange combination - so cheerful! The bouquet above features Billy Balls, Tulips, and Hypericum -great for Spring. (image from weddingchica.wordpress.com)

The Billy Ball makes an excellent bout. (image from sumethingblue.wordpress.com)