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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Botany Class 101

PHOTOTROPISM 

While poking around in the front garden today I was reminded of one of the very first things I was taught in Horticulture school. And then I patted myself on the back for being big enough "nerd" to actually remember the term! Phototropism. This is the ability a plant has to grow toward a light source. It often results in twisty stems or a lopsided looking plant.  You may have noticed this in some of your houseplants and that is why it's good practice to rotate your foliage friends every once in a while, so they can have balanced exposure to sunlight. 

These anemones are just showing their faces out front and I had to bring some in the house. They have been trying to find sunlight at the bottom of our Spirea hedge and Kousa Dogwood tree. The natural curve of the stems is a very strong element of design and is the beginning of what Floral Designers call a Hogarth Curve or S-curve. It's this simple kind of beauty that really brightens my day. Enjoy!:)



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Blue Bouquet

Blue Flowers
I get a lot of requests for "blue" blooms, which can be a bit challenging! So I thought I'd do a piece on blue flowers and when they are available.

This is our most recent bouquet and wow did I enjoy putting this beauty together.  It consists of blue Delphinium (this variety is Volkenfrieden, which is a very vibrant, bright blue) and baby blue hydrangeas. The blue blooms are accented with ivory roses and freesia, which has a wonderful peppery scent. Seeded eucalyptus foliage rounds out the bouquet with its blue/gray leaves that make a nice quaking sound when shook. The flowers in this bouquet are generally available year round. 

Our gorgeous toss bouquet complimented the Bridal Bouquet very well!

 A few delphinium sprigs were just the right touch to line the aisle.

A mixed bouquet of garden blue flowers.

The tall blooms worked well with the scale of the Grand Atrium at Franklin Park. 

Although the hydrangeas are white, the seeded eucalyptus foliage casts a bluish hue, which kept with the Brides theme, while adding an extremely romantic flair. 

Here are some additional Blue Blooms you may find helpful:
The top left picture is Tweedia, a small delicate bloom that works nicely for boutonnieres - it is generally available May-August. The top right photo is Agapanthus, a large open flower with a striking personality. This flower grows freely in California and is generally available year round. 

The top two photos are of Blue Coneflower, sometimes called "blue lettuce" which is a wildflower here in Ohio. You can see these beauties growing on the side of the road mid summer. The middle, left photo is of Eryngium (or thistle) and it is a very masculine bloom. Some varieties are available year round, however it is more seasonable in mid summer.

The middle, right photo is of Viburnum dentatum. It is an Ohio Native and its berries are at peak in August and September. The bottom, left photo is a charming Anemone. I get a lot of requests for this gems, but their window of availability is sadly very small. Brides in early spring and late fall can look forward to the possibility of holding these darlings. 

These are the most common Blue Blooms seen on the market. There are some flowers that lean on the purple side, that can work well as filler for Blue. Some of these are veronica, larkspur and status. There is a blue rose on the market, however it is not genuine and often looks over saturated. If you're thinking of going Blue contact us today! We have tons of ideas waiting for you!