Sweet as 'Hunni'cutt wedding

Texture, color, contrast. 

The professional pics are rolling in from the 2010 wedding season and I am drooling over these! Kimberly Potterf of KimberlyPotterfPhotography captured these bouquets so well. 

Some of my most favorite bouquets of last year. I loved working with the Pieris japonica and amaranthus foliage and those delicious garden roses aptly named 'sunset' just POP against their gorgeous gowns. 

Have a wonderful Monday!

The Bella Brand

Ever order something online and think 'yeah, that will be the right size' and then open the box with a big 'huh?'  Being a bit of a matchbook collector I was super excited for these guys to come in the mail. ( Matches are the perfect memento in my opinion - small, colorful and free! ) Even if they are about a third of the size I envisioned them to be, they're still darling. And now we have our own Bella matchbooks! How exciting. Lesson learned though - keep a tape measure by the computer at all times. :) 

And here's a pic just for fun. I was playing around with some props and ribbon today and thought I'd share. Have a great weekend everybody! If you're in Ohio - stay warm!

Winter Berries

It's a New Year - It's a New Blog.

We have had a bit of down time around the studio which I have welcomed with open arms. I've had the chance to catch up on some of my favorite things and find inspiration in others and nature. 
I have been taking some design classes and am really enjoying the opportunity to be creative - just for me. 

I took these photos before our Big Snow event that has been going and going and going here in the Heart of it All. Our up coming vacation to the beach is looking sweeter every day! 


I just loved these guys. I work so much with cuttings, it's wonderful when I get to marvel in the beauty of a live plant. Stuck to the ground. Yummy holly berries, viburnum, winterberry and crabapples. Aren't they divine?! 

These were all taken at the Chadwick Arboretum's Learning Gardens on OSU's campus. (Where me and my husband met during a work/study program, six and a half years ago.) A special place, indeed. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. 


My hope for this Blog in the New Year is that it will be not only about my work experiences, but also about what and who inspires me as a artist and designer. 
Enjoy and have a wonderful wintery day. 

NYC Flower District

 28th St Between 6th & 7th Ave.

It's been awhile since I've added to the blog, what with wedding after wedding (pics to come) and planning upcoming events, my inspiration has been a bit one dimensional. However this week has brought a fresh awakening - I've been cruising around NYNY and even though I got to sit front and center at Jimmy Fallon last night, I have to say going to the Flower District today has made the whole trip for me.

 

Wholesaler after wholesaler with lush and vibrant color choices. A designers dream! 

I have made some great contacts and can' t wait to start sourcing some very interesting things for our upcoming events.

Enjoy the photos and if you see something you're curious about let me know. I'd love to help you get a little closer to these beauties. 

I have been looking for a good succulent source for a while. So happy I found these guys totally willing to chat and chat some more about flowers.

Rows and rows of roses. There were some David Austin's so yummy looking I wanted to lick my fingers! 

The streets are lined with potted plants. Ornamental cabbage, juniper and cypress.

Heather and some oregano tucked in the side. 

Mokara Orchids in all colors. These vibrant yellow one's were exquisite.

Meet friendly shop kitty. 

Fresh mint, lavender, artichokes and figs.

More David Austin's.

Endless possibilites. Every available flower in the world is here. 

Fresh cotton. 

This shop was full of tree branches. Joe was right at home. 

*A little side note. If you're in the NY area make sure to go to the Clinton St. Baking company for breakfast, or breakfast for lunch or dinner. They have the most amazing blueberry pancakes with real maple butter syrup. I really was licking my fingers. (There will be a wait. It's worth it.)

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!:)

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! 

Park of Roses Wedding

Romeo & Juliet meets a modern Flower Child!

Our gorgeous Bride wanted her wedding flowers to be fun like the '60's era with the romance and feel of Romeo and Juliet. She opted for a delicate cascading bouquet with a watermelon color scheme. The playful dendrobium orchids were so graceful and the pink waxflower filled in the bouquet and smelled like lemons!

More fun with a watermelon color scheme! Roses were used in all the personal flowers to match the theme of the venue. FYI - All our Grooms receive a free spare boutonniere to ensure their bloom is always looking great for pictures. The Groom hugs a lot of people, which in turn can sometimes damage the delicate blooms. This is just one way we like to say - Thank You!

This gorgeous wedding took place in the Park of Roses in Clintonville, Ohio. The Bride was surrounded by an abundance of roses, in all colors and in full bloom. These two hearts greeted guests and the bridal party. These have been one of my favorite details this season!