Archives for 2002

Christmas Decorating Ideas

December 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

Tis the season for making merry, and creating a festive holiday environment is a traditional part of preparing for the annual celebration. Your local florist has lots of great Christmas decorating ideas, from nostalgic to contemporary, to help you enhance your surroundings for the holidays.

Christmas Wreaths & Swags

Of course, we’re all familiar with the traditional Christmas wreath, which can be designed in nearly any style or color harmony. But if you’re bored with wreaths, an alternative Christmas decorating idea might be to hang a graceful swag on your front door. One-half of a standard 9-foot length of artificial pine garland can be used as the base for such a swag, with the upper third doubled over to create a broader top. A colorful ribbon intertwined from top to bottom sets the mood and theme of the design, and the addition of pines cones, berries, or permanent fruits or flowers brings it to life. A fluffy bow at the top completes the swag. It’s a beautiful idea for a narrow front door (or pair of doors), under a coach light, between two windows, or indoors on either side of a fireplace.

The remaining half of the artificial garland can be decorated to match the swag, and then used in any of a number of places in the home: across a mantle, along a stair rail, around a lamp post, festooning a doorway, or down the center of a long dining table as a runner. Just for variety, place it in one of these locations this year, and use it in a another the next.

Using Candles For A Candlescape

Another Christmas decorating idea which is gaining favor is the “candlescape“; simply an arrangement of various sizes and shapes of candles, placed into a low tray or shallow container, and accented with evergreens, ribbons, small ornaments and the like. Candlescapes are lovely on a coffee table, credenza, or dining table, and they add the element of sparkling light to the holiday environment. Adding reflective materials to the design helps to enhance the value of the candlelight.

Winter Vs. Christmas

One way to extend the use of your permanent holiday decorations is to ask your florist to create a “winter” design for you rather than a Christmas arrangement. Such a design may be more subtle in its composition rather than bold and colorful, making use of branches, pods, foliages, empty bird nests, and other natural elements which are harmonious with the season. A winter wreath will be appropriate on your front door for several weeks past the time when the Christmas decorations have been taken down. It may even be jazzed up for Christmas with the temporary addition of a luxurious velvet bow or a translucent fabric ribbon woven with metallic threads.

Consult you local florist for more Christmas decorating ideas, and have a happy and peaceful, not to mention well-decorated, holiday season!

Filed Under: Holiday Info, Seasonal Flowers, Seasonal Ideas Tagged With: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Wreaths, Winter Flowers

A Colonial Williamsburg Style Christmas

November 14, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

It’s not too early to begin thinking about decorating for Christmas, and one of the ever popular decorating themes is known as the Colonial Williamsburg style. Abundant with fruit, vegetables, foliage, herbs and dried flowers, the charm of Williamsburg wreaths, swags, and centerpieces has delighted generations of Americans.

The Truth About the Colonial Williamsburg Style

Ironically, what has come to be known as the Colonial Williamsburg style of holiday decorating never actually existed in colonial times. No one in eighteenth century America would have been caught dead with real fruit tacked to the front door, left to rot or be eaten by squirrels, when food was so scarce. They certainly would not have used such exotic and precious commodities as the pineapples, pomegranates, and citrus fruits we see displayed today.

The True Early Style

In those days, Christmas decorations were more spartan, making use of natural materials at hand, such as magnolia leaves, holly berries, milkweed pods, sumac berries, cotton bolls, rosemary, laurel, boxwood and pine. Common was the practice of “sticking the church” with green boughs on Christmas Eve. Garlands of indigenous evergreens were hung from the church roof, the walls, the pillars and the galleries. Sometimes even the pews and the pulpit were included. Private homes were much more modestly adorned.

Colonial Revival & the Rise of the Colonial Williamsburg Style

The practice of affixing fruits, dried flowers herbs, and other plant life to basic Christmas forms such as wreaths and garlands began in the earlier years of the 20th century, at a time when Christmas was growing in significance and the Colonial Revival style was a leading decorating trend. The holiday fashion appears to have been suggested by the terra cotta carvings of the noted fifteenth century Italian sculptor Luca della Robbia and his heirs, whose family name has become synonymous with fruit and foliage swags. Even then, only wealthier American citizens decorated in such a style.

First Appearance of Colonial Williamsburg Style

Colonial Williamsburg first officially dressed up for Christmas in 1936, and by 1939 the “della Robbia” style wreaths, which were then created by some more of the talented local ladies, had caught on in popularity. Thus, the Williamsburg Christmas look was launched. Annual decorating contests ensued, and the public became so enamored that, in 1969, the Williamsburg “Christmas Decorations Tour” was inaugurated.

Where to get Colonial Williamsburg Style Arrangements Today

Today, your professional florist can create a centerpiece for you in the traditional Williamsburg mode. Familiar elements such as:

Bboxwood
Magnolia leaves
Holly
Apples
Oranges
Pine cones
Roses
Deep-toned chrysanthemums
Pheasant feathers
The requisite pineapple – a long-standing symbol of hospitality

All of the above may be combined to produce the arrangement. Fresh fruit is secured on wood florist’s picks, (tip: piercing the fruit through the blossom end rather than through the skin helps keep it fresh longer). Alternatively, realistic artificial fruit may be used. A Revere-style silver bowl would be a period-appropriate container.

Customarily, the centerpiece would be rounded, compact and symmetrical – almost regimentally so. Quite a departure from today’s relaxed standards, to be sure, but classically beautiful in it’s own right.

Intrigued by this festive theme? Call or visit your local florist soon and have a glance back at history with your own Williamsburg style Christmas centerpiece.

Filed Under: Floral Design, Holiday Info, Trends Tagged With: Colonial Style, Floral Design, Fruit and Flower Arrangements

Autumn Wedding Bouquet Flowers To Consider

October 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

October has become an increasingly popular month for weddings, and that’s no surprise, given that the weather in most parts of the country is usually dry and cool. Brides-to-be can be relatively certain that their guests and members of the wedding party won’t be dodging raindrops, or worrying about becoming hot and sticky in their formal clothing. Autumn is also a great time for selecting wedding bouquet flowers, with an abundant harvest of floral products, berries, and foliages readily available to your local retail florist.

Montbretia

Consider the versatile montbretia (or, botanically, Crocosmia). This is a delicate flower which consists of a series of small individual, tubular florets arranged as a comb along the upper portion of a long, slim stem (similar to a freesia). Montbretia flowers run the range of colors from yellow-orange to brick red — prefect for the season — and lend an airy and colorful wispiness to a wedding bouquet. They can also be had in their more mature stage, after the blossoms have gone to seed and have formed small rounded pods along the comb – a textural delight.

Hypericum Berry

Another popular berry which is appearing in autumn bouquets is the hypericum (the botanical name for St. John’s Wort). The small, waxy, egg-shaped fruits occur in clusters at the ends of their slender stems and provide a lovely accent of texture and tone. Hypericum’s usual color is a raisin brown, but newer hybrid varieties include shades of yellow, green, red, orange, and salmon pink.

Fall Roses

Roses will always be a popular choice for wedding bouquet flowers, and some of the best picks for the fall season include:

Leonidas (a bi-color chocolate brown)

Terra Cotta (burnt orange)

Star 2000 (a strong coral-orange)

Black Magic (the darkest, velvet burgundy)

Hocus Pocus (a small variety with dark burgundy petals flecked with cute yellow spots)

Mambo (an tangerine-orange spray variety)

Konfetti (deep yellow with a red-orange blaze on the edge)

Red Berlin (tomato- red)

Sari (golden apricot-orange)

Gloriosa lily

Growing in popularity and availability is the exotic-looking Gloriosa lily. Imported from Holland, this delicate flower has reflexed, dark red petals edged in a thin, wavy yellow margin. Popping out of a wedding bouquet, the Gloriosa is a flower with a touch of mystery and drama with it’s sophisticated form and unusual character. Try combining them with mango-colored callas or rusty-red freesias.

Rustic Dried Grasses & Other Fall Floral Accessories

For autumn texture, add dried grasses such as wheat or rye to the bouquet. Or choose from a variety of fall-toned foliages, such as copper beech, croton leaves, or vine maple. The velvety brown backsides of the southern magnolia can add a sumptuous element of class. Consider including bark-textured materials such as lotus pods or cinnamon sticks for interesting contrast.

Fall is a time of rich, warm hues and bounteous textures, and the choices are virtually endless. The autumnal pallette of analagous colors – from burgundy to red to orange to golden yellow – is well represented in the blossoms of the season, which play beautifully against the fabrics of today’s popular bridesmaids’ dresses. Combined with textural materials such as grasses, small fruits, and seed pods, a skilled floral designer will have no trouble creating memorable wedding bouquets with flowers which are plentiful now. Call your professional florist to schedule a personal consultation and reap the harvest of the season.

Filed Under: Floral Design, Flower Suggestions, Newsletters, Seasonal Flowers, Wedding Flowers Tagged With: Fall Flowers, Fall Trends, Gloriosa, Hypericum, Montbretia, Rose, Wedding Flowers

Celebrate Grandparents Day with Flowers

September 14, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

Grandparents Day is coming up soon, and what better time could there be to remember those senior folks, who are so special in our lives, with a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers? With the advent of autumn approaching, there is a plentiful selection of blossoms available at your local florist, including all sorts of perky varieties which are sure to delight any grandma or grandpa.

History of Grandparent’s Day

National Grandparents Day originated with the idea of a West Virginia housewife, Marian McQuade, who wanted to champion the cause of lonely elderly people in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. After years of lobbying and gathering state by state support, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed in 1978 that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day…

…so you see that Grandparents Day wasn’t actually invented by the floral industry or the greeting card manufacturers! Nonetheless, it’s still a good idea to send our cherished elders some lively flowers just to let them know how much we love and appreciate them.

Chrysanthemums Make Great Grandparent’s Day Gifts

Among the popular blooms for the beginning of the fall season are the chrysanthemums. They’re available in an ever-increasing range of shapes, colors, and sizes, some of which you may not even recognize as chrysanthemums. They also happen to be some of the longest-lasting cut flowers you can buy.

Spray Chrysanthemums

Spray chrysanthemums (sometimes known as “pompons”) feature several individual blossoms on one stem, and can be purchased as daisy, cushion, or button types, as well as many novelty forms, such as spoon-petaled or anemone-flowered. Colors run the gamut of every hue in the spectrum, except blue (so far). A particularly vivid variety is the daisy type known as “Splendid Reagan”, with hot magenta petals around a chartreuse green center….easy to see even with diminished eyesight. “Viking” looks just like a Blackeyed Susan, with its golden yellow petals surrounding the velvety brown middle. “Kermit” is a lime green button type, and “Bayfrank” sports a mauve-toned, semi-double or anemone type flower.

Let The Chrysanthemums Do The Talking

Durable and long-lasting, chrysanthemums may be the perfect metaphor for our wishes for a long and happy life for our grandparents. Your local professional florist can see to it that Gramps and Granny know you’re thinking of them, whether they live near you or across the country, with an arrangement of fresh flowers for Grandparents Day. Besides, they already have everything else!

Filed Under: Holiday Info, Newsletters, Plant Suggestions Tagged With: Grandparents Day, Grandparents Day Gifts, Holiday Gift Ideas

Permanent Botanicals aka Silk Flowers

August 14, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

If an interior living or working environment is going to be comfortable and inviting, the space almost always calls for the addition of some sort of flowers or plants. However, living plants or fresh flowers are not always practical in every situation. Fortunately, today’s silk flowers… or, more appropriately, permanent botanicals… are better than ever.

How To Choose Silk Flowers aka Permanent Botanicals

In just the past few years, new production techniques and more realistic features have vastly improved the quality and variety of fabric flowers available from your local professional florist. When shopping for permanent botanical materials, keep in mind than not all silk flowers are created equal. The lowest priced blossom is not always the best bargain when we pay attention to quality, workmanship and botanical realism. Some factors to consider include:

Stem Length – A longer stem allows for more flexibility.
Stem Thickness – Is it appropriate for the species?
Leaf Count – Additional leaves may be added separately to fill in a design.
Leaf and Petal Edges – Are they crisp and fused, or will they fray?
Wiring – Fully wired leaves and petals permit better options for shaping.
Blossom Attachment – Do the flowers pop easily off the stem?
Coloration – Are leaves, petals and stems realistic and natural in color?
Detailing – Does the shading, texture and anatomical parts, such as stamens or thorns, look realistic?

Quality of Good Silk Flowers

Better quality silk flowers will appear the most botanically accurate in all respects, and will be well-constructed for long durability. They will allow the most flexibility for positioning the blossoms and stems. Whether they are created in a casual style or in a more formal design, the most pleasing permanent arrangements will be those that appear the most realistic.

Shaping Silk Flowers Like A Professional

Savvy designers are aware of how plants and flowers grow, and will spend some time shaping their silk flowers to reflect that natural energy. For example, living plants exhibit a phenomenon known as phototropism, which is the tendency to grow toward light. Thus, the leaves of most growing things are usually positioned with their faces upward, facing the sun.

Flowers and plants are subjected to rain, sunlight, wind, gravity, and insect attacks in nature, and consequently every single fresh flower, no matter how much it resembles a thousand others, has its own unique character. A professional floral designer understands these natural forces and strives to breathe life into artificial flowers by shaping and arranging them accordingly.

A rose’s head may be so heavy that it causes the stem to bend. Ivy will cascade down over a ledge but the tip of the vine will curve upward for the light. Delicate poppies seem to sway in the slightest of breezes. Peony flowers open and develop at differing rates. Remembering these characteristics will prevent silk designs from appearing static and lifeless.

Benefits & Trends of Silk Flowers

Permanent arrangements will remain pleasing for a long time to come if we choose flowers that are realistic in color as well. It’s not necessary, or even advisable, for silk flowers to match the color of your upholstery or wallpaper…..especially if it’s an unnatural hue for the species. No one has ever seen a teal colored rose or an avocado green lily in the garden. Better to choose colors that accent or complement the room rather than try to duplicate it.

Monofloral Style

An emerging trend is silk floral design is the so called monofloral style, which features just one variety of flower used en masse in a container. These are often created in clear vases with the stems showing, so natural looking stems are important here.

Zen-style Grasses

Another popular look is simply a thick clump of artificial grasses appearing to be growing in a bowl, displaying a Zen-like sense of freshness and purity.

Flemish Still-life Floral Designs

Of course, classically styled arrangements which resemble the lush floral compositions of Flemish still-life paintings will always have their place.

Whatever your preference, your local professional florist can readily create a new custom-designed permanent botanical arrangement for your home or office, or update an older one for you. Stop in soon.

Filed Under: Floral Design, Floral Resources, Trends Tagged With: Silk Flowers, Trends

House Plant Identification

July 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis 4 Comments

If you’ve ever been unsure about house plant identification or had trouble deciding among several choices for gift-giving, you’ll be happy to know that, this month, Flower Shop Network is launching a new gallery of pictures of houseplants in order to help make your selection easier.

There are numerous varieties of tropical plants, available from your local florist, which are suitable for indoor growing. Most of these species have earned their popularity because of their attractive foliage and the ease of their care. Occasionally, we may even be rewarded with flowers from a few of them, such as Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum).

The plants we grow most often in our homes are usually juvenile forms of potentially much larger tropical plants, but given the limitations of space, light, humidity, and nutrition, it’s not likely that they would ever reach mature size. For example, the popular Schefflera, or Umbrella Tree, is normally sold as a young shrub between 18 inches and four feet tall. But planted out in the open in its native Australia, it readily becomes a woody tree of forty or more feet tall, blooming at maturity with long spikes of bright red flowers.

Popular House Plant Choices

House plant identification becomes a little easier if we learn to recognize a few of the characteristics of some of the more commonly available plant families.

Dracaenas

Among the more popular plants for indoor growing are the Dracaenas. These plants typically have linear-lanceolate foliage which grows in whorls from the tops of slowly elongating stems. Many of the Dracaenas have colorfully striped foliage, such as the Corn Plant, with broad yellow stripes on its softly arching leaves, and the Red Margined Dracaena, which sports narrow red lines along the edges of its spiky, dark green leaf blades. Dracaenas are well adapted to indoor growing conditions, being fairly undemanding as to light and moisture requirements. Large, well-grown plants will sometimes produce racemes of white or ivory flowers which are intensely fragrant at night. Flowering is a rare event among Dracaenas, so we appreciate them more for their foliage as well as their sculptural forms.

Scheffleras

Scheffleras and their cousins, the Arboricolas (both Brassia species) feature compound leaves five to seven, or more, oval leaflets arranged like the spokes of a wheel around the end a central leaf stem (petiole) which grows off the side of the main trunk. They prefer a bit more light and more even moisture than the Dracaenas. Most Scheffleras are an unmarked, deep glossy green in color, but there is a very colorful variety of Arboricola with bright yellow markings on its foliage.

Ficus‘

The Ficus, or fig, family has contributed several familiar varieties to our indoor gardens, including the popular Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica), the bold Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata), and the ubiquitous Benjamin Fig (Ficus benjamina), veritable forests of which have been planted in airports and shopping malls around the world. All of the upright Ficus species (there are some vining ones as well) have the potential to become small trees. They do well in bright, indirect light, and prefer their soil to get just a little dry between thorough waterings. New leaves emerge one at a time from the ends of their stems. One key to the identification of these house plants is the fact that they all exude a milky white sap when cut or bruised.

The Aroid Family

Perhaps the most popular as well as the most diverse group of indoor plants consists of members of the Aroid family, including Philodendrons, Pothos, Chinese Evergreens, Dieffenbachias, and the aforementioned Peace Lilies. These are plants of the forest floor in their native tropics, and thus are well adapted to the low light conditions of most homes and offices. From climbing vines to spreading clumps to low, herbaceous shrubs, the Aroid tribe offers a wide variety of foliage forms and variegation patterns (there are several pictures of these house plants in our new gallery). Most are quite easy to grow, requiring evenly moist soil and moderate light levels.

Philodendrons (normally a uniform green in color) and pothos (brightly marbled with yellow or white on a green background) are frequently grown on bark totem poles for support. If permitted to climb, the leaves of these vines will become successively larger as they grow. But left to dangle, the leaves stay the same size or gradually become smaller. Shrubby Chinese Evergreens and Dieffenbachias feature an amazing diversity of colorful foliage patterns, while the leafy Peace Lilies, which are usually all green in color, produce long lasting, white, flag-like blossoms when grown well.

Be sure to visit Flower Shop Network’s houseplant gallery for more choices, view Houseplant Care Info or feel free to Ask Our Plant Expert your house plant identification questions. Happy growing!

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Newsletters, Plant Suggestions Tagged With: Houseplants, Plant Identification

Roses as Wedding Bouquet Flowers

June 14, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

June is the month of brides. It also happens to be National Rose Month, as dedicated by the American Rose Society, so it’s appropriate now to discuss roses, America’s most popular blossoms, as wedding bouquet flowers. The rose has been called the “Queen of Flowers”, and our love affair with her majesty goes all the way back to the 16th century when colonists brought the rose to the new world, making it the longest cultivated European plant in America’s history. With their shapely beauty, luxurious petals, and heady aroma, it’s no wonder that roses remain as the preferred flowers for wedding bouquets.

Many Types of Roses

Today’s brides have more choices than ever when it comes to selecting roses for their bouquets, as hybridizers around the world are constantly striving to produce new and improved varieties for use in floral designs. Chances are, a modern bride and her professional florist can find a rose in nearly any size or hue to coordinate with the wedding theme.

Some things to consider in determining which roses will make the best wedding bouquet flowers include:

Color (for example, there are more than 20 readily available varieties of white and ivory, not to mention hundreds of other shades),
Size,
Shape (some hybrids are more rounded, while others are more pointed)
Petal count (more petals make for a lusher, fuller blossom)
Degree of openness
Durability (some roses hold their petals better than others after they’ve opened)

Here is a listing of several white and off-white rose varieties which have found wide popularity as wedding bouquet flowers:

Virginia	very large, soft ivory petals, outer ones with a pink blaze
Escimo	delicate smaller size, pure diamond white, opens well
Vendela	creamy white, medium size, high petal count
Tineke	medium size, pointed bud, cool greenish-white, holds well
Bianca	medium size, rounded bud, translucent rice white color
Sahara	warm ivory-ecru, rounded petals, opens full
Clear Ocean	larger size, fragrant, soft ivory color, opens wide
White Majolika	spray type, pure white sweetheart sized blossoms, opens well

This list only scratches the surface of the choices in white to ivory roses which are available to your professional florist, who has the expertise to guide you in making the right decisions.

Who Says Wedding Flowers Have To Be White?

Of course, not every bride chooses white for her wedding bouquet flowers, and roses offer the full gamut of colors from red to yellow, pink to lavender, orange to coral, even brown…… ‘Leonidas’ is known as ‘the chocolate rose’ for its rich cocoa color.

The rose truly is the Queen of Flowers, and not only during the month of June. Celebrate your wedding, or any special occasion, with some royal blossoms from your professional florist at any time of the year.

Wedding and Party Network will make finding wedding supplies easier.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions, Newsletters, Wedding Flowers Tagged With: Rose, Wedding Flowers, White Roses

Flowers for Mother’s Day

May 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again when, by tradition, we honor those very special women who have been so important in our lives. While we certainly love and cherish our Moms the year round, Mother’s Day for remembering mom with a bit of extra love and attention.

You can’t go wrong with a gift of flowers for Mother’s Day

Flowers, with their intrinsic and vibrant beauty, are the perfect symbols for the life-giving energy that really defines motherhood. This Mother’s Day, florists across the country are well-stocked with beautiful blossoms to help you express your affection.

For example, the popular look in flowers these days features rounded blooms with soft, feminine textures in a lush and abundant arrangement. So a simple, clear glass vase filled with such flowers as hydrangea, ranunculus, peonies, and lisianthus , accented with delicate filler materials such as Queen Anne’s lace or Misty Blue limonium is sure to delight. Other soft textured flowers include stock, heather, delphinium, lilac and viburnum.

Roses Are A Mother’s Day Favorite

Of course, the rose is always a favorite choice of flower for Mother’s Day, and May is an especially good time of year for a bounteous selection of them. Add a few of these luxuriant blossoms to any bouquet to give it an extra measure of appeal.

Flowers For The Gardening Mom

Gardening is America’s number one hobby, and it remains as a very popular theme for Mother’s Day gift-giving. Consider sending Mom a basket of garden flowers arranged in a vegetative style; in other words, designed to reflect how they grow. A vegetative designed arrangement displays flowers in relaxed, vertical groups as though they were growing in a perennial border. Snapdragons, lilies, tulips, and iris work well in this style of arrangement. Special detailing with mosses, branches, and foliages, and perhaps the inclusion of some natural element, such as a bird’s nest, completes the presentation.

European-style Dish Garden

A European garden, which is a collection of green and blooming plants placed together into a basket or tray, is another charming way to present flowers for Mother’s Day, with the added benefit that the live plants will continue to survive and grow after the holiday. Bloomers like African violets, begonias, miniature roses, and cyclamens can be combined with green houseplants such as ivy, dieffenbachia, and philodendrons, accented with a branch or a flourish of ribbon.

It’s been said that it doesn’t matter what you give your Mom, as long as it’s flowers. Send her a garden of love, full of flowers for Mother’s Day, or consult you local Mother’s Day florist for other great ideas. But don’t delay……it’s only a few days away!

Filed Under: Floral Design, Flower Suggestions, Gift Ideas, Holiday Info, Newsletters Tagged With: Dish Gardens, Garden Flowers, Gardening, Mothers Day, Mothers Day Flowers, Rose

Fabulous Wedding Day Flowers

April 14, 2002 by Kelly Curtis 1 Comment

As spring fever rises with the temperatures, newly engaged brides-to-be will soon be planning the wedding flowers for their upcoming nuptials. In an earlier post, we discussed some of the special details that can be incorporated into the wedding bouquet flowers and the personal flowers for members of the wedding party. Here we’ll take a look at some ways to add personality to the flower arrangements at the wedding ceremony and reception.

Aisle Flowers For The Wedding Ceremony

Flowers can really make the mood of a wedding, and floral arrangements created with an eye for stylish detail will be remembered long after the bride has gone down the aisle. Speaking of the aisle, this is an area which is a focal point for the ceremony and ought to be treated as such. For example, the aisle can be transformed into a veritable garden by placing clusters of flowers and foliage at the ends of the pews. These floral clusters may be accented with a cascade of ribbons or sheer tulle for an even more romantic effect. Or for a sophisticated alternative, the ends of the pews may be swagged with fabric which matches or coordinates with the bridesmaids’ dresses and is tied into an over-scale, Dior bow. Alternate the bows with floral torchieres created on inverted cones covered in gilded leaves.

Protecting Aisle Decorations

For a really elegant feeling, the aisle may be “closed”, meaning that garlands of flowers or fabric are draped between the pews, preventing access from the center aisle which is reserved, untrampled and pristine, for the bride and her wedding party who enter on a white cloth runner (guests are seated from the sides).

Guestbook Table Flowers

The guest book podium provides another opportunity for flowers to delight the wedding guests. Consider laying a garland of fresh and fragrant blossoms across the book stand, and later it can be reused around the base of the wedding cake or at the head table. Or place a simple but gorgeous hand-tied nosegay into a small vase near the book. Add long, flouncy ribbon streamers, and afterwards the bride can lift it from the vase and reuse it as her tossing bouquet at the reception.

Wedding Reception Flowers

Wedding guests typically spend more time at the reception than at the ceremony, so this is an area where the wedding flowers can have maximum impact. Enhancing the guests’ entry experience here will create a lovely ambiance for the rest of the celebration. This can be achieved by hanging flowers over the doors to the room, flanking the entrance with large arrangements of aromatic flowers or lighted ficus trees, and letting the room with sparkle with candlelight.

Wedding Cake Flowers

The cake itself can be the centerpiece of the wedding reception. Consider placing it at the entry to the room where all the guests will encounter it as they come inside. Drape the cake table in a tulle skirt to which fresh rose petals have been glued, and pull the corners up into peaks which are accented with clutches of more, full blown roses tied with shimmery satin ribbons. Complete the tablescape by tucking roses and stephanotis blossoms between the cake layers and on the top…..scrumptious!

Head Table Flowers

What’s the most romantic new trend at the wedding reception? Do away with the onerous head table with its sometimes prickly political alliances, and seat the bride and groom at a small private table for two which is elaborately layered with luxurious linens. Position the table in the center of the room, surrounded by all the other guests, place some glimmering candles and an intimately designed wedding centerpiece in the middle, and add coordinating fresh floral garlands to the backs of the chairs.

The Ultimate Wedding Flower Detail

Of course the ultimate, memorable detail among wedding flowers is to place vases of them in the restrooms, which will surprise and delight the guests. This sort of attention to their comfort certainly heightens the festive occasion.

Your local professional florist has a lot of other ideas for personalizing your wedding flowers and creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. Call to set up an appointment for a wedding consultation today.

Rustic Wedding – Aisle Flowers photo by Back to the Fuchsia, a flower shop in Saugatuck MI.

Filed Under: Newsletters, Trends, Wedding Flowers Tagged With: Wedding Decorations, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Reception Flowers, Wedding Tips

Going Green: New Trends in Green Flowers

March 15, 2002 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

Not just because St. Patrick’s Day is approaching, but have you noticed how much green is showing up in your local flower shop? Since fresh flowers automatically come with green leaves and stems, the color has always been a fact of life, taken for granted and usually understated in flower arrangements.

Going Green

With the resurgent popularity of green as a fashionable hue in recent years, professional florists are recognizing the value of emphasizing this color in their designs. Just like any color, green can be expressed in a wide range of tones, tints, shades, and intensities. While we normally consider green to be a cool color, the hue that really catches our eye is a “hot” chartreuse green. Think Versace.

A Look At The Color Wheel

Artists, including floral designers, are familiar with the color wheel, a visual tool which organizes colors according to the spectrum and allows us to see various relationships among them. On one side of the wheel are the so called “warm”, or advancing colors, including reds, oranges, and yellows. On the other side are the “cool” or receding colors, such as lavender, blue, and green. Purple, a blend of cool blue and warm red, sits between the two groups and consequently is an effective accent color in nearly any color harmony. With it’s unique and mysterious personality, purple has traditionally been associated with royalty, magic, and spirituality.

Chartreuse – Warm & Cool

Chartreuse, being a combination of warm yellow and cool green, has similar qualities. It is the direct complement to red-purple, and it is a color which is practically unavoidable to the human eye. And for those reasons, it can really add a lot of punch to a flower arrangement, flattering both the advancing and the receding hues.