Fleur-Essence

Peace

2011-07-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

A monochromatic arrangement of yellow snapdragons, football mums, chrysanthemums, and roses in an Oriental basket makes for a peaceful place for a dove to build a nest--complete with eggs!

It's all about personalization

2011-07-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I get a request from a family for something unusual which is a meaningful reflection of their loved one's personality. I always like to honor these requests, even though time is short and sometimes it is challenging to locate certain items. In this case, the lady was from Kansas. The family requested a pair of ruby slippers (from the Wizard of Oz) and some wheat. The wheat was easy...but where does one find a pair of ruby slippers? Fortunately, I located a pair of clear glass slippers, which I painted red and glued individual red sequins to them.

Fit for a Queen

2011-06-30T17:19:00.001-04:00

Vendela roses are my favorite of the white roses. It is actually not a pure white, but rather an ivory. It is a large rose with a high petal count, that opens as a cup-shaped bloom with slightly curled edges. It is grown in Ecuador, where roses are world-renowned for their huge bloom size, long vase life, superb quality, and rich color. Ecuador is ideally suited for rose growing due to its rich volcanic soil and ideal climactic conditions for growing not only the finest roses, but other types of cut flowers as well. The region's long, sunny days and warm temperatures enable the plants to thrive and produce impressive flowers.

This table centerpiece consists of 65 Vendela roses, in a compact oval design with variegated pittosporum and ivy--grown locally right at my studio.

Unusual Requests

2011-06-29T11:37:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I get an unusual request from a family to design a casket spray for their loved one using a flower that normally isn't used in oasis. At least I have never seen one made from Red Geraniums!

The problem arises that the blossoms are short-lived. Should they be treated as other flowers are prepared for use in arrangements, i.e. cutting underwater, keeping in cool, humid storage in preservative?

I also faced the dilemma that when the order was placed, the deceased had not yet died, and the fact that by this time, most nurseries are disposing of their annuals.

I kept these geraniums in pots in the sunshine (and lots of rain this last week!) and babied them with plenty of TLC until I got the call that they were needed. At that point, I had originally decided to bag the roots of each plant with some soil and insert each cluster with wooden picks. Unsatisfied with this method, I ended up using a combination of water tubes, and either wooden picks or tying the short-stemmed blossoms to the greens. All in all, it turned out fine.

I always like to honor the requests of the family mourning a death. But sometimes I wonder when I should politely say no and steer them another direction. This could have turned out to be a disaster, but fortunately, all was fine.

a plaque

2011-06-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

A plaque is defined as a three-dimensional traditional design or assemblage of plant material and components with radial stem placement. It is mounted on a framed or unframed background for decorating a door or wall.

One difference between a swag and a plaque is that the swag has one pivot spot and hence one focal area, and plaques have more than one center of interest and pivot spot.

In this design, there are two separate units, two pivot spots, and two focal areas. The largest unit is the bottom design, and the top one diminishes in size and quantity of materials. Each unit is mounted on the top and bottom of a large copper coil. The coil leads the eye from the top unit to the bottom unit.

This copper coil was a straight measure of copper tubing available in a hardware store. Its curves were established using metal bending tools that are used by plumbers to make uniform bends in pipe. The sunflowers and poppy pods make up the focal interest in each unit, with the aspidistra leaves repeating the curvature of the wreath. Flax, pine, and ruscus serve to create a horizontal connecting line between the units. This composition was designed for a man's funeral service, and the price starts at $100.

Simply Daisies

2011-04-08T18:16:00.000-04:00

One of the most asked-for designs for sympathy has been this all-white arrangement of daisies. Its simplicity appeals to many people.

Contemporary roses

2011-03-30T20:01:00.000-04:00

Linear groupings of red roses make a striking contemporary arrangement, accented with ti and aspidistra leaves, bear grass loops, brazillia and heather

Abundant Spring

2011-03-30T19:56:00.000-04:00

A Flemish style arrangement of mixed flowers, including roses, larkspur, baronia heather, lilies, iris, and waxflower.

Feminine mystique

2011-03-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

Lilies, roses, anemones, stock, daisies, & freesia in analogous tones of pink, lavendar, & lilac make for a soft and subdued spray for a woman.

Landscape Design

2011-03-18T17:29:00.000-04:00

"underwater" landscape design

In Remembrance

2011-03-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

Pink lilies, larkspur, peach garden roses, and green fuji mums form a crescent that appears to spring out of a silver sconce. The design is repeated in a smaller cluster at the base of the easel.

You did say TALL, didn't you?

2011-03-18T16:33:00.000-04:00

This sculptural design is comprised of a "tower" of green gladioli with lavendar stock and green fuji mums and roses. The base of the design is a tall cylindrical vase with a small cluster of green roses inside. The green berries appear to be cascading downward into the vase.

Spring Sympathy

2011-03-17T19:30:00.000-04:00

This spring casket spray in an analogous color scheme of lavendar, pink, and fuschia consists of roses, hydrangea, chrysanthemums, gerberas, anemones, and larkspur.

Landscape Design

2011-03-16T20:05:00.000-04:00

This landscape design depicts a garden scene with groupings of various flowers and plant materials. The large ti leaves rise up behind the pin-cushion proteas like boa constrictors getting ready to strike!

In Loving Memory

2011-03-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

A standing spray of blue hybrid delphinium, lavendar larkspur & stock, accented by lime green fuji mums & viburnum, and white posey callas & snapdragons makes a fitting memorial.

Simplify

2011-03-16T16:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's all about simplicity...

Analogous Harmony

2011-03-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

Colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel. This cheery arrangment in orange, yellow-orange, yellow, and yellow-green is an example of an analogous color scheme. A mass design consisting of gerbera daisies, verbena. posey callas, and spray roses. The bear grass loops add a dramatic effect.

A Profusion of Spring

2011-03-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

A Memorial Tribute

The spring flowers in this seasonal remembrance symbolize a spirit of hope.

Mass Design

2011-03-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

Mass Design

A classification of floral designs utilizing a quantity of materials with little or no use of negative space. Mass designs are generally associated with certain historical periods, traditional and geometric shapes. They usually have radial stem placement.

This design consists of groupings of pink roses and lilies with yellow callas, golden yarrow, gerberas and billy balls, with limoneum in a clear glass bubble bowl. Because of the amount of materials used, prices for mass design arrangements start at $75.

Tropical Paradise

2011-03-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

A Curvilinear Design

This tropical crescent-shaped design consists of pincushion proteas, curly willow, and foliages forming a curved line. The cymbidium orchid bloom and hydrangea in the focal area give the arrangement mass. Split flax leaves bent in circular fashion imply rhythm and movement.

Tropical flowers are always available and shipped directly from Hawaii. During March, some of the best choices include pincushion proteas, cymbidium orchid sprays, and anthuriums.