From the Garden Bouquet

I just love the colors of this fresh spring bouquet, yellow peony tulips, garden roses and orange ranunculus. I purchased these beautiful full yellow peony tulips and picked some bright orange ranunculus for a bit of pop and "Just Joey" garden roses from my garden.  I just adore my rose garden all fifty bushes and so now you know what I do in my spare time!  

Peony Substitutes

After my last post on the limited availability on peonies you might be saying to your self – great so now what?  The question - what’s a bride to do if she’s just gaga over peonies and getting married at a time when peonies aren't available? 

If you love flowers like lush peonies, then you will love the large full look of garden roses.  English Garden Roses - many types have that same round cabbage style opening.  These roses are generally bigger than hybrid teas and have an incredible look very much like peonies, often with a divine scent to go with them. These roses are gorgeous in bouquets (see photo above) and centerpieces that are overflowing from garden urns.  Garden roses do have some limitations however; they are more expensive and fragile than hybrid roses.  While trying to get them all to open just right they can shatter (loose all their petals) while some may not open and so your florist will often have to order extras for that reason and they are not available in the winter.  

Other great alternatives include:

Fancy Carnations - some carnations look like the center of peonies but they are much smaller in size.

 Dahlias - some like the cafe au lait are so large in size that they remind me of peonies

Football  Mum – large showy head in white, yellow, lavender, and bronze/coral

Polo' roses - a creamy white large headed rose with an excellent petal count.  Sometimes opens into a gorgeous classic cup.

Always remember to consult a floral designer who has specific knowledge about what is available.  There are several possibilities but it's important to see what's available in the local wholesale arena. And though these are just a few ideas, the key is to trust your event professional with these decisions.

I hope this is helpful and as always thanks for stopping by!
Cindy

Peonies - The Perfect Wedding Flower

Peony flowers are one of the most popular wedding flowers and looking at them it’s easy to see why. What a stunning flower - elegant, romantic, fluffy and so lush with all those soft ruffled petals.

Peonies lend themselves well to a vintage vision, an old world look, or a romantic garden wedding.  The presumption that they are a perfect wedding flower is evident because they are everywhere – in magazines, on blogs and in many florist portfolios. 

Which is why I wasn’t surprised when I had several brides recently ask me about Peonies for their respective late summer, autumn weddings.  There’s only one problem with this dreamy flower – availability. 

As much as I would like to say that you can get these glorious garden blooms any time of the year, I would be misleading you.  Peonies are a herbaceous perennial. Which means they grow and bloom over spring and summer, then die down at the end of the growing season (autumn-winter) to the soil level? They return the next spring from their root-stock.

In other words, there are no peonies in the summer, autumn, or winter that are grown domestically in the States or in a natural environment. In Southern California peonies are considered a spring flower and are only offered May – June.  That’s only about 4-6 weeks!   Most plants will only flower for a week or two weeks at a time. The only reason why we have cut peonies longer is that growers plant them carefully so that there is a SUCCESSION of continuous blooms.  Did you know that?

Please keep this in mind that this is coming from a floral designer based in San Diego. What I say is based on what I've learned and experienced during my life as a wedding floral designer. The information above does not apply to other areas of the world or different parts of the country. 

Until next time …

Cindy

In The Pink

Luscious, flirtatious and feminine pink, what a fabulous color for a spring wedding.








flowers by Lilies of the Field

Let's Hear It For The Boys!

The bride and her choice of flowers have traditionally been the focus for florist/floral designers and that still holds true today.  After all we women just seem to be more interested in the flowers then our guys do, although some of this may be changing.  The grooms of today are getting more involved in the wedding planning process than ever before.  Go grooms!  So today I thought we’d focus on the boys for a bit! 

You know what I love about today’s boutonnieres?  The possibilities are endless!   And while your classic traditional rose, calla lily, or orchid boutonniere will never go out of style, there are many other styles that can showcase any personality. 

While the boutonniere should incorporate some of the same floral elements as the bride’s bouquet, it should also work with the style of the suit.  It should be just the right size (not to small, and for goosh’s sake, not too big!) and it needs to complement the overall color palette of the wedding. Quite a lot of thought needs to go into this tiny little adornment.

Below are some great examples to show off to your groom  and then ask him if he has any opinions about his boutonniere – you just might be surprised!

Here are some updated classics, after all your classic groom’s red rose boutonniere doesn’t have to be his dad’s Boutonnière.

Enjoy,
Cindy

Happy Easter

photo from Martha Stewart