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Comparison: 2006 and 2009

The Christmas arrangement from the last post was inspired by a design I did my first semester at college. It is amazing to compare the difference between my designs in 2006 to my designs now.

DIY: A Contemporary, yet Classic Floral Design.

The Christmas season is time full of traditions. Many of these traditions are in the way we decorate. If you like traditional Christmas decorations, but don’t want your display to look old fashioned and stuffy, this is the design for you. The “Contemporary, yet classic” arrangement incorporates three of the most traditional Christmas decorations—pinecones, ornaments, and candles—while presenting a fun, contemporary look. We have used gerbera daisies, one of the hippest flowers on the market, to create a linear floral design. The use of glittery branches and berries also brings in a whimsical feeling. Use these stunning stems, or incorporate your favorite red flowers, to create a long lasting floral design to add to your Christmas decorations.

                                                      

Tools:Wire Cutters, knife, hot glue gun, aerosol spray tack.

Supplies:
3 gerbera daisies, 3 festive berries, evergreen branches, 1 glittery branch, 3 pinecones, 3 ornaments, 1 candle, decorative snow, and dry floral oasis.

Step 1: Prepare container. First, cut the oasis into a shape that fits into your chosen container. Make sure to leave at least 1/4in of oasis above the container to give you room to work. Save enough space around the edges to fill the container with snow. Next, use a hot glue gun to secure the oasis to the bottom of the container. Once it has dried, fill the container with a snow product.

Step 2: Create the skeleton. When designing a floral arrangement, it helps to first create the skeleton (or outline) of the design by using greenery or branches. As a general rule of thumb, the height of the arrangement is 1 ½ the height of the container. Use the branch and evergreens to create the basic linear shape of this arrangement. To give the evergreens a fresh snow look, spray the aerosol tack on the greens and lightly sprinkle the snow on top.

Step 3: Insert flowers, berries, and additional greens. Another general guideline in floral design is to work with odd numbers. This design uses three main flowers. Stagger the gerbera daisies down in a triangle along the left side. (If you played dot-to-dot with the flowers, they form a triangle). Incorporate the berries throughout and use the greens to fill in.

Step 4: Add traditional decorations: To insert the candle first insert a wire into the candle and then secure into the foam with hot glue. The candle is placed on the right hand side to balance the frame of the gerbera daisies. For the finishing touches, add the pinecones and ornaments around base.

Details:

More from Jeff's wedding.

I borrowed these photos from my brother's mother-in-law.  They are from my brother Jeff's wedding day.

My Favorite Flowers

As a horticulture major with an emphasis in floral design, people are constantly asking me what my favorite flower is. I am always stumped at this question; there are so many beautiful flowers, how could I possibly choose a favorite? I give a different answer each time this question is asked. Listed below are a few of my favorite flowers and why I like them. It is my hope that by sharing my favorite flowers, you will broaden your knowledge on the different types of flowers available and how they can be used. Included in my favorite flowers are common flowers and some that are unique.

The Rose

Yes, the traditional rose is one of my favorite flowers. Roses come in a variety colors: orange, pink, green, red, orange and pink, almost black, white and pink… etc. Not only are roses a beautiful flower, but they match with almost every other flower. It is a common trend among brides to not want roses in their bouquet. Recently, I had the opportunity to do my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding. The flowers she wanted for her bouquet were sunflowers (another wonderful flower). When my grandmother, who was a florist in the 70’s-90’s, found out I was doing the flowers she said, “I know she wants sunflowers, but make sure there are roses in her bouquet!” I had already ordered the roses. They not only looked awesome with the sunflowers, but they do an awesome job at filling in a bouquet. Roses are perfect for any occasion.

Gerbera Daisy
Gerbera daisies are one of the most liked flowers in today’s trends. While I am not as obsessed as I used to be, I love these flowers too. They come in bold colors that demand attention: “Look at me!” They are fun to use in bouquets, and every day arrangements.

Tulip

Tulips are another common favorite. I love them because of their soft colors and graceful shape. To me, tulips are peaceful and calm. Did you know that tulips keep growing after they are cut?

Billy Ball

Most likely, you haven’t seen or even heard of this flower. Billy Balls are really cool because they are a perfect sphere. They are great in high style arrangements or in creating a whimsical feeling. While they only come in yellow, to my knowledge, they are very easy to color tool. It is just a fun flower all around.

Nerine Lily

Another fun flower that provides spunk and personality is the nerine lily. I love this flower so much; I used it in my wedding bouquet (actually, all but the billy ball was used in my wedding). It is a spring seasonal flower that comes in hot pink, pink, and white. If you like pink, this is definitely the flower to use.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are a stunning flower cut or in the garden. I grew to love hydrangeas while on my internship in Portland, Oregon with Crystal Lilies. Hydrangeas make a great grid in centerpieces. Their main colors are white, blue, pink, and green. They are big, full, and beautiful.

I’m sure my favorite flowers will continue to change. Flowers provide so much emotion and beauty; it’s too hard to only favor one.

Happy Halloween! Part 2

Mini-Pumpkin Arrangements: Rose Center, Carnation Trio.

  Rose Center

Carnation Trio

Carnation Trio Details: White daisies, green button-mums, black  baby pumpkins, stripped euc stems, and webbing!

In the setting:

Happy Halloween!

The Bookstore Halloween Arrangement.

White Roses, tiped "Blackberry", orange daisies, purple mini-carns, tropical leaves, and branches.  Designed in festive pumpkin.  This is a High Style Arrangement

The coolest thing...

Today, as I was searching for floral ideas, I stumbled across one of the coolest florist ever.  They are located in Hawaii and create HAND CRAFTED flowers.  I had NO IDEA, when looking at the pictures, that these flowers were not real (I guess I should have realized, the flowers do stand up very well on their own).  Not only does this company design flowers in a tasteful way, but they create them.  BRILLIANT!

Go take a look!

Keepsakeblossoms