flowers for all!

Have you heard of flowers for all.com? If not, listen up!

I was contacted by flowersforall.com to see if I would try out some samples of their flowers. I went on their website and found out they are a well-known and respected high end flower company that grows luxury flowers on their farms in South America. They cut the flowers fresh for orders and ship them directly to you! They have high credentials when it comes to using environmentally responsible practice and also ongoing commitment to work practices that protect the environment and their workers which is an important aspect in the floral trade. Because they are shipped directly from the growers, they are exceptional in appearance, quality and longevity and at the same time, affordable.

I picked out a box each of white roses, peach spray roses and bright yellow alstomeria. They were delivered by fed-ex directly to me from South America. As the fed-ex man handed one of the boxes over, the scent of fresh flowers caught my attention and he said "enjoy them!".

I couldn't help but open the boxes up right away. They were packaged lovely for gift giving, wrapped with a satin ribbon and a kind note. I cut them and let them drink up. Already, even without designing and just snipping them all the same length, they were beautiful! I waited a few days for them to open up before designing.

My favorite of the samples I received were the peach spray roses. They bloomed so lovely and were full of ruffled petals. I left them in my girls' room and they would not stop sneaking sniffs because of their lovely scent.

the vibrant alstromeria:

After the flowers opened up a few days later, I picked out a vintage milk glass pedestal to design in and used my trusty kenzan (the proper japanese ikebana term for a flower frog). I snipped some mint that grows wild, myrtle, citrus branches and lengthy wandering jew vine from my garden and started designing.

I loved the results of my garden themed design. Each of the flowers were top of the line and opened up beautiful. Just look at those white roses!

My apartment smelled wonderful for days as the citrus, flowers and mint all mingled together. I am confident that you will enjoy your experience ordering from flowersforall.com for any floral occasion and I am grateful for the chance I've had to share their beauty with you!

Eddie Zaratsian's new book: Custom Florals and Lifestyle

Tap tap tap, is this thing on? I had a nice summer break and with the cool weather slowly approaching, the start of school and all that's good that comes with the Fall, I'm back again. 

 Eddie Zaratsian has a new book Eddie Zaratsian: Custom Florals and Lifestyle that is due to be released September 26, 2013 and I am excited to share some of the exquisite images with you!

In a floral industry that has recently been taken over by the lush garden, Baroque style designs, it is nice to encounter some west coast contemporary design.

I was intrigued by the great attention to detail, the use of so many textures and natural botanical material that that Eddie uses. It is no wonder that he is a Florist to the stars of Hollywood. He has a style that is heavily influenced by contemporary European floral design. Eddie's talent has teamed up with Restoration Hardware in their Beverly Hills store for their first floral galley boutique where his modern textural floral art mixes and compliments their styled line of furniture and accessories.

The book hosts many vivid photographs of floral eye candy paired with some of Eddie's favorite floral quotes, its every flower fanatic's must have. 

  "I have always been adamant about creating a beautiful art book, one that could rest on your coffee table or in a common room while the blend of texture, color and unusual combinations of flowers became an affirming inspiration." -Eddie Zaratsian,in the book's preface.

  

photos copyrighted by photographer Marianne Lozano

A visit to Terrain

 

I've been wanting to visit Terrain the store in Glenn Mills, PA since I've come across it on-line a few years back. Their online gardening and floral merchandise is impeccable, I mean right up my gardening/ flower alley. Not to mention that it is from the same company as Anthropologie so I had high expectations as I headed there with my friend Julie as we were in Philly for the day.  Let me tell you, my expectations were met, and then some!

A wall of mounted staghorn ferns as soon as we walked in!? I was hooked right away.

They had all sorts of small plants to choose from, along with an array of vessels and vases to create your own terrarium:

 I have the same chairs but in white! Seeing them in here made me relax a little bit from the chance I took buying them last summer, few!! Now I just need an old farmhouse table like that one ;)

 Julie looking at some magazines

Plants were everywhere, all different kinds of houseplants inside to choose from. Not to mention the outdoor garden center full of annuals and perennials. Everywhere I turned their artistic displays were inspiring.

They have a garden cafe that is nestled into an old greenhouse that boasts of using seasonal local hand selected meats, produce and dairy products. We did not have time to stop and enjoy it, but all the more reason for me to go back.

There was a small wedding taking place as we were there. What a lovely location that would be! I was like a little kid in a candy shop at Terrain, I  knew it would be worth the little treck out to it and I was right. It is now officially my favorite store I've ever been. No joke! I highly recommend a visit and I can't wait to go back during a different season to see their displays and ingenuity.

new york botanical garden horticultural classes

I get asked a lot of where/how do you start if you want to learn floral design?

I started young, always picking wildflowers at my country farmhouse as a little girl. I would make posies of my mother's peonies in early june, flox in mid summer and wildflowers from the fields during late Indian summers. I wanted to learn more though, the design mechanics that books can not teach. I chose to study horticulture at BYU-Idaho and took many floral design classes along with it as I earned my bachelors degree. But that doesn't help those who are ask me and live local, now that I live in the NYC metro area.

I've come across New York Botanical Gardens adult horticultural education classes. In-depth summer classes taught by top notch professionals in Floral Design, Landscape design or Gardening with a NYBG Certificate at the end of the class. They sound ideal for the person looking to change careers or just learn the floral design art. For me the landscape design classes sound intriguing, and I took basic ones in college, I would love to further my knowledge. Summer classes start July 8th! More information here.

all images copyright of NYBG

touring an orchid farm

I had the opportunity to take an impromptu tour of Plainview Growers which specializes in 'Pure Beauty Orchids' or potted phalaenopsis orchids. There are rows upon rows of gorgeous Taiwanese breeds of orchids in different stages of bloom in massive greenhouses. 13 acres to be precise. It was a breathtaking rainbow of beauty to behold.

baby orchids just starting:

 

waiting to bloom:

 

classic white phalaenopsis in bloom:

 

and the varieties of colors they offer:

 The vibrant blue variety above is done by 'colorfuze'. A process in which the literally infuse the color into the orchid. I was able to watch the infuzors at work. They literally put color dye into the little plastic vessels below with the die solution in that plastic bucket below and directly insert it into the bottom of a classic white phaleanopsis orchid. The orchid then soaks up the dye and brightly shows the vibrant hues.

 Plainview Grower's 'Colorfuzed' orchids are one of two licensed growers in the US that offer the unique process, so chances are if you have seen these, they are from this grower in Plainview New Jersey! 

The variety of hues of colorfuzed orchids they offer:

 Orchids potted and getting ready to ship:

 ready to go:

 I was at the grocery store a few days ago and saw a few of the orchids above for sale. I was like a little kid, giddy and excited that I have seen how they grow and where they come from.