Falalalala-la-la-la-lahhhhhh! It may feel like April but Christmas is just around the corner, and have you ever seen it come up so quickly? It seems like I was just starting to think about pumpkins and cornstalks and it’s already time for wreaths and candles in the window. The Christmas wreath pictured above came about because there wasn’t time to buy a new one. I took the bittersweet off the Thanksgiving grapevine wreath and added dried hydrangea, a few greens from […]
I have many happy memories from growing up on a grape farm. Every fall when the grapes were ripe, I would race out to the vineyards after school. The weather was still sunny, but you could feel autumn coming in the crisp breeze that rustled the milkweed and wild sumac. My mother and aunts would be picking grapes, methodically working their way down the rows, clipping bunches and dropping them into old wooden beer crates. They pulled the crates along […]
RICH REDS I’ve made more than my share of red, white, and blue centerpieces for patriotic-themed parties, and it’s not an easy combination. Blue flowers are rare, and forcing those three colors into one arrangement can give some pretty garish results. It’s better to combine reds and whites in a bouquet and bring in the blue with a tablecloth or placemats to create a more natural Fourth of July look. The greens provide a neutral backdrop and a more casual […]
FLOWER HIGH Going to the flower market is such a gift for the senses; it’s impossible to walk through the chilly warehouse without feeling blissed out by the sight, smell, and vast bounty of the blooms. No matter how long the to-do list, or what else is on my mind, the flowers quietly demand attention, a moment to be grateful for being in this place among such beauty. Rather than taking photos of just one bouquet, here’s what it feels […]
There’s something magical about blue flowers. True blue – real blue – is not easily found in flowers, and they don’t seem to grow just anywhere, or for anyone. A morning glory is such a simple flower, with its delicate Madonna-blue spirals, but when was the last time you saw one? They favor sunny spots, moist soil, and a rusty mailbox or old copper downspout to climb to make them perfectly happy. They flourish in the summer, when their color […]
