Monday 25 November 2013

Love Evergreens !!!



I love this time of year! All the beautiful evergreens are available  to create wonderful decoratives that bring that joy that spreads happiness everywhere.

An Evergreen arrangement should be watered - just as you would a precious indoor plant. If you are diligent about this - your centrepiece should last you well into the New Year! You can simply change the flowers as they wither - keeping the evergreen base.

My fav flowers to use at this time of year are - amaryllis cut short - an interesting play on scale!, antique garden roses (my fav being White O'Hara), and at this time of year I enjoy forced tulips - it seems exotic to me to have tulips at this time of year - just as tangerines were for me when I was little.

Instead of berries - which are not always kind to animals and children  - and heavens ! I have had them burst overnight and make a mess ! - try rose hips - they are full of vitamin C so if your kitty nibbles it won't hurt - and the rose hip will dry - so they continue to look terrific for seasons! ...also I like the berry-look of the seeded eucalyptus - and blue-berried juniper (the main source for gin actually!).

There are some evergreens that work better indoors - as they do not go brown nor do they drop their needles so you are not sweeping up throughout the holidays - here are some of my favs:

Nobe Fir, White Pine, Coned Cedar, Incensed Cedar, Blue-berrided Cedar, Boxwood

also try: Seeded Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Oregonia & Red Huck 

Natural Birch Branches, Elder, Golden Curly Willow  & Yellow Dogwood are my fav branches

Try co-ordinating the subtle colours of the greenery (some are a blue green, some a yellow green etc), with the berries, flowers and twigs - much as you would co-ordinate your fashion outfit - selecting things that go together to start with - make for a gorgeous arrangement. Later this week I will share some of own fav combos!

and my last bit of advice is - place or nestle the flowers into the interior of the arrangement as though they are growing on a plant - and set the same blooms together as a grouping  - this has much more visual impact than dotting them around willy nilly !

if you have questions - send them to me elaine@fromthepottingshed.com

and Happy Holidays !!

Saturday 23 November 2013

Winter Weddings are so Romantic !

Today is our first real snow fall here in Cambridge - and I am remembering some of the Winter Weddings from last year - here is Adrienne with her Bridesmaids at Hockley Valley Resort - it was a rare January thaw that day - so these gals are not as cold as you might think!
I love the matching Sorels Adrienne had for them all to wear ! Very fun !!!

Teaching folks how to make this wreath !

It was 1989 the very first year I held a class on how to make an Evergreen Wreath - where did the time go ? So this will be the 25th year ! How did that happen ? 
some folks have made it an annual event - the kick off to their Holiday Season - I am very thankful to get to do this for a living !

It's that time of year ! LOVE !!!

We are getting excited about our Evergreen Season - photo worthy!