Anthuriums & Calla Lilies

My latest floral installation at a retail clothing store here in Victoria featured some gigantic anthuriums. I don't know if I have ever seen such big flowers. For this particular job I need to use long lasting flowers, so  I quite often use orchids. But anthuriums and calla lilies also last just as long. The callas right now have some really sleek long stems which I wanted to use some how in the design. Behind the three large vases I placed two smaller vases filled with a grass. I love the look of layering flowers this way!

Rose Bowl

Remember when you were young, and your grandmother would float a garden rose in a rose bowl? I love enjoying one bloom for it's own beauty and perfection. Not to mention it's easy! Try putting it somewhere special that you will see it numerous times throughout  the day.  Like your desk at work, windowsill at home or perhaps your bedside table.

My modern take on the rose bowl is using a cymbidium orchid with some spun grass inside. Of course both of these look amazing in multiples. They would be nice at each place setting at a dinner party too!

Pink rhododendrons

It was recently my mother-in-laws birthday. I wanted to do up some flowers for the dinner table which I knew she would appreciate as she is a avid gardener and plant lover. My neighbor has a this spectacular bush ( I think it is some kind of butterfly bush) which hangs into my other neighbors yard which allowed me to snip a few pieces for my design. As I just finished snipping the "orange ball flower", I then noticed my neighbors gorgeous pink rhodo with it's orange speckled center right beside me. Perfect!

I then added some lily of the valley greens and some podocarpus and voila! This design only lasted about 3-4 days but I absolutely loved the combo of orange and pink. I had a lot of fun putting this together, and if anyone knows the name of the "orange ball" flower let me know!

In my Garden - June

Finally summer has arrived here in Victoria and the gardens are full of glorious blooms! Peonies, iris, poppies and rhododendrons to name a few. Here are a few shots from my garden....

                                                        

yellow poppy

purple iris

these yellow iris are growing out of a pond

bleeding hearts

Red roses and aranda orchids

Not all flowers pair well with orchids. I enjoy mixing orchids with roses because I think it helps to make the rose not so traditional. And, I also think of both of them as quite luxurious. This past week, I provided flowers for a 40th wedding anniversary dinner party at Victoria's Union Club. Ruby red is the chosen color for 40th wedding anniversaries and it turned out it was very suiting to the interior also. The greenery reminds me of mini palm fronds, and why not, as summer has finally arrived here in the "garden city".