I just love….how much is….can I have this for July????

I just love….how much is….can I have this for July????

These are just a few of the questions we hear every day from our brides. Most of the time we are able to obtain the particular flowers that they’ve found in magazines and on the Web, but some things are just too seasonal.

Spring bulb flowers can be this way, particularly narcissus, daffodils. Late winter and early spring only for these beauties. Muscari – grape hyacinth - along with standard hyacinth, make their best showing in early to mid spring. Some bulb flowers such as tulips and iris have become available for the entire year, though at a premium in off seasons.

Anemones come to mind as one of the types that really only shines for part of the year. Generally available from November until about mid May, this gorgeous flower, with it’s circle of color-saturated petals and a (usually) black center is at it’s best in mid to late spring. At other times, if some becomes available, it is usually smaller than normal (normal is about 1 ½ to 2 in. diam.) and the stems are spindly.

We also have lots of requests for ranunculus, which lately I’ve seen often paired with the anemones in magazines. These wonderfully “petally” flowers are available most of the year now, however, like the anemones they are at their best in the late winter and spring – February until May.

I’ve mainly seen complete bouquets with only these two varieties and some foliage, and they are fabulous, however I’d like to caution you that they are expensive that way. The blossoms are small, averaging about 1 ½ inch across, on both varieties, though if you’re lucky, they may come in about 2 to 2 ½ in across. You would be safe to figure about $2 to $3 per blossom. Your florist has no control over the size, other than to ask for the largest blossoms and then just keep their fingers crossed.

I like to tell the brides that come to me, that if they can’t, or don’t want, to afford a bouquet solely of these flowers, then to use them as accents. Small groupings of the blossoms in either a single area, or several areas of the bouquet really make it pop. Both of these varieties lend wonderful texture, but especially the anemones can lend a hot pop of color too.

I also tell all the brides that visit us to bring along picture that they’ve found on the internet and in magazines. We will price them out and also offer alternatives if need be. I’ve always wished that the magazines would publish some prices for the styles they showcase. Most people would be shocked, and unfortunately some brides are very disappointed to find that what they’ve set their hearts on is certainly out of reach as pictured.

Preservation Resource Center's Holiday Home Tour

Fait accompli! After taking on being a part of the Preservation Resource Center's Holiday Home Tour during the December rush, everything came together beautifully. It seemed like there were thousands touring our home at 2700 Coliseum. Those passing through were surprised to see that the florist/owner chose to decorate without a single flower other than a few orchid plants. With the theory that ostentatious flower arrangements would outshine the architecture and the antiques, a fruit and winter greens approach was taken. Each room featured a different fruit, from pineapples to plums. Far from being the grandest home on the tour, many were complimentary that it seemed people actually live in the house! It was great to share our home with so many enthusiastic people.