Today's post is from expert florist Gerard Toh, AIFD.
In addition to being Teleflora’s Educational Specialist/Industry Relations, Mr. Toh serves as:
*Creative Director, Sherman Oaks Florist, http://www.shermanoaksflorist.com/;
*Creative Director, Human Resources, Century City Flower Mart, http://www.centurycityflowermart.com/;
*Special Projects Art Director, Bride and Bloom magazine, http://www.thebrideandbloom.com/.
Last week, my partner and I decided to make a trip up the coast to San Francisco for a design workshop. We went up Interstate 5, which took us into the agricultural heartland of this state. I expected to see the usual deserts, ranches, farms and of course the huge herds of cows corralled close to the freeway.
It is always such an experience driving through the cow zone. We try to go as quickly as possible, holding our noses to no avail as the waft of stench from accumulated dung creeps into the vents of the supposedly air-tight car. We laugh giddily, wildly, trying not to gulp large doses of that foul air. Fun times!!
What I didn’t expect was that all the fruit trees were in bloom. It’s not that I haven’t seen a peach, apple or cherry tree in blossom but to see thousands of them was intense. Set in rows and rows, and grouped in varieties blooming in shades of blush white to hot pink, we went through hundreds of miles of them. Some of the farms came right up to the highway and I could see each tree and the way they lined up, packed with color.
The aisles too were covered with fallen blossoms and from afar it looked like snow on the ground. It was surreal. I can only imagine how it would be to walk among these trees or, better yet, can you imagine having a wedding there? Walking down the tree-lined aisle, peppered with blossoms, and having reception tables lit by tons of hanging paper lanterns. As a famous interior designer on HGTV puts it, "How Divine!"
Visit your local florist for blossoming branches this time of year. Just a few branches in a simple tall vase are enough to brighten any room. For a party feel, cut out butterflies from colored card stock and hang from the branches with thin ribbon for an added accent.
Spring is also the time for spring cleaning, not only for my house but my workplace as well. It's great to reuse old containers in a creative way instead of throwing them out. Tin cans stripped of their paper labels and painted with a solid color (see below) create a makeshift herb garden for the kitchen.
For more color, cover them in wallpaper discards or just place them in different sizes of brown bags and singe them with some raffia. Place the grouping on a windowsill in the kitchen and you will have an instant herb garden.
Old jelly jars are another source of containers for flowers. Place them between two twigs and tied with twine. Filled with flowers, they will exude an air of farmhouse charm. Flower shops always have some sort of specials going on in spring. Tulips will be in bloom soon and the daffodils are following closely so check them out periodically.
Friends of ours are planning to get married in their yard and they decided to line vintage bottles down the reception table. The small intimate party of twenty will be sitting down to a long table set with these vintage bottles. We are planning to put California poppies and feverfew in each of them.
I suggested putting a runner of sod first and then the bottles on the grass. Small votives on the table, some tied with ribbons and hung from the orange trees in the yard, will provide a magical glow for the evening’s festivities.
If you want a more sophisticated look, use old plastic containers from past take-home meals and place them in wood boxes covered in beautiful fabric. Check out the ones from http://www.thebrideandbloom.com/. Depending on the style of boxes, heap mounds of mood moss on the table for a natural look or glass beads for an urban chic feel.
To decorate an Easter table, use old lamp stands or candle sticks as risers for egg-shaped orbs of green, white or lavender button mums, each accented with butterflies made from feathers. Or cover old bottles with a mosaic of egg shells and set several on a table with stems of yellow Asiatic lilies.
Accent the table with more eggs tinted with various colors, set on a bed of colorful shredded paper. For even more color, use polka-dot ribbon to tie onto each chair. Then dangle colored eggs off the ends as tassels.
Whether you are planning a party to celebrate a wedding or just to celebrate spring, recycling is good for the planet, good for your pocketbook and just plain good fun.
