Flower of the Month: Stock

For January, let's talk about stock. What a terrible name for an all-around great flower! It has clusters of small florets on a spike with a single stem. Their sweet clove-like fragrance and eye-catching texture make them a great addition to any arrangement. Floral designers love them because they can add line and mass to an arrangement. They come in white, cream, yellow, peach, pink, red or lilac. They are relatively cheap and available year-round with January through October as the peak season. Unfortunately, stock is susceptible to mildew, so changing the water daily and removing foliage below the water line are key tasks.

Some of my arrangements using stock:

Flower of the Month: Calla Lily

December (and 2014) ends in a couple of days, so it's probably a good idea to finally write about this month's flower, which is the elegant and dramatic calla lilies.

I don't just love them for their good looks. They're great because they're quite low-maintenance. The stems absorb and hold water, which is why they have such a long vase life. They do benefit from a stem trim every few days because the ends of the stems can get clogged. They're hardy too, which make them perfect for corsages and boutonnieres.

They're available year-round, but late winter to late spring is the peak season. When I buy them at the grocery stores or wholesaler, I simply checked that there are no bruising or pollination. Unfortunately, they're quite expensive, so I try not to use them too often.

Thanks for reading! Happy New Year to all!

Calla lilies look magnificent on their own

They also look great as accent flowers

I love them so much! Proof: my wedding bouquet comprised of these flowers

Flower of the Month: Pin Cushion Protea

For November, I'm highlighting one of my favorite flowers--pin cushion protea. One of my favorites because it's unusual-looking yet stunning. Definitely show-stoppers! This flower is named so because it looks like a pincushion filled with pins. It also reminds me of fireworks or sea life. They come in red, orange and yellow.

Fun facts about pin cushion protea:

• it is a member of one of the oldest families of flowers on earth, dating back 300 million years
• a symbol of transformation, diversity and courage
• peak seasons are late spring and autumn when the flowers yield a much bigger head
• native to South Africa and grow like hedges in dry, mountainous regions 

 I love these flowers on their own and composed with other flowers in arrangements (to add some whimsy).

at the flower market 

A red pincushion protea adding a pop of a red in an autumn-inpired arrangement

Flower of the Month: Sunflower

For October, let's talk about sunflowers. I can't help but smile when they're around. Besides bringing cheer and warmth to the room, they are economically important as they are a source of oil, dye and seeds for us. They are mostly available in the summer but also available in the spring and fall. I love using them as a focal flower in rustic arrangements, and even just one stem is impactful! Some arrangements I've created for my home with sunflowers and any leftover flowers I had on hand:

Flower of the Month: Hydrangea

Welcome to another installment of Flower of the Month! For this month, let's highlight the beautiful summer/early fall flower, hydrangeas! These days, they are blooming everywhere in the neighborhood. I think most florists have a love/hate relationship with them. They wilt easily and need additional prep work to last. But with their large, round blooms, hydrangeas are gorgeous as a base flower in arrangements. They provide a cushion for other flowers in place.

Below are some hydrangea-specific conditioning tips I've learned in the past:

1. As with other flowers, cut stems in an angle. But I also cut up the center for the stems for additional water absorption. Hydrangeas LOVE water (in fact, hydrangea translates to "water barrel" in Greek). 
2. Revive wilted hydrangeas by submerging them in water for a few hours. Fill a tub or deep bucket with tepid water and then place the flowers lying down in the water. As mentioned above, they love water and need to drink from the top, too.  
3. Believe it or not, alum, the spice, is a hydrangea's best friend. Sometimes when you cut hydrangeas, they form a sticky substance over the cut that prevents the flower from drinking water.  Alum prevents that sticky substance. After cutting the stem, immediately place the bottom 1/2″ of the stem in the alum and then arrange as usual. This spice does turn the water dark, so it's best to use an opaque vase when making an arrangement.

at the flower market

at the High Line

a large scale arrangement with lace cap hydrangeas I made at FlowerSchool NY

Flower of the Month: Dahlia

For August, let's talk about dahlias, which are, in my opinion, truly works of art! The dahlia comes in lots of varieties, sizes (from small, ball types to dinner-plate types) and colors (red, white, yellow, orange, burgundy and fuchsia). Because of their tremendous beauty, just a single stem in a small vase looks spectacular. I also have a soft spot for this flower because as previously mentioned, I started learning floral design last summer. As they start to bloom here during the middle to late summer, I practiced a lot with making floral arrangements using dahlias, which were plentiful at the local farmers' market when I was initially learning how to design.

Some tips I've learned about buying and arranging with them:
1. They start to wilt from the outer petals toward the center, so I check the back of the flowers for freshness.

2. They wilt easily. It helps to get rid of foliage to make them last longer.

3. Unfortunately, vase life is around 5 days.

Here are dahlia photos from my visit last week to the Biltmore House, the awe-inspiring family home built by George and Edith Vanderbilt. What a spectacular place! I highly recommend a visit if you are ever near Asheville, NC area. It was mind-blowing to walk around the garden, and this time of the year, the dahlias were showing off.

check out the bees on the above picture

Flower of the month: garden roses

First, I can't believe it's already July! 2014 is flying by!

This month, let's celebrate roses, one of my favorite flowers to arrange with and arguably the most popular flower of all time. There are hundreds of types of roses in so many colors. They traditionally thought to have a beautiful scent, but unfortunately, most varieties available these days for commercial purposes have no scent at all (to lengthen vase life). If you like your roses to have that sweet fragrance, I recommend purchasing garden roses (sometimes referred to as cabbage roses or old-fashioned roses).

As for purchasing roses at the grocery store or at the flower market, I look for outer petals that are beginning to unfold and check to see if the middle of the rose is slightly firm to the touch, with a closed swirl of petals. Then when I get home, I condition them immediately to maximize their life. I cut the stem at a sharp angle, remove thorns and any leaves with will be below the water level, dip the stem in Quick Dip and then immediately, place in a bucket of stem with tepid, clean water.

One of the most beautiful, peaceful space in downtown Evanston--Merrick Rose Garden:

Flower of the month: peonies

For June, let's honor peonies! This time of year, I see them everywhere--neighbors' gardens, farmers' markets, flower shops and grocery stores. They make an exceptional cut flower. They're quite simple to arrange and really make a florist's job easy. Their large blossoms and sturdy stems make an excellent addition to any bouquet. Just a single stem in a small vase is gorgeous. Some brides purposely select a wedding date in May or June so they're able to use peonies in their wedding, and I don't blame them. They're so feminine and full of beauty. I'm also in love with their sweet scent. Unfortunately, they are expensive as their bloom time is only a few weeks.

As for tips, here are a few:
1. They drink a lot of water, which makes it especially important to refresh the vase daily with clean water.
2. Ideally, they should be cut or purchased in bud stage (about the size of a tennis ball), but the bud should not be too tight as it may be a sign that the flower was picked prematurely.
3. If harvesting from your own garden (lucky you!), clip them early in the morning or late in the evening when they are most hydrated.

 peony arrangement with daffodils, snapdragons, and lilac 

a simple arrangement of pink peonies. photo taken towards the end of the flowers' life span. still so beautiful.

at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where they have millions of peonies in bloom right now

more peonies at the Chicago Botanic Garden 

yup, peonies at the Chicago Botanic Garden 

my pug, Manny, in front of peony plants near our house (he was very excited to take this picture as you can tell) 

a bouquet of white peonies with another one of my favorite, mock orange. this arrangement smelled like paradise.

Flower of the month: tulips

This month’s flower is the tulip, which to me, just symbolizes May like no other flower. In my opinion,  a Mother’s Day arrangement would not be complete without them. I’ve been loving seeing tulips all over--in neighbors' yards, at markets, at public gardens, etc.

These flowers have been cultivated in Holland for so long that most of the world is under the mistaken impression that the tulip is a Dutch native. In reality, they originated around the area of central Asia (now Turkey) and were brought to The Netherlands in the 1500s.

They come in all colors except blue.

Vase life is about five days. The French variety will last seven days or longer.

As for an arranging tip, tulips continue to grow after they’ve been cut. So it’s a must to leave enough room for them in the vessel to grow.

Photos I took last week of tulips at the Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL.

Flower of the month: daffodils

This month, we are celebrating daffodils (or narcissus if you speak Latin!). I love them mainly because they are some of the first flowers to appear after a long, snowy and cold winter. Bright yellow daffodils poking their heads above snow-covered ground is a promise of warmer, sunnier days ahead!

 a simple arrangement of daffodils at home

Scenes from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Daffodils are currently in bloom at the botanic garden as well as around town.

Flower of the month: ranunculus

I've decided to start a new series on this blog: each month, I will highlight one of my favorite flowers of the season.  

For the month of March, it's the beautiful ranunculus, a predominantly spring flower. I absolutely love ranunculus. They resemble small garden roses and peonies with petals like tissues and a mild scent. They come in a variety of colors except for blue and black. They have delicate and hollow stems, which are unfortunately prone to breaking. It's also prone to rotting, so the water level in the vase needs to be kept low. Water should also be changed often. If cared for properly, their vase life is 7 to 10 days. They're high-maintenance flowers but so pretty and definitely worth it! 

 at the flower mart

boutonniere 

an arrangement with stock and dusty miller