Summer Colors in October in the Pacific Northwest

This is why I can't buy mums. I mean, I buy mums but they are for my mom's patio. At my house, east of Seattle, it is October 21 and the roses and sweet peas are still producing bloom after bloom. We haven't had a freeze. The deer are being reasonable (for now). And I have more pink, yellow and dayglo pink buds coming. It's glorious, but it is not a Fall palette. Mums would look dumb. 

My sideboard, however, looks amazing with sweet peas and roses afire in a Target Magnolia Hearth & Home propagation vase. Fall is Relative.

#fallpalette #summercolors #propagationvase #chemistrytubevase

Unusual Vases: Showcase Color from Vase to Bloom

Remember when I went "vase" shopping in the canned food section of Uwajimaya in Seattle?  Well this beautiful almond jelly can was one of my purchases.  I couldn't resist the pink ombre label and graphics on the can.

When I was passing the floral department of the grocery store, I found these unusual carnations and tight raspberry rose buds in separate packages in the clearance section. It was kismet. 

I always put a plain drinking glass inside of the tin to avoid any water/rust and Voila! It looked so pretty that it inspired me to pull out my 3 antique lustre teacups and sandwich plates. 

Who wants to come for tea? 

#uwajimaya #unusualvases #flowersfixeverything #visualvitamins

Northwest Flower and Garden Festival: I Know You'll Love It

As a new girl in the Pacific Northwest, the garden learning curve is steep. It’s exciting to move to a more temperate zone (from 6a to 8b) but my new-construction house and square lawn means my garden is truly a blank slate.

Where did I start learning about my new climate? The NorthwestFlower & Garden Festival in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center February 20-24, 2019. My experience with the show began in the press room with incredibly kind members of the GWA: Association of Garden Writers (now known as GardenComm).

As a blogger, I was thrilled to cover this famous show. I have self-published 3 books that highlight my love of flower arranging, gardening, edible flowers and floral portraits.  My mission as a writer and photographer is to dissolve the barrier between busy American women, who get their information and inspiration through their phones, and the “you-need-to-know-a-lot” world of horticulture.

In addition to blogging, I am an artist/photographer and I was carrying one of my DELIGHT magazine bags (the "Loving Roses" issue). It caught the eye of GWA members Marianne Binetti and Mary-Kate Mackey. We all started talking and the next thing I knew, they were introducing me to everyone in the press room and encouraging me to come to the GWA Connect Meeting the next night. I met a whirl of members who echoed a message of “I’m so glad you joined!” They were supportive of my work and how I fit into the new definition of garden communicating.

It’s two years later now and I feel like I’ve found long-lost cousins. We speak the same language and love the same things. I walk into the Washington Convention Center every February and I am back at a botanical family reunion, hugging those I’ve gotten to know better through Facebook and introducing myself to names I only know on-screen. It is fantastic. I am also a new Regional Director for GWA/GardenComm and I am honored to help enrich this dynamic group.

My personal mission is to get more people to attend and love the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. I want you to buy two tickets (early bird pricing is still available) and make plans with a friend to attend the show. You will be inspired and delighted. I promise. Continue reading this post to see just what the show is like.

From my perspective, the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival covers the intersections of all the things I love. Cakes that look like birch trees; air plants arranged like wallpaper and blown glass vegetables that add visual vitamins to any kitchen. It is impossible not to be inspired.

("Father's Day" by Nature Perfect Landscape & Design 2018)

At the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, I start my week with the media tour.  Trying to absorb and photograph each of 16 grand show gardens in a manner of minutes is difficult. We all appreciate Marianne Binetti’s insight and coaching to keep our lenses focused on the important elements and story-telling details. Last year’s theme was “Garden Party,” a celebration in honor of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show’s 30th year. Built by some of the region’s best designers and landscape professionals, these show gardens are a breath of fresh air.  The outside is brought indoors. Green grass, blooming trees, water flowing, camellias flowering and a carpet of bulbs in bloom – it is the reassurance of spring that we all need in February.

("For the Apple of My Eye" by Avid Landscape Design & Devel 2018)

The first full day of the show (this year: Weds Feb 20), I usually walk the floor with my mom. We admire the show gardens, search for seeds, investigate a vertical aero-growing system and buy beeswax candles. When we stop for lunch, we always end up sharing a table with other plant lovers and these local gardeners give great advice.

(Sedum Chicks booth)

Another fun part of the show is the Vintage Garden Market—booths crammed with up-cycled and vintage items, often planted with primulas or violets. Charming and fresh, this section of the show inspires us all to work with what we have, to create meaningful and storied displays in our home. I am weak and I usually buy vintage Pyrex, antique tins and charming garden ephemera.

For Writers & Influencers, Thursday begins early with an informal Tweet-Up, linking social media with garden blogging, networking, and swag. The house lights are up and the phones are out. After leaving our mark online (#NWFGS and #springinfeb), I concentrate on the vendors in the Marketplace, where French linens, Victorian greenhouses, and glass garden art prove that the show had something for everyone.

(Secrets in the Attic booth)

Last year I spent an hour at Debra Lee Baldwin’s seminar about caring for succulents in the Pacific Northwest. The breadth of content covered in the seminars is staggering and more than half of the speakers are GWA (now known as GardenComm) members. I think it’s wonderful that attendees can learn as much about design and the use of color in the garden, as they can about shade, drainage, and soil pH. Pick a class, any class, they are all free to attendees.

That same afternoon, I sat in on a session of Floral Wars. Gina Thresher, AIFD took on Jon Robert Throne, AIFD in a healthy floral design competition. Presented by American Grown Flowers, Floral Wars was hosted by Debra Prinzing of SlowFlowers.com. Debra answered questions and encouraged the designers to share tips and tricks during their speed rounds creating a bridal bouquet, grand foyer arrangement and trendy floral crown. The crowd loved this event and we all left with a greater appreciation for texture and scale used in floral design.

May you all find time to attend the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival this year; I know that you will love it and you must share what inspired you. I hope you have a wonderful growing season ahead of you and may the internet connect us like far-flung cousins until we meet again, hopefully at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. 

I always carry one of my ANA Delight totes, so you’ll know its me. Please say Hi!

#NWFGS #springinfeb #momentsofdelight #gardencomm #gwa #gardenlife #gardenlover #gardencommunicators #gardenphotography #gardenwriter 

Some Roses, Pincushion Flowers and Love

I love a little bubble gum pink rose, don't you? This happy arrangement is comprised of an inexpensive mystery rose I bought at a garden center, verbena, lavender and the showstopper, deep blue scabiosa (pincushion flower) from my visit to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. 

I made this bouquet 5 days into owning the scabiosa, so the petals are a little tired, but the color is true!

#flowerarranging #seattle #momentsofdelight #visualvitamins #roses #gardener #coloriseverything

Seattle Wholesale Growers Market: Can You Hear My Heart A Flutter

Sometimes you walk into a new place and see something that confirms you're in the right place. My oh my, look at this kaleidoscope of color. Fresh and fragrant roses on display at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. 

I have wanted to visit this private wholesale market for ages. I follow them on Instagram @seattlewholesalegrowersmarket so I am reminded regularly of their beautiful and unusual offerings.

On the website, the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market describe themselves as "a co-operative of flower growers and all year round we bring the best flowers in the Pacific Northwest to our member-owned market." The market is open to the public on Fridays from 10-12. 

My 2 college friends, Tracy & Kerry, were in town last week. The day we set aside to tour Seattle coincided with the public day at the market. Get in the car!  

Though this morning is open to the public, the wholesale pricing is reserved for the professionals, which is only fair. I loved walking around the booths and seeing flowers right out of the field. These deep blue scabiosa (or Pincushion flower) won me over and I bought a bundle from Ojeda Farms in Ethel, WA.  

When I was in line to pay, I had to photograph this florist's cart. She had combed the market and selected a riot of color and texture for her client. Go girl go!

#seattlewholesalegrowersmarket #seattle #flowerarranging #slowflowers #smallbusiness #floralstory #flowers #growers #farmers #floralfarmers

Test Tube Vase Highlights Zinninas

I bought this bunch of zinnias for $7 at the Ballard Farmers Market. The blossom heads are small so the overall scale is perfect for this vase from Pottery Barn that is essentially a dull gold wire circle holding test tubes.

One type of flower in many shades in a circle. Simple but stunning.

#testtubes #potterybarn #flowerarranging

Rose Bouquet: Apricot Candy

How do I elevate a hastily prepared meal? We eat outside! Pretty place mats and flowers elevate an everyday dinner. Plus, everything tastes better outside, don't you think?

Flower Arranging: A New Kind of Layering

When I try something new and it is a success, you are the first to know. My blog is a chronicle of my life and the things that I think will bring you delight.

Do you have a clematis vine? My purple clematis (it looks like it could be the Bonanza Clematis??) blooms faithfully every summer and on good days, you can see a few purple blooms wafting on the vine when standing in our family room. I love when a plan comes together. 

Anyhoo, I wanted to use the clematis in an arrangement in the kitchen and in a moment of clarity, I tucked a small rose into the center of the flat clematis bloom. I tucked the stem in between 2 petals and floated it in a beautiful open floral bowl. I added a few clematis leaves and put out placemats in the same color family. I love this arrangement!

Have you ever tried layering blooms?

Sorticulture: Art, Culture and Horticulture in Everett, WA

This year we spent a chilly Sunday in June at an event called Sorticulture in Everett, Washington. Sorticulture was explained to me as being an outdoor event that is sort of Art, sort of Cultural and sort of Horticultural. 

The longer I live, the more I realize that I am not drawn to garden art per se and that the colors I respond to in the garden definitely come from the flowers themselves. If you love garden art, signs and glass, this is the show for you.

One vendor stood out to me. She had an unusual take on wind chimes. Glassafras Creations BY Leslie McGinnis (mcginnisl@frontier.com) makes the silverware based wind chimes shown in the first picture. They were delicate and very pretty.

While live music wafted across the park, the happy crowd wandered past loads of vendors selling every imaginable type of garden art, garden markers and actual plants. It is really a lovely show and I recommend it. 

Lavender Hills Farm had a tent filled with beautiful lavender items made from the lavender they grow in Sequim, Washington. Their farm is not open to the public; they find that coming to shows in the area is the best way to reach their lavender-loving customers, so check their website to see their show schedule. They were selling lavender cookies, antique hankies-turned-pillows filled with lavender buds and beautiful cards with lavender field inspired artwork. As you can see above, they also sell lavender buds by the bag for your pleasure.

I can live here now. I've found a source for large healthy David Austin English Rose buses. The Antique Rose Company (McElhose Family) has a farm on Springhetti Road in Snohomish, Washington. Look at the masterpiece above that they brought to this show. If I had dirt, she would be mine.

This is a view of the rose glory the Antique Rose Farm brought to Sorticulture. Thank you; thank you. Learning about your farm made my day.

This open air art and garden show is a wonderful way to spend part of your weekend. The organizers have taken great pains to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. There are food trucks and plenty of picnic benches to sit on. I notice a young women taking a photo of this flower arrangement (in a coffee can!). These bouquets were on every other picnic table and really added a "you've come to a garden party" feel to the show. When I started talking to the woman taking the picture, she said. "I think my grandma made these arrangements. They look just like her." That statement got me.

Would someone know you by the flowers you'd arranged?

Flower Arranging: When Dessert is Edible Flowers

Tah-dah! This is what happens when I find edible flowers at the farmers market! I make impromptu cupcakes, just to have somewhere to showcase them!

I was at the West Seattle farmers market on Sunday and I was drawn to a bag of fresh mixed greens that had edible flowers among them. I had never seen someone sell them that way and I was hoping to find more flowers in her stand. I was right. She had bags of edible flower blossoms, by color! 

When she started to get some out for me, she asked how many I needed and of what color? Oh, I don't know, 10? A few of each? I am probably just going to amuse myself by making cupcakes and sticking one on each. She seemed to love that, so I gave her my card so that she could look up the blog and see her flowers in action.

My mistake? I didn't get her card to be able to point people back to her stand to buy edible flowers. Honey, if you see this, message me here or at anneheldreeves@hotmail.com and I'll give your farm stand proper credit.

And, THANK YOU! They were delicious!

Christening Cup: Little George Turns Two

Prince George turns 2 today! His sweet face makes standing in the grocery checkout line more bearable - you can see official pictures of him here. In honor of his royal birthday, I've arranged some flowers in his christening cup.  

The blue of the flower (why can't I think of it's name?) is closer to that of the cup in real life and paired with apricot roses, I've got quite a sweet little bouquet. 

Would you like some commemorative royal china? You can purchase some beautiful pieces here.

Bottle Bouquet: A Beautiful Way to Blend Natural Colors

Isn't this lovely? Sometimes we need a reminder that the colors and textures of a flower arrangement doesn't always need to relate back to another part of the arrangement.  We took what was blooming and placed a stem or two in each glass bottle. During the course of the week, as a flower faded, we replaced it with another. It was an ever changing touch of color in the kitchen. Visual Vitamins, indeed. 

I believe that this bottle carrier for flowers was found at Pottery Barn years ago. You can order a similar flower arranging item here. I just love how natural it looks. 

Hey Sugar: A Flower Arrangement to Delight

My mom gets all the credit for this lovely display. She found the antique canisters (tea, coffee, oatmeal) at an antique show. She knew that they would make darling vases. All she had to do was wait for the hydrangeas and roses to bloom and Voila!

Arranging tablescapes is part of the fun of being up at the cottage. Every few days we change from placemats to tablecloths, from nautical blues to vintage pastels and make a flower arrangement to suit.

I assure you, everything tastes better with a centerpiece like this.

Visual Vitamins: Peonies with the color of Grace

A graceful bouquet. I was at Pike Place Market on Mother's Day and I made up a bouquet for myself with 3 peachy pink peonies with yellow stamen and 5 yellow tulips with pink at the base of each bloom. They looked better than I could have imagined and as they aged, their color faded and I liked the arrangement even more.

Flowers are visual vitamins and you will benefit from a dose every day.

Seattle: Pike Place Market: A Floral Corridor to Make You Swoon

Yes, it was pretty much the best day ever. I was back in Seattle with Dan and we had a Saturday all to ourselves.  Since flowers are my oxygen, we planned our day around a stop at Pike Place Market on the waterfront in Seattle.

I bought the bouquet above because I couldn't resist one last chance at pink tulips. The season was early here this year and I know that they are almost gone. Plus the bouquet had white lilacs and real pussy willow branches. I was holding the best of Spring in my arms.

The second bouquet I chose looked so completely French and fabulous that I couldn't resist it. Enormous orange/green parrot tulips (the size of water goblets!) and white/green parrot tulips with fresh greens and white/peach daffodils. This bouquet belongs in the finest French restaurant. Dramatic, yet believable, this arrangement had to come home with me.

There were bulk tulips for sale - typically $1 per stem

There were bouquets dedicated to every shade of purple... 

Some bouquets looked like bridal arrangements in pink and peach...

I just learned that Mother's Day Weekend is the Pike Place Market Flower Festival.  How could they possibly have more flowers than this? I can't wait to see. I'll be your eyes and ears and report back.

Mother Nature was showing off. Cameras rule along this floral corridor and it was fun to overhear the comments. My favorite was when a young woman exclaimed, "Wait...is that a tulip?" pointing to a cluster of double tulips (aka peony tulips). The vendor and I said "Yes!" in unison.

When I am in a place like this I really have to use willpower. Not to resist buying too many flowers. No, I need willpower to keep myself from climbing behind the tables and helping the women make more bouquets. 

I can imagine the heady feeling of having buckets and buckets of tulips at my disposal and the day ahead of me to invent color and texture combinations to make people swoon.  

Floral Storytelling: Let Reinhardt Blooms Craft An Unforgettable Floral Story

Pinch me. Katie Wachowiak of Reinhardt Blooms, gave me a private tour of her family's flower farm. Can you think of anything more wonderful? Rows and rows of my heart's delight.

(zinnias)

I tried to be respectful of the time, talent and toll that farming can take on a person during the summer months.  I can't imagine the hours required to tend 30 acres of Michigan farmland, knowing that Katie and her parents grow over 100 different varieties that they provide to florists and farmers markets, as well as creating custom arrangements through their floral design service. I envy the beauty they have at their fingertips each day.

(My version of Where Women Create - this is an inspiring wall inside

 Katie's Floral Design Studio.)

(snapdragons)

It was my new friend, Karen, that led me to Reinhardt Blooms. Remember when I was driving up north and got caught in a tornado? It was in the basement of Karen's house that she showed me photos of her friend's floral bouquets. Katie's formal floral arrangements were worthy of being painted by the Dutch masters and I asked Karen to tell her I said so.

Fast forward to another trip past Kawkawlin on my way home from the cottage a few weeks ago, when Karen had arranged for me to meet Katie and see Reinhardt Blooms. The photos and arrangements are Katie's, so I insist you click over to her webpage and see some of her work. This is Floral Storytelling at its best.

(cosmos)

I know that Reinhardt Blooms designs for clients all over Southeastern Michigan, so please don't hesitate to contact Katie for a consultation. I've seen many photos of her arrangements and love everything that she does.

In other happy news, during the summer months, Reinhardt Blooms sells at the Port Austin, Rochester, Royal Oak, and Birmingham farmers markets on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I can't wait to visit Katie at the Birmingham farmers market on Sundays and buy armloads of flowers from her.

Meet me there?

Small But Mighty: The Charm of a Teacup Bouquet

With a sudden chill in the air in Michigan, everyone's garden is winding down. Don't forget that you can still coax a few bouquets out of the garden, you just have to think smaller. 

I selected this antique teacup from china hutch. This was my maternal grandmother's and the cup and saucer are candlelight white with lace detail. I only needed a few small roses from the garden to make a lovely teacup bouquet for the front table. It may be small, but it has big impact.

Have you ever made a tiny flower arrangement? I bet your grandmother would approve of a teacup bouquet.

Spoiled by Mother Nature: My Birthday Bouquet

She did it again. I've being spoiled by Mother Nature, who came up with these beautiful flowers just in time for my birthday. 

Daybreaker roses, David Austin Abraham Darby roses, Bill Warriner roses, coral verbena, fresh mint arranged in a Lychee can from the Asian market in Seattle.

Paper Lace and Petals: When Part of the Picture is Enough

So pretty! Just a corner of the intended photograph is enough to show you how sweet this arrangement is.  I have a new camera and it has a feature that creates an echo photo with just part of the original image.  I usually discount it, but today it is too beautiful not to share.  A bit of paper lace and a few perfect petals. Cropping or framing is so important in photography. This proves my point.

I couldn't resist putting a square paper lace doily under this arrangement of lace cap hydrangeas, yarrow, zinnias and lavender. Swoon. 

Juice Can Bouquets: Upcycling is Beautiful

I love this bouquet every time I walk through the family room.  My master plan is all coming together in the form of beautiful flower arrangements.

Remember when I visited Uwajimaya in Seattle and shopped for interesting Japanese juice cans? This can is a yellow and purple Sugar Cane drink marked Puli Specialty product of Taiwan. I absolutely love it and the flowers I found in bloom were just what I had in mind for it. Success!

Instead of a traditional glass vase, I love having texture, pattern and color as the foundation for my small flower arrangements.  If I had my own flower shop, I know that these would fly off the shelves.

I am home and able to pull from my own garden to make juice can bouquets. This arrangement has Honey Dijon roses, purple verbena and a sprig of mint.

If I do one thing this summer, it should be to convince you to put flowers in soda or juice cans.  Will you?