Design In Bloom Blog

Happy Holidays!  It's true - another year has gone by and we're again facing the most wonderful time of the year.  In honor of the timing of this post, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I thought a little autumn was in order before we completely turn things over to the red and green, silver and gold of the Christmas season. Molly & Scott were a terrific couple to work with, and their late October wedding was a beautiful testament to the season.  The backdrop was The Piedmont Club in Haymarket, which was particularly glorious on that fall day. The bridal bouquet was a blend of sherbet-y orange and smokey peaches, Free Spirit and Freedom roses with a rich mango red mini calla, green hypericum, dark red dahlias and a little curly willow for accent.  The dahlias and curly willow were both grown at local farms. The boutonnieres and corsages were a mix of the best the season had to offer, including panicum grass seed plumes and locally grown wheat. ...

As a gardener and one who makes her living with flowers, Spring is my favorite time of year.  The promise of another gardening season filled with a riot of color, fragrance and work!  Yes, it's true, I look forward to the work as much as I look forward to reaping the rewards.  It's very soul satisfying when you uncover a bunch of bouquets you're delivering and the Mother of the Bride quickly and loudly takes a breath in surprise and delight, and starts to tear up a little (true story, happened this weekend).  It's just as satisfying, but in a more earthy all-about-me way when I can sit with a beverage after that delivery, in my garden, and appreciate a job well done (while noticing the edging, weeding, and planting that still has to happen).  Spring is a time of promise, when the entire wedding and gardening year is before you, and you just know it's going to be a great year! Here's some of the work we've already accomplished this year, starting early in F...

I love Martha Stewart and reading the newest issue of Weddings very often inspires and informs.  She’s so crafty!  BUT, she’s also not at all interested in keeping within a reasonable budget for your wedding.  One of the recent issues has Blake Lively’s bouquet on it from her wedding to Ryan Reynolds.  Oo la la!  It’s masterpiece - lush garden blooms in pale colors accented by jasmine vines and a beautiful duchesse satin vintage ribbon.  $300, easy, probably more.  If this is your budget, great!  I’d love to re-create this for you.  If you want to avoid the Martha Effect, be open to floral substitutions that will mimic the design, without costing a fortune.  Your bouquet is one area where you should get what you want, but you shouldn’t need a second mortgage to do it.   I found this similar bouquet while Googling for Images.  Its design is attributed to Flowers by Fudgie out of Sarasota, Florida.  You’ll notice ...

This past Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate  in the Private Event Open House at The Piedmont Club in Haymarket, Virginia.  It's a lovely venue with the Clubhouse overlooking the golf course and multiple patios that make ceremonies and cocktail hours special (you should see  their new patio sets, gorgeous!  Fire pits included!).  I love to participate in these 'bridal shows' as they give me a chance to meet so many brides and talk about my favorite subject for hours.  It's always inspiring to hear what brides are planning, and perhaps interject a thought or two to help them along with the process. Since the budget for flowers and decor can be so daunting - I put together a little handout of the designs we brought to the party, and the cost for them as designed.  This was handed out to anyone who came to have a chat with me (and some couples that I foisted it upon!) with the caveat that these prices are variable - as with most t...

The first post of a brand spanking new blog should be something fabulous, no?  The best way I can think of to introduce Design in Bloom is to re-cap a little of the work we've done over the past year.  Enjoy the show! Disclaimer: my talents do not run to photography (I'm taking a class to fix that) so unless otherwise noted, all pictures have been taken by myself or one of my fabulous co-conspirators.