Are you a bright and bold kind of bride? Flora Folk designed and crafted this bright and bold floral headpiece for a photo collaboration with the talented Emma Leslie. The recipe consisted of cyclamen, camellia, violets. roses, poppies, jasmine and an abundance of berries. Hair and Make Up by Angela Brookes.
Last month I was staying in New York with my family when I had the opportunity to be part of an amazing wedding in Red Hook, Brooklyn for one of SAIPUA’s leading ladies, Ashley. It was in this cool ass warehouse venue called Atelier Roquette. Red Hook is still quite an industrial area of Brooklyn but it sits right across from Manhattan on the water, but saying that you feel like you are in a completely different area to New York. It is a bit of a mission to get to from the city but is definitely a cool must go area.
SAIPUA’s shop and studio is also based there and I had the pleasure of meeting all of the team and they were really awesome, inspiring people. Sarah is an absolute character, flower creative genius and so generous in sharing her vision and tips. I wish I could have had the opportunity to attend her workshop with The Little Flower School in Portland on the Bearded Iris Farm.
Seriously, flower arranging to Salt ‘n Pepper blasting is a must. Definitely an experience I’ll never forget.
The first thing that came to mind when Brooke asked me to do her engagement flowers was a ‘wonderland of colour’. Probably because they are both such lovely people and Brooke has such an amazing sense of style. It was a good thing that Brooke was on the same page when it came to the colour palette and had complete trust in what I chose which is any florist’s dream client.
Because I was overseas I didn’t get the chance to do much planning with my flower buying. I knew what I had in mind but with the weather being so warm it was quite unpredictable what would still be available at the markets. That’s the great thing about following florists and growers on Instagram, even though I was out of the loop I could still keep an eye on what was coming in.
Regardless, the alarm still went off at 3:45am on Friday ensuring I arrived at 4:45am to the markets to make sure I could secure the most beautiful local garden roses I could find as my hero flower. And I was pretty damn happy with my score. Bucket loads of them. You should have seen me trying to steer the temperamental trolley through the totally unpractical car park full of dips and crazed forklift drivers. If you needed a licence for pushing one of those I would have failed.
Did I mention that my car handbrake completely snapped the night before? So I had to borrow my Mum’s hatchback and boy you’d be surprised by what you can fit in the back of a hatchback. I kept telling myself if there’s a will there’s a way!
The next two days were filled with mad hatter flower arranging and just want to say a big thanks to my gal Aimee for being my flower assistant for the day. I think she now knows what I mean by being in the 'flower zone’ when arranging, especially when you haven’t had the chance to mock anything up prior.
The engagement party was held at Manly Winesuites part of Manly Wine and had the most spectacular views. The arrangements were made up of lush greenery, cumquats, the most colourful garden roses you will ever see, delphinium, poppies, sweet pea, lemon lisianthus, frilled tulips and begonia.
Believe me when I say there are Tulips everywhere in New York right now. The sidewalks, Central Park, community gardens, the flower markets, metro entries, here, there and everywhere. I have been trying with all my might not to go on a Tulip picking frenzy especially when there are the prettiest varieties sitting right there under my nose on mass. But I get it they are there to be adored by the walker by-ers, the fast paced New Yorkers.
Not many people in this city have gardens so I can imagine why there are the many volunteers that go around the city bringing the garden to the urbanscape for everyone to enjoy. In my last week of being here they are slowly starting to fade away in the gardens, the gardeners are pulling away the fallen blooms and replanting new varieties to go into the Summer. Wish I could stick around to see what’s next in bloom for the people of New York.
Head on over to the Makers Society blog to read my latest post and photo diary of the Chelsea Flower Markets in New York, here’s a preview of some of my favorite snaps
I am in absolute awe walking the streets and parks of New York at the moment. The most stunning Cherry Blossom or ‘Sakura’ trees are like no other I have seen before, all their own individual selves. And then you have the thousands of dropped petals that fly in the wind up through the streets like a delicate pink snow storm. Just beautiful.
The Cherry Blossoms were first brought to the United States as a gift of friendship from Japan in 1912 and now they have become iconic in New York. The New Yorkers celebrate their flowering with a range of 'Sakura’ festivals on offer. The most lavish festival is in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on the last weekend of April and includes all kinds of Japanese cultural activities including music, art, Children’s workshops and of course the beautiful blossom trees.
If you can’t manage to make a festival you'l find many of them spread around the city, Central Park and Riverside along the Hudson River.
Autumn is a beautiful time of the year when you get that crisp air in the morning and afternoons, the leaves are turning orange and a little fragile bloom by the name of Camellia starts to show her pretty face.
As a cut flower they are one of the most delicate to work with as they drop very easily. If using them for an arrangement they need to be used as soon as possible from when they are picked, literally straight from the flower farm. If you can pull it off the hard work is worth it as you will rarely find them in your everyday arrangement.
The positive thing is that you will find them in many gardens around Sydney and quite possibly your own backyard. I like to cut a single stem to go in a bud vase to place in the bathroom or bedside table or on the table for afternoon tea.
Amongst a bunch of white garden roses was one little odd rose, covered with pink blemishes. It was plucked out and disregarded for the arrangements as it was not as beautiful as the others. But as the rose bloomed it turned into a gracious swan of a rose, a beautiful pink one.
I recently went exploring in the Everglades Historic Gardens in Leura, in the Blue Mountains. Set on 12 acres of land looking over the spectacular Jamison Valley, you can spend hours getting lost amongst the blooms, plants, veggie gardens and tea house. In springtime you will find wisteria lined paths, cherry blossoms, azalea bushes and flowering dogwood. In the summertime there are mountains and clouds of multicoloured hydrangeas, roses, dahilas and the lushest greenery you will find.
The 1930s tea house is beautiful with wrought iron tables and chairs set amongst the garden where you can enjoy a lovely Devonshire tea . I truely felt like Alice in Wonderland in this place having a mad hatters tea party.
And what better way to finish than with one of my favourite Alice in Wonderland quotes:
“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”
-Alice in Wonderland
Christmas at my house will be filled with arrangements of Christmas Bush, Gum Garlands and other bits and bobs. Australian Natives always remind me of this time of year: the warmth, cicadas and family. Natives are always a great choice in the hot Australian Summer if you want a flower you can rely on to withstand the heat. Make sure you decorate your Chrissy lunch table with some beautiful blooms and have fabulous and happy holidays!
So much inspiration was found in a recent trip to New Orleans wandering the streets of the French Quarter and the Garden District. Beautiful hanging flower baskets from the verandas, massive overgrown Boston ferns and blossoming Magnolia trees. Everything from the flowers, gardens, music, food and people was amazing. Definitely one of my favourite places crossed off from the bucket list.
“‘I like flowers + simplicity’”
‘The Flower Recipe Book’ by Studio Choo is a must have, made up of cute recipes for flower arrangements which is just so lovely. You get a little overview of some of the basic tools that you need to work with in floristry and recommendations of flower materials to be your key ingredients. If you love that wild arrangement look and need some great tips then this book is for you.
If you love flowers, like me, then this is the place for you. Here I will be sharing my journey and love for FLORA!
Follow our flowering journey….