Lil' Ol' Country Bukay

Here's a bouquet I arranged for Town and Country's latest Wedding's Issue on stands now :)
Always honored to be in their beautiful spreads!. This fine gal features the ever gratifying Juliette David Austin Garden roses surrounded by (this year's favored foliage) Dusty Miller, feathery dark Agonis leaves, Celosia Specata, Black Scabbiossa blossoms with their pods, Astilbe, Fuschias and Seeded Eucalyptus with foliage.

Cocktails Anyone?

A mass of Dinnerplate Dahlias in a crystal vase serve as a focal point in the Townhouse residence decorated by Mona Ross Berman.
Mona asked for some arrangements for the cocktail party she hosted at this lovely townhouse on the Upper West Side. She asked me for something lush but controlled. I opted for these flirty Dahlias. In the foyer we also kept it restrained but cheerful and seasonal with Crab Apple Branches and Lace cap hydrangea. There's a time and a place for different styles of flower decorations, the trick is knowing which is appropriate and when.

Power Dial

Flower arranging is an art unto itself with elements of painting, sculpture and collage. It fills the senses with color, shape, fragrance. If I had to rename it I'd call it sculptural collage and if it wasn't as ephemeral as it is we would surely visit exhibitions of Flower Artists with long articles written by critics over the success or failure of the displays.
Collage is the closest thing we have to a waking dream state. Have I ever mentioned my favorite medium? Photo collage. It invents it's own symbolic language. This collage snapped at 1st Dibs reflects the feeling I get with every job, every call, every proposal. All engines engaged! Let's make it happen! Only wish I looked as fair, pretty and seductive as the young gamine shown here. I want her hair too!

A Rainy Spring Afternoon.....Earlier this year

Photographs by Roey Yohai

These photos are from a wedding we produced at the Chelsea Mansion this past June. The setting was spectacular and the flowers that time of year were a celebration of color and delicacy. I was hoping to have this wedding chosen for an editorial spread and therefore hadn't posted the photos earlier. But as promised, here are a few. More can be viewed on Flickr. Our very talented team adorned the tent in swags of dense garland made of bush ivy and tree fern which were twirled around the the central poles and masses of Autumn Clematis, Lace cap Hydrangea and Mock Orange added which plumed out over the tables below. Antique cloche votive holders were suspended from the swags and illuminated the tables which were laden with various styles of arrangements ranging from towering candelabras cascading with Jasmine, Passion vine and Eucalyptus over an assortment of antique silver vessels all with the choicest of seasonal specimen (Garden roses, Lupine, Peonies) to groupings of mercury glass candle holders and tiered glass dishes or wrough iron urns. Over the top would be an appropriate description but over the top with an uninhibited and tasteful approach. The inspiration came from the old Dutch Masters paintings hanging in the parlors of the mansion. We aimed to honored those painters with our sumptuous tabletop displays and I certainly feel it was personally a Pièce de résistance in my floral decorating career. I hope you enjoy the beautiful photos taken by Roey Yohai.

Autumn Herbal Wedding

I apologize for my absenteeism toward my blogging duties. Actually, I'm not really sorry- I needed a break and it was a rather slow start to the week which accelerated from 0- 60 midweek and has landed me back into the familiar wedding flower frenzy!
I have to admit I was also a bit blue. But all that changed yesterday when I started playing with the fall goodies for a wedding this weekend which will be a play with herbs and garden roses amongst other berried friends.

Sentimentalia

Sometimes things just don't go the way you really want and it's hard to pick up your bootstraps, put on a bright face and march on, but that's all you can do if you want things to change. This little mush pot is my touchstone to all that is sweet and tender and every single day she reminds me that having a love connection is the most important aspect of living. I am so grateful for Boo's presence and the presence of all the loved ones in my life!
I know this is a bit sappy but it is important for me, especially on days when another's perspective is all you need to bring you 'round, even if it is a delicate feline licking your arm.

Ripe N Juicy

On my way back from a week in Florida where I ate a lot of fruit and generally lazed about in the air-conditioned home of my parents, missed the earthquake, missed the hurricane and grateful to not be returning to a national disaster zone. Although sudden swarms of locusts wouldn't surprise me upon my arrival.
I did take a trip to Central Florida which I posted about briefly and will follow with more on that soon. My Nephew announced his engagement to his lovely fiancee who might be choosing that region for their nuptials so I had my designer cap on as we boated through the Spanish moss laden Cypress corridors of the St John's River. This wedding will be "in development" until Oct 2012 so it's very likely this will be the first of many ruminations of how we will do it up!
Back to NY in Autumn and plums and peaches and herbs and warm sexy blood reds and rusty oranges, and Burning Bushes and Crab-Apples, and Acorns and Golden Maples!

These photos were taken last week before I left and I couldn't help but hold my excitement for the approaching season. The plums were so sweet and explosive they splattered my face when I ate them. Seriously, nearly a sexual experience!

An herbal, fruity wedding ahead next week, orders to be placed, preparations to be made- Thankfully, business as usual in NY :)

Glad my little island was spared! And my little hood in the big borough too!

Fall Posy

Here's a small Marigold posy which was featured in this year's Fall /Winter Issue of Bride's Magazine. Each Marigold was hand wired and then assembled and tied with a burgundy gross grain ribbon.

Marigold

Marigold
by Nirvana

She’s there ’case I want it all
He’s scared ’cause I want
She’s there ’case I want it all
He’s scared ’cause I want

All in all the clock is slow
Sits color pictures all in a row
Of a marigold

She’s there ’case I want it all
He’s scared ’cause I want
He’s there ’case I want it all
He’s there ’cause I want

She’s there case I want it all
He’s scared ’cause I want
She’s there case I want it all
He’s scared ’cause I want

Garden of Eden

This morning my sister took my mother and I to some little curiosity shops in Deland Florida. Mostly there were junky little bric a brac collectibles. It was oppressively hot and I had a splitting headache so we headed back to her house on the St John's River. As we stopped at a light I saw this beautiful vine covering trees of an overgrown woodsy lot and exclaimed, "STOP!". I ran out with a knife and started hoarding these lovely trendlils that looked similar to sweet pea. Then I got greedy and pulled down some branches laden with Beautyberries and saw a shiny black slithering movement. Holy crap!!!! A big snake!!!!!
I was so spooked I ran back with my stems and jumped in the car while my sister was laughing at me. It was a harmless garden snake and it was actually quite beautiful but it gave me a startle.

When I got back I borrowed one of her Hall vases and my brother in law said, "That's Kudzu."
It's so invasive throughout the south that scientists have been investigating it's uses as a biomass feedstock which can be converted to ethanol except that harvesting it in the wild would be difficult and growing such an invasive plant dangerous to indigenous ecosystems.

The vine works very well as a cut flower and holds up beautifully. I'd love to be able to use it in large quantities on a ceremonial arbor or even in delicate specimen bottles or bouquets. Surely there's an untapped market for the Kudzu flower. We could certainly use it for Summer weddings up north!