The Flower of My Affection
It happens around this time every year that I fall in love, and it's always with the same flower. I’ll tell you that normally the dahlia wins me over in Fall; the ranunculus is the star of my winter; but the peony reigns as the bloom of my affection for spring/summer.
Heralded as the Queen of Flowers for over a millennium, the peony perfectly combines delicacy with a hearty heft. Such a magnificent flower measuring up to six inches in diameter with feathery anthers and subtle gradations of color could only be crafted by the most genius artist, Mother Nature herself. So, how could we not find it the best choice to use in centerpieces for a recent private dinner at Sotheby’s New York?
Apart from working wonders in pure arrangements, peonies happen to act extremely agreeable with most shapes, sizes, textures of flowers. See how stunning raspberry peonies look en masse, along with how well they combine with white lisianthus and sweet peas.
While my love for peonies knows no bounds, the cabbage rose and the ranunculus are close cousins worth noting since peonies are not available year round (usually in season domestically from May through July). Thankfully, my heart finds content with other elegant and enduring blooms during the off-season...
...I just never can seem to wait until Spring to fall in love again!
-Parker Voss
Spring Floral Trends for Bridal Guide
This month In Bloom had our second major feature in Bridal Guide magazine with our flowers featured in an editorial on Spring floral trends. We contributed several bouquets, each a very simple gathering of white or pink flowers to accessorize but not dominate the overall look.
Along with the March/April spread on Color Theory, our bouquets for this issue used a single color or subtle combination of pinks, whites and greens. The opening image features a bridal bouquet of soft pink roses, hot pink spray roses and seeded eucalyptus tied with two tones of pink satin and sheer ribbons as seen in a later image.
For these full-length shots, we provided a simpler alternative to the bridal bouquet that dominates the look; that is, the untied bouquet of a single flower type – such as the white peony blooms. Other pure options include the elegant yet often underestimated bundle of baby’s breath, or undoubtedly the blush ranunculus seen below. Open garden roses also tend to be a spectacular option coveted by brides for their beautiful fragrant.
Pick up the May/June issue of Bridal Guide to get a closer look at our flowers and the hundreds of wonderfully laid out pages on all things bridal.
-Parker Voss
Bloom Spotlight: Purple Floral Centerpiece
I love the color purple. It hasn't always been my favorite color, but purple has grown on me over the years. I feel a different vibe with each new shade - lavender calms me down, aubergine incites mystery & bright purple brings excitement. Sure, purple was the "it" color Fall/Winter 2008 but that hasn't stopped me from purchasing my new blackberry case in a deep shade or my cruise desert boots from Bottega Veneta in anemone.
Inspired by the color purple, we created beautiful low arrangements for a day wedding at Battery Gardens. The arrangements consisted of different shades of pink and purple flowers including peonies, anemones, garden roses, lisianthus, and spray roses.
The centerpieces were arranged very naturally and had a very garden, organic feel to them. Every bloom seemed to compliment the next, with each having a distinct shade and shape. Although the arrangements incorporated the same flowers, our designers styled each centerpiece uniquely. I'm always delighted when walking into a party and seeing each table being slightly different but cohesive as a whole - it adds much richness and texture to the elements involved. What do you think?
Enjoy!
