Traditional vs. Modern

Floral design has come a long way, even in the last 5 years.
The traditional "Dozen in a Vase" is now almost the exception
rather than the norm (except maybe at Valentine's Day).

I love nothing more for a customer to ask for "Designer's Choice", meaning we have no limits on what we can do! Instead of daisies, maybe we'll use chartreuse spider mums. Instead of a traditional red rose, perhaps we'll push that a bit further and use the Black Bokara rose. Uhule fern curls as accents. Wax flower in place of Baby's Breath. Pincushion Protea in place of, well, you get the idea. A truly innovative floral designer will choose blooms that are beautiful and unusual. And that means your floral gift will stand out from the crowd!



Here are a few ideas for shaking up the traditional floral order:

Instead of: "Dozen in a Vase with Baby's Breath" try this modern rose beauty:

Instead of "Funeral Spray" try this unusual design,
utilizing delicate tulips and branches:

Instead of "Baby Arrangement" ask for a fabulous mix of blooms, like this one,
utilizing orchids, roses, tulips, and hydrangea:
(who says it had to have Baby's Breath in it?)

Instead of a "Dinner Centerpiece with candles" try this
stunning conversation piece of roses and calla lilies
arranged in a unique container:


Bloomers is known for innovative designs.
Perhaps you saw us at the recent Grand Opening of Wilmington Water Tours?
Call us next time you're looking to make a fresh impression!
910-815-8585

Chocolate Weddings

Who doesn't love chocolate?
Brides surely do, as "Chocolate" is proving to be a popular color for weddings!
It melds well with peach, with pink, with green, with blue, even!

Start with the non-florals first: you can pull the color in with ribbon
and accessories, giving you a rich, yummy look.
Beautiful with this soft pink rose!

You'll need shoes, of course.
How about some fabulous brown peep-toe platforms?

Now you're asking, what flowers are chocolate colored?
Chocolate Cosmos comes to mind first.


And some gorgeous deep hues of Calla Lily.
Not truly brown, but such a deep burgundy that they work...

Then, some 'greenery', in the form of these unusual Uhule fern curls.

For the cake...what's better than chocolate fondant?
(Tastes something like Tootsie Rolls).
It's pliable, much like pie crust, and opens up a whole new world of design,
like this pink and brown beauty!


Whether it's brown, blue, green, or any other color,
Bloomers can help with your wedding designs!
Call anytime to schedule your free consultation at 910-815-8585

Petals of Honor

I love roses. Just l-o-v-e love them! Any color, and size, I just adore them.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have one named after yourself? Lots of well-known people have been immortalized in roses, and many of those have then gone on to become legends in their own right. But creating a new rose is a painstaking process, often taking up to 10 years and involving cross-breeding of tens of thousands of varieties.

To name a rose after an individual, the hybridizer must first obtain permission from that person or their estate. The next step is registration with the International Registration Authority for Roses, through the American Rose Society. A good practice is to also apply for a trademark.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Elizabeth Taylor
A ravishing lavender-pink, as elegant as the lady herself.

Lady Diana
Princess Diana has had many roses named for her, but this particular burnished pink is the one used at royal occasions. A tall, nearly thornless variety.

Ingrid Bergman
A full, deep red which continues to bloom even after frost.

Audrey Hepburn
A free-blooming, scented hybrid tea. One of the few American roses to have ever won a gold medal at the esteemed rose competition in The Hague.
Delicate and elegant, just like Audrey.

Cary Grant
Commissioned by the actor's fifth wife in 1986, this highly
fragrant orange bloomis also extremely thorny! Hmmm.....

Queen Elizabeth
A beautiful soft pink grandiflora, it won the All-American Rose Selection prize shortly after breeding, and was then given Royal approval by the Queen.
It has been one of the 10 most popular roses for over 40 years.

Dolly Parton
A interesting orangy-pink blossom, as large in personality as its namesake.
Dolly loves it so much she's planted it at Dollywood and in her personal garden in Nashville.

John F. Kennedy
A true classic and one of the most fragrant of the white hybrid teas.

Of course, naming a rose to honor someone is nothing new. Many of the antiques, such as the Noisettes, Moss, Damask, and Gallica roses are named after benefactors, or noted people of the times, such as Napoleon, Mozart, and even Don Juan, which is appropriately enough, a climber! (pictured)

The American Rose Society currently lists over 25,000 names, so I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting to see my mine on a rose...

If you would like your own personal rose arrangement, call us at Bloomers!


If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

http://bloomersfloristwilmington.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-is-national-rose-month.html

Flower Design On High

Now here's an interesting place to do a flower arrangement! In London, artist Antony Gormley conceived of an idea using the 'Fourth Plinth" in Trafalgar Square. Applicants were asked to state why they wanted to take part in the live installation, and if selected, would have full use of the Plinth for 1 hour, to do whatever they wanted! Participants could sing, cook, sit and read quietly, or even be naked! The project ran 24 hours a day for 100 days beginning in July of 2009.




Julie Phillips, a floral design student at Myerscough College was one of those selected, and she decided to use her hour of 'fame" to construct a large-scale floral arrangement, utilizing roses, hydrangea, lilies and gladiolas. Using a cherry picker, Julie and her flowers and equipment were transported across Trafalgar Square and lifted high into position.

With the day dawning, Julie completed her arrangement, even setting an extravagant wedding table to showcase her arrangement, before relaxing with a hard-earned glass of champagne. She then thanked the crowd by throwing white roses down to them.








The Fourth Plinth is the only pedestal of the 4 in Trafalgar Square that remains empty. It was originally designed n 1841 to house an equestrian statue, but the funds were never obtained and it has remained empty ever since.


A delighted Julie said: “This has been a fantastic experience for me and one that I will never forget. To be involved in something like this is truly special, and while I was daunted by the height of the plinth, I also found it to be exhilarating and thrilling too!”

While I can't say that I've ever stood on a plinth to design a floral arrangement, Bloomers can design something impressive for your next event!