Are your Flowers Nude?

 

Nude in color, I mean! Yes, nude is the new hot 'color' for flowers.

Can't imagine what that can look like? Read on! 

Let's start with roses. A beautiful variety called "Sahara" is popular right now.

It's great with unusual fall accents, such as burgundy grasses.

A silvered vase is the perfect showcase, along with the silvery leaves of Lambs Ear.

 

Another, called "Café au Lait", a wonderful old garden rose.

There is also a Dahlia called "Café au Lait", too!

Helibores, with this interesting darker edge.

 

Nude is all the rage in fashion right now, too!

 Look down, and you will see a plethora of nude colored heels.

I love this updated Mary Jane from Manolo Blahnik.

Butter London has a great glittery nude nail polish.

 

 

Even the Duchess of Windsor is in on the nude fashion rage,

wearing a wonderful veiled fascinator and nude lace sheath.

How many outfits could you pair this fun nude scarf with?

 

But what color IS nude?

Perhaps the closest color would be blush, but without the pink.

It really has more of a slight brown undertone.

So adding items such as Uhule fern curls really brings out those tones.



Or the super-popular Chocolate Cosmos...

... or even Chocolate Queen Anne's Lace...

 

Is it time for you to get nude?

 

 

Bloomers Floral Design

122 South Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

910-815-8585

www.BloomersWilmington.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Fabulous Fall Flowers For Friends

We're well into October now, and no doubt all our recent rains have done in your home garden.

But that doesn't mean there aren't fabulous florals available for gifting to yourself, or a friend.

Check out all these possibilities, then put something together to enjoy!

Dianthus (or Carnation) in the most wonderful shades of purple.

Only available from one grower and you will not see these in tired grocery store bunches!

Ornamental kale...yes, cabbage!

Available in green, white and purple, these really add a unique touch to an arrangement.

Perfect for a dining room centerpiece.

Chinese lanterns. These are dried, and look like tiny papery pumpkins.

A great way to add a splash of orange-aren't they great in this magnolia wreath?

Cotton on the stalk. 'Nuff said, these are adorable!

Be sure to ask for the 'floral cotton', which has been cleaned of the dried bits.

Fall colored roses, such as "Leonidas", one of my favorites.

The color is somewhere between brown and burgundy, with an undertone of yellow.

Fall isn't all about brown though,

as you can see how well this rose pairs with the blush colored rose called "Amnesia".

So very beautiful and unusual.

There are lots of grasses to choose from,

such as the red Millet shown in this beautiful arrangement.

Dried pods, such as lotus pods and scabiosa, here mixed in a bouquet with blue thistle.

Preserved stalks of fall-colored leaves have many uses.

Of course, there are mums, too,  in all colors, sizes and varieties from gold to brown and orange,

including some that are variegated. There are so many more choices than just those pots of red, yellow and orange puffs sold on every corner!

Looking for drama?

Look no further than Hanging Amaranthus, available in green and burgundy.

(Also known as Love Lies Bleeding)

Some varieties can be 3 feet long!

Welcome Fall!

Bloomers Floral Design

122 South Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

910-815-8585

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

www.BloomersWilmington.com

Monet's Gardener

 

I know what I want to be when I grow up...

Head Gardener at Giverny, Monet's home in France!

But I doubt I would ever really get much work done...

So many paths to explore...

Vistas to paint and photograph...

James Priest is the "new" head gardener. (though he's been there 2 years now).

He held previous positions as gardener to Steve Jobs, and the Rothchild family's home in Chantilly.   Now here's the surprise...he's English!

So James, a student of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, is a direct successor to
Monet himself as the caretaker of this French national treasure.
The previous head gardener took over in the 1970's and stayed on for 35 years.

 

 

 

The famous green shutters are opened and closed daily...

 

James approaches the design of the garden much like a painter would;

adding and layering colors and textures one over the other.

Plants are replaced seasonally, so the result is a constantly changing "palette", if you will....

Isn't this Wisteria vine is stunning?

 

The yearly show of the famous Water Lilies is one he

and his small staff work especially hard on,

as rats apparently love to chew the bulbs.

A 'baby bulb nursery' is maintained, to assure a constant supply.

Painters arrive daily to stake out a prime painting location.

Tranquility seems the word to describe the grounds,

but how to preserve that with a half million visitors trooping through yearly?

Just because fall is on the way is no reason to abandon color in the garden.

Isn't this stunning? Of course, these trees stood long before James came along,

but still, he's responsible for the continued health and happiness of this 5 acre jewel.

It's a big job I would happily take on!

Bloomers Floral Design

122 South Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

910-815-8585

www.bloomerswilmington.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

More than just Daisies!

Call me biased, but to me, all flowers are beautiful. 

 For instance, I don't discriminate against carnations.

(What's not to love about these royal purple shades?)

 

Nor do I poo-poo Hydrangea, as Madonna once famously did.

The multitude of colors now available make them worthy of respect.

 

 But being around flowers all day, I do love something unusual.

And believe me, there are lots of unusual blooms out there!

For instance, just this week, we've received bouquets of tropicals,

and they included bunches of mini bananas! Some even had fun globes of loofah.

 

Ornamental Kale is fun, and with the beautiful shapes and colors,
they could almost stand in for roses!



There are new lilies coming out all the time, such as this double Oriental.
 Stunning!

 

I love Green Trick, which could easily be mistaken for a ball of moss,
but it actually a close relative of the carnation.
The only giveaway is the stem...they look exactly alike.
Perfect for adding that pop of green and wonderful texture to an arrangement.

Pincushion Protea is another favorite.
Native to South Africa, they are now also being grown in California and Holland.

This is a great bloom to submerge underwater for events.

Helicona is a flower that you will never find at grocery store flower departments,

and it is a true find for its sheer size.

There are many varieties, from smaller simple heads to very long,

dramatic hanging bracts such as this "Lobster Claw" variety.

 

How about the hanging amaranthus? Available in lime green and burgundy,
I can only describe the feel of these as chenille.

We've had some arrive as long as 4 feet-truly impressive!

Gardeners may know it as Love Lies Bleeding.

 

Mini pineapples are great, too.

 They are tiny and so should be used where they won't be lost among the crowd,

but they are a fun surprise to discover in a bouquet.

We can't forget the Rainbow Rose!

It's not for everyone, but it is fun with a capital F!

 These are not painted roses; the multi-coloring happens through a complicated process

of uptaking different dyes.

And they are available in lots of different color combinations.

 

Next time you are in the market for a floral arrangement, ask your florist what's new!

You might just discover a new favorite.

 

 

 

Bloomers Floral Design

122 South Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

910-815-8585

www.BloomersWilmington.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com

Pearls are Back!

I know what you're thinking...you haven't worn those pearl studs of yours in years.

And that pearl strand has been in your jewelry box since college.

I'm here to tell you that pearls are all the rage! In fact, pearls have practically gone punk!

Nothing precious; we're talkin' tough, edgy pearls!

At recent Paris fashion shows, Alexander McQueen showed a tough heeled boot adorned with pearls.

These aren't your grandma's baubles! 

 

Valentino showed a clutch adorned with rows of pearls.

 

Pearl jewelry has gone far afield, being mixed with other metals and even spikes!



Coco Chanel knew the power of pearls...

 

                                                          
                                                                 So did Audrey Hepburn...

Michelle Obama is in the fashion know...here she takes a traditional strand of large millimeter pearls, mixed with a tradition sweater set, but ups the ante with the metallic belt!

What does this mean in the flower world?

As florists, new décor is becoming available to us.

 

Ribbons adorned with 'pearls'...

...

And for the bride, pearls will be more prevalent than 'bling" on wedding dresses,

and that will also move into the florals as well, such as a pearl wrap around the stems.

Or pearls incorporated into a netting over the bouquet itself.

 Maybe even a bouquet of nothing BUT pearls?



Even the wedding cake can be decked out in "pearls"....
 

If you enjoy the new trend of textured fingernails, you can incorporate pearls there, too!

 

Even the gents can get in on the pearl trend,
with subtle pearl accents in their boutonniere!

Bloomers Floral Design

122 South Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

910-815-8585

www.BloomersWilmington.com

bloomersflorist@yahoo.com