Pinked

Pink is a very popular color for weddings. It's fresh, it's versatile, it's very flattering, and there are many flowers available year-round in all shades, ranging from the palest blush to the sharpest cerise.

For this wedding, I added the softness of astilbe and wax flower to break the rather structural/molded look of the snapdragon. The centerpieces were comprised of a single arrangement surrounded by three different vases of different mixed flowers. The look was full and lush and bridal - just what the bride was hoping for!

Flowers pictured include: hydrangea, snapdragon, astilbe, dark engagement pink roses, pink spray roses, sweet eskimo roses, wax flower, limonium, larkspur, salal.

Abundance of Color

Fall, like spring, is an explosion of color.

Trees, flowers, and plants respond to the changing light and temperatures - the trees are ablaze, the flowers eek out their last burst of color, the plants grow leggier and insistent as they stretch for the last bit of light.

Decorating with fall colors can be a bit staid with the eternal combination of orange, brown, and yellow. I like to change it up - add some purple, some neon-like oranges, some velvety oxblood reds, even some unexpected pink - and fall looks fresh again.

This wedding was pretty spectacular, I have to say. I really loved the contrast of the antique hydrangea with the pigment-drenched oranges, rusts, and reds. To me, these designs exemplify the look of fall: the mix of colors and textures, the mix of textures, and the lush abundance of a fall garden.

(Check out the cake flowers - what a treat to decorate!)

Flowers pictured include: antique hydrangea, pink snapdragon, hypericum berry, orange lilies, blackout lilies, kangaroo paw, freedom red roses, donna orange roses, orange unique roses, ruscus, salal, green hydrangea, white vendela roses.

Baby Shower: Blue, Boys, and Britain

Afternoon Tea at a British-inspired Tea Room: what fun!

For a lovely afternoon tea celebrating the impending arrival of a baby boy, I kept it simple and let the flowers speak for themselves. Clusters of blue in varying shades dotted the rustic wood tables and looked marvelous paired with the mixed tea cups and saucers. The blue of the flowers picked up the blue in the curtains and the other blue elements of the tea room - a harmonious combination indeed!

Flowers pictured include: light and dark blue hydrangea, light and dark blue delphinium, bachelor's buttons.

Barnes Reds

Reds and greens aren't just for Christmas.

The look of vibrant, electric reds and fuschias next to acid greens is always fresh, clean, and good for any time of the year. For this corporate event, I contrasted the chocolate, coppery clothes with these bright colors.

As I have said before, a lot of different looks can work in this space, but my favorite is one that picks up on the dual, contrasting elements of hard/linear (as seen in the granite water feature, iron gate, straight lines of stone) and soft/curvy (as seen in the fabric walls, wooden floors, light stone). The glass cube (hard) with the burst of nature and color (soft) works perfectly.

Flowers pictured include: freedom roses, hot lady roses, green hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, cockscomb, hypericum berry, salal.