Summer Wedding Flowers in Plums, Pink and Wine

For a one of a kind summer wedding bouquet, I suggest going with flowers that you don't see everyday. Let me introduce you to Monarda or Bee Balm. This particular variety is called Raspberry Wine.
Last year was my first year of growing this little beauty and I was very pleased. It has rich wine red tubular blooms with a fragrance that is intoxicating! The dark red pairs well with pink and burgundy as in this bouquet that also features hydrangea, gladiolus, and yarrow. The flowers have that wonderful cottage charm, and would look great for a garden or rustic style wedding. In the Raleigh, NC area the blooms will start up by late May and should persist through the end of June. A great source for this flower would be your local Farmer's Market OR Springwell Gardens of course!

Springwell Gardens

Today I want to SHOW you Springwell Gardens!

This is our little bit of earth in downtown Cary, NC, where I grow flowers for WEDDINGS and Wilson grows vegetables to EAT.
When we moved to this home in OLD Cary, (where you can still put up clotheslines and do what you want to with your yard), we decided to make garden beds. Some trees were removed and a few beds went in. Over the years we have added to them- Wilson says that I am always changing things around, and he's right!
This year we decided to really try to neaten the area up a bit. So I cleared out the middle of a HUGE garden bed, put out edging stones and mulch, and Wilson made three raised garden beds for cut flowers that were placed within this area (see picture above). We also have some raised beds further back as well.
And wherever I can squeeze them in- there are other flower beds and borders as well. I am so excited to be able to offer brides more and more "garden wedding flowers".
The picture above shows some of what's blooming now- foxglove and dianthus. And in the bed pictured below are coral and salmon-rose zinnias that should be blooming in time for Dominique and Javier's wedding in late May. I started these plants from seeds just for their wedding.
I hope to have feverfew and yellow yarrow blooming for Katie in early June as well as scented geraniums- she loves the fragrance, and Susan is looking forward to white zinnias and Snow on the Mountain Euphorbia for her late June wedding- they're just baby plants now, oh but they're growing!!
I hope to post about what's blooming throughout the season, and give you peaks of the garden beds as they change.

Pink and White Ranunculus and Hellebore Wedding Flowers

This spring the garden beds offered up a wealth of blooms in stunning pinks...

from softest blush to rich hot hues. I loved pairing them with some hot pink spray roses and a few stems of stock that I picked up from the store. Here are a couple of wedding designs that I put together a few weeks ago for Career Day at West Cary Middle School.

The flowers from the garden included pink and white ranunculus, green florets of Snowball Viburnum, Pink Impressions Tulips, Hellebore, small  flowering branches of  Bridal Wreath Spirea and Pink Flowering Almond.
The roses and stock from a local supplier filled out the designs beautifully.
Hard to believe that these flowers have already come and gone. Now I am waiting for the pause in the gardens to fill in with nigella, feverfew, yarrow and Fairy Roses.

Spring Wedding Flowers- Blue Muscari!

Muscari is such a charming spring time bloomer. The grape-blue flower heads start pushing up in early March and are found throughout my garden beds until mid April (usually).
The individual stems are rather short- about 6-8 inches, so I have to supply a separate water source in larger arrangements or bouquets. But they are definitely worth the effort.
They look great massed together as in these tiny handmade vases (or schapps glasses)...
And I love to add them to other petite designs of mixed flowers such as these white creamers that are filled with ranunculus, pansies, bridal wreath spirea and lamb's ear.
This year muscari started blooming early, and have already finished their spring time show...
They were wonderful while they lasted!!!
 Want to grow your own??? Muscari are grown from small corms or bulbs that you plant in the fall. Be prepared- these little guys multiply fast, but that's OK- you'll just have a lot more flowers each year! A good source for these bulbs is John Scheepers, or locally (in Cary, NC) you can purchase at Garden Supply Company.