Thursday, September 24, 2015

Keep Those Succulents From Your Wedding Flowers

Succulents have been popular for weddings for the last several years. There are a variety that work well in both centerpiece and bouquets designs. I thought I would show you how you can keep these plants growing after the wedding.
Nicole's bouquet, pictured above, included several soft green succulents known as echeveria, and the lantern centerpiece design had several different types of sedums, "hens and chicks" Sempervivum, and graptosedum nestled among the flowers and herbs.
 
I think it's great that these little succulents can be removed after the wedding and actually rooted and grown into thriving plants.  
The picture above shows a nice variety that were plucked from some recent designs. The lower part of the stem was stripped and then pushed into moist potting soil.
There's not much else that needs to be done. Just check to make sure the soil stays moist, but not soggy and within a few weeks the stems will begin to put on roots.
Pictured above are some succulents that I saved and rooted for one of my brides. This is about seven weeks after the wedding.  
The next step is to move these plants to a larger pot or to a well drained area in the garden that receives about 4-5 hours of sunlight. In our area (Raleigh, NC), they will benefit from  a little shade during the hottest part of the day. 
I like to keep the different varieties separated because some are more vigorous than others and will overtake the pot or area where they are planted.  The echeveria will need to come indoors and be placed near a bright sunny window once the temperatures get cold since it is not winter hardy.  Be sure that all plants are provided a well drained planting area as wet soils will cause them to rot. 
Send me an email if you have any questions!


Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Jewel Tone Flowers for Summer and Fall Weddings

Some of the garden beds are slowing down, but there are still flowers for gathering into lovely bouquets. Lots of jewel tone colors and spiky flowers show up in late summer.
They include very fragrant African Blue Basil
Feathery soft wheat celosia,
and Black and Blue Salvia
Other flowers in this bouquet include zinnias, dahlias, sedum, crested celosia, and gomphrena. Perilla provides both flower spikes and rich aubergine foliage. These are all great choices for brides who desire locally grown flowers for their late summer and fall weddings.
This October there should also be a small showing of chrysanthemums, and for next year I am planning to have several varieties of floribunda roses to offer as well. Many will be in rich jewel tones, but I am planning to have some soft blush and peachy colors as well!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Poppies Make a Statement in Springtime Bouquets

September is the month for getting ready for next spring's flowers. Seeds have been ordered and in the next week or two I will start sowing. And poppies will be some of the first to go in. It has been great to have these flowers to offer to offer to brides for both spring bouquet and centerpiece designs.
Delicate blooms should start appearing around the second week of April.
I grow Icelandic poppies in a mixture called "Meadow Pastels". It comes in soft shades of pink, peach, yellow, ivory and white, with some of the stronger yellows and oranges as well.
They really grab your attention whether in a bouquet, or a simple arrangement for the table. And they should look stunning for the upcoming weddings in April and May.