Peonies and Astilbe for Nicole's Wedding Bouquet

The lush fragrant blooms of peonies are some of the most romantic flowers for May weddings.

And Nicole thought they would be perfect in her wedding bouquet. Feathery plumes of astilbe,  Sahara roses, Majolica spray roses and stock brought in the soft pink, blush and ivory color palette that she was looking for, and echeveria in a soft mint green added rich texture.

Echeveria and other succulents add a keepsake touch to wedding designs as they can be removed from the bouquet after the wedding,  and planted for later enjoyment.

Chantilly snapdragons from the garden added a wonderful soft pink to the bridesmaids' bouquet.

And a collar of Dusty Miller and pittosporum completed the designs.

It's always a privilege to create lovely floral designs for a couple's wedding, but one of most special aspects is getting to know the couple. Nicole and Jeff and I started this process a year ago and through emails and visits I have so enjoyed getting to know these two. I am very excited for them as they begin their married journey!!!

Peach and Coral Poppies and White Peonies for May Weddings

This is the second year for poppies at Springwell Gardens. They have been blooming since late April in delicate hues of pale yellow, salmon-coral, peach and light pink. Their beauty is fleeting... As May gives way to June, their bloom season appears to be over.

They made an appearance in Taylor and Grant's reception centerpiece designs and also in her bouquet.
Here they are paired with white peonies from the garden (also a May bloomer), wild grasses, Chantilly snapdragons and yellow flower stems from kale.

 Yes, May is their month to bloom. Seeds were sown last fall, and the seedlings were given some winter protection in one of the caterpillar tunnels.
Since they are not fond of heat, I plan to give them a spot with some more afternoon shade next year. Hopefully I will be able to coax them to linger a little bit into June. It would be great to offer them to both May and June brides next year!

Pink Garden Roses and Peonies for Mandy and Ryan's Wedding

It's hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to a close. Here's a beautiful lookback to a sweet couple's June wedding...
Mandy and her future mother-in-law, Laura, dropped by the studio in February.  It was apparent that Mandy had a definite vision for her wedding flowers- a romantic color palette of  delicate pinks, creams and whites with billowy peonies and garden roses. It was a perfect choice for this sweet soft spoken bride.
Bridesmaids' bouquets would be created with pink roses and peonies, and Mandy's bouquet with creamy white roses, pink garden roses and peonies.
Boutonnieres for the gentleman featured a single rose embellished with feathery dianthus buds.

Salem Baptist Church in Apex was a classic setting for this summer time wedding. Guests were greeted by a beautiful garden design created by the Tammy, a great designer with The Life of the Party- RSVP Events

The ceremony decor featured maple trees in sleek metal planters adorned with white hydrangeas and pink roses and a sweeping design of roses, hydrangeas, stock and larkspur placed beneath the large stain glass window.
Pew markers echoed the romantic theme of soft pinks and whites with draping vinca vines.
Following the ceremony, Megan and Ryan greeted their guests at The Garden on Millbrook

to continue their wedding day celebrations.

What a beautiful way to start the summer!  Praying God's blessing for you as you move through these days and months of being newlyweds!
Be sure to check out some more wonderful pictures of Mandy and Ryan's wedding day by talented Robyn Van Dyke at: http://www.robynvandykephotography

Soft Pink Wedding Flowers for Mandy and Ryan

Two weeks ago was the wedding day for a very sweet couple. On that day Ryan and Mandy became husband and wife.

I met with Mandy for the first time in early February. She had definite ideas about the flowers for her bridal bouquet and for the bridesmaids' bouquets as well. She desired a  lovely blend of peonies and roses in soft pinks and whites for her bouquet, and for her bridesmaids...
soft pink roses, spray roses and peonies. The finished look was definitely romantic!
The boutonnieres for the men in the wedding party featured a classic single rose.
And for the mothers of the bride and groom there were elegangt hand held corsages of green and white calla lilies wrapped with organza ribbon.
I had the privilege of working with the design team from RSVP Events.  Sharon and Tammy had a wonderful vision for both the wedding and reception decor, and it was great to see all the different design elements that were chosen.  These white ceramic urns were a favorite of mine.
Here's a close-up of the flowers that included pink and white roses, pink garden roses, and gatherings from the garden such as Queen Anne's Lace (Ammi),  Dusty Miller, Yarrow, Larkspur, Double Feverfew, and this unusual flower head of Ayesha Hydrangea.
Robyn Van Dyke captured the beauty and the emotions of Mandy and Ryan's wedding day. She and her husband, Jordan, make a great team. Be sure to check out her post from last weed at:  Robyn Van Dyke Photography- Married: Mandy and Ryan
And Ryan and Mandy- it's now been  two weeks and counting to SO MANY MORE!!! Praying God's Blessing on your new marriage!

Garden Delights- Peonies and Foxglove

The month of May has made a steamy arrival! Not the best weather for flowering plants that want it just a little bit cooler- especially the peonies. I think they are going to be a memory in about a week.
So enjoy them NOW! Cut the flowers in the morning before the heat arrives- ideally before the blooms are fully opened. They will reward you with their beauty and fragrance for about 4 to 5 days.A wonderful foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) called "Camelot" has been showing up in garden centers for the past couple of years. Long spires of speckled bells in ivory, raspberry pink and lavender light up the landscape and look STUNNING in floral designs as the one above. Other flowers in this design include Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella), Larkspur, and Fairy roses.
Foxglove can be grown from seed in the late summer. Johnny's Selected Seeds
( http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ ) offers this selection as pelleted seed which makes sowing them much easier. I will try to put up a " how to" post in August.

Happy Anniversary Rebecca and Andrew!!!

Actually, yesterday was Rebecca and Andrew's 1st year anniversary. I was so excited to create the bouquets for Rebecca and her bridesmaids. The flowers were creamy whites such as Majolica spray roses, peonies (from my garden), chrysanthemums and green lisianthus. My friend, Joanie, provided some beautiful calla lilies. Rebecca also wanted bold textured leaves such as hostas and aspidistra.
The bridesmaids' bouquets were filled with Majolica spray roses, chrysanthemums and green lisianthus and green button mums.
Andrew and Rebecca had an outdoor ceremony at Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn in Fuquay Varina, NC. It was a beautiful setting. I designed a rustic ceremony piece with white hydrangeas, Majolica roses, green button mums and chrysanthemums. Floral gatherings from the garden included lots of bold textured leaves such as hosta, heuchera, hellebore and Solomon's Seal, and dainty flowers such as euphorbia and feverfew.

I am so happy for you! Praying God's hand will guide you as you begin year two!

Luscious Pinks from the Garden

The tulips are gone and for a few brief weeks in central NC the peonies are in bloom. I have several different kinds and they are all blooming now. Depending on the variety, peonies bloom from late April until mid May. Like my tulips, they seem to be blooming earlier this year. The light pink blooms are from Sarah Bernhardt, the dark pinks I believe are Karl Rosenfield and maybe Felix Crousse, (I didn't keep up with the plant tags as I should have). Most peonies offer locally do well in our area. Be sure to plant them high- by this I mean that the top of the rhizome with the eyes (these will be the growth sprouts) should be only an inch deep in the soil, much deeper and your plants will not bloom much. Peonies prefer full sun, but can take some afternoon shade, and like lots of organic matter. Fertilize after flowering and again in the fall.
One other thing I recommend to friends who grow peonies- PICK THEM! These flowers get big and just fall over. They also blow out when the temps are in the 80's. If you cut them as they are starting to open and bring them inside, you will be rewarded for 5 to 6 days with their beauty and fragrance! And if you leave the some smaller buds on your bushes you may still have a lovely show in the garden as well.
Peonies and roses make a wonderful combination in this very luscious spring time bouquet. These roses are the David Austin English roses called Heritage. They have the full petals of an old fashioned rose and the RICH fragrance as well. One or two blooms can fill up a room with their fragrance!!!I have had this variety for about seven years, and I love its spring blooms and the repeat show in the autumn.
These flowers will be here for such a short time- I guess that's what makes them extra special!!!

Colors of Christmas

I just love the rich traditional colors of red and green for Christmas bouquets. This cheery bouquet is sporting a vintage look with red rose hips, white Festiva Maxima peonies, bright green button mums, red spray roses and seeded eucalyptus, wrapped in a brocade ribbon. It smells great too with just a touch of scented geranium leaves. Scented geraniums (pelargoniums) must winter over in the house, so I keep several in pots to bring inside once the weather turns cold. This herb gives a gentle fragrance to corsages and is useful in wedding cake designs because it is food safe.

Red roses and white peonies are made for each other, and are set off beautifully by the creamy edged leaves of variegated pittosporum. This bouquet also features the tight flower buds of viburnum tinus from the garden. This is an ornamental shrub that provides dark green leaves and wine colored flower buds that will open to a pale pink in spring. I actually prefer these spray clusters in their bud form for winter bouquets.