Yellow for Springtime Weddings

There is nothing like the color yellow to brighten up your springtime wedding flowers!

Great flower choices for this rich saturated color are tulips, ranunculus and daffodils...

 And don't forget pansies! Yes, they have short stems, but they can be added at the last minute if given a separate water source. Small plants can be used for centerpiece designs- securely wrap the roots with some of the potting material in plastic wrap and tuck into the design.

These flowers will begin to make an appearance at Springwell Gardens starting in mid February through early April.You can go bold with oranges and hot pinks, or set them off against blues and whites. It's a color that can certainly brighten your special day!

Waiting...

While there is not much blooming in the gardens now, there's a lot to do to get ready for winter.

The greenhouse sheeting is on several of the hoop tunnels, and frost cloth is coming out for the cold nights ahead. The tunnels are great for growing ranunculus, anemones, Chantilly snaps, and other springtime flowers that I want to protect.

 Daffodils, leucojums, tulips, and muscari have been and are being planted, pansies have been potted, and the are lots of anemones and ranunculus pushing up in the garden.
No, there is not much blooming now- this is a time of waiting... But the good news is that the waiting won't be too long. By January there should be some early flowers to offer, then more in February and lots more in March....
So here are a few things that will be showing up SOON at Springwell Gardens-

Yes, soon the waiting will be over and I will be picking these flowers again- Just For You!

Daffodil Wedding Flowers

Daffodils and jonquils are such wonderful flowers for spring time weddings. One of the best ways to get the type of daffodils or jonquils that you want is to grow them yourself.

There's a large selection to choose from, and varieties that bloom from late winter through mid spring in the South. So if  you want to try your hand at growing them....
Now is the time to plan- because to have these flowers coming up next spring, you will need to plant them this fall! Two of my favorite sources for bulbs are  John Scheepers Bulbs and Eden Brothers. They offer a wide selection in a wonderful range of pastel colors.
In the South daffodils start the bloom season a month earlier than some of the cooler climates. The early varieties such as Ice Follies will start blooming by late January or early February, and others, such as my favorite- Bridal Crown (pictured below)- will normally start blooming in mid-late March.

Still other varieties such as White Lion (1st picture) will start their show in late March through mid April.
Another nice feature of growing them yourself is that they will come back each year.

You may want to plant both early and later blooming varieties to insure you have daffodils in bloom for your wedding day. Want to give it a try- just email me and I will be happy to give you some pointers!
One important note: when using them in containers with other flowers, but sure to cut and set their stems in a separate container to condition- for more info check out the Daffodils and Springtime Weddings post.

Daffodils, Tulips and Hellebore for Spring Weddings

As August draws to a close and summer wanes, it's time to thinks about flowers for next spring.  

 Catalogs of spring flowering bulbs are enticing us with all sorts of beauty- tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.

I have been pouring over them,  trying to figure out how much I can squeeze in for next year. These will be used for my springtime brides and couples. And some will  go to other area floral designers who also enjoy working with local sourced flowers.
Check back to see what will be going in the beds at Springwell Gardens for next year.
By the way the bouquets above are from previous springtime gatherings. The top bouquet features White Parrot Tulips, white hydrangeas, and green hellebore. The lower bouquet is a gathering of Bridal Crown Narcissi. Tulips will be available next year for March and April weddings, and the daffodils (narcissi) will be available from mid February through early April.

Blue Muscari and Yellow Daffodil Centerpiece for Spring

The muscari are in bloom now at Springwell Gardens. 

These charming blue flowers have a delightful "grape-like" fragrance and are so lovely for centerpiece and bouquet designs. Here they are featured with miniature daffodils called "Tete a tete", and purple and yellow face pansies.

 The first greens of the spring season include small leaves of lambs' ear, lime green Angelina sedum, Fairy rosebush sprigs and heuchera.

 The floating candles nestled among the floral elements in this wooden box complete this unique garden style centerpiece.

Late Winter and Springtime Weddings and Daffodils

Daffodils are just perfect for February and March weddings in the South.

  In Raleigh, NC, you can spot some varieties of daffodils blooming as early as January. Ice Follies and February Gold usually make an appearance in February. 

 The picture above features Ice Follies and early trumpet daffodils picked last week just in time for a February snow picture. The picture below (from 2011) also features Ice Follies and early yellow trumpet daffodils with white hydrangea and yellow ranunculus.

March brings on many more daffodil and narcissus blooms. In my gardens I grow the orange cupped Barrett Browning, the cream colored White Lion, the fragrant double flowered Bridal Crown, and  the large trumpet King Alfred.

The bouquets above (from 2012) feature Paperwhite narcissi, Barrett Browning, and King Alfred daffodils. .
Good sources for daffodil and narcissi are Eden Brothers and John Scheepers. Bulbs should be purchased in the fall and planted in November through December.
Why grow your own??? Daffodils and other narcissi are very low maintenance and will come back year after year. You have a wide selection of flowers to choose from. And....
 for your anniversary in the years to come you will be able to enjoy your special flowers again and again!!!

Daffodil and Pansy Bouquet for Winter and Spring

The daffodils have started blooming at Springwell Gardens. Just a scattering for now, but more are on the way.

So here's a bouquet that features Ice Follies Daffodils and an unnamed  yellow trumpet variety along with some beautiful purple and yellow pansies nestled in a white hydrangea.

These flowers are truly the harbingers of spring!!!!

They exude such a lovely fragrance, especially the pansies.

 Vase life for this bouquet is just a few days... just enough time for your wedding day!!!

So how can you have daffodils for your springtime (or winter in the South) wedding... I'll explore that in the next post.

Sunny Yellows for Springtime Weddings

Yellow flowers are always cheery no matter what the season.

  From  soft creamy hues to deep rich golden shades, yellow  is a color that commands attention.
 Some favorite yellow flowers for springtime weddings are trumpet daffodils (narcissi), tulips and ranunculus. Below are some pictures of bouquets from last spring's garden beds.

Daffodils (Narcissi) just shout spring! They are absolutely gorgeous gathered as a bouquet of a single variety or mixed with other forms as this bouquet below of large yellow trumpet daffodils, dainty paperwhites and orange-cupped Barrett Browning.
Narcissi also look great combined with other flowers such as spirea, pussy willow and roses.

 Daffodils and other forms of narcissi are bulbs that are planted in the fall for springtime blooms. Some varieties will start blooming as early as mid January or February, other forms will bloom in March and April.Care should be taken when placing them together with other flowers in bouquets- be sure to cut the stems of narcissi, and let them condition separately in a container of water for eight-ten hours before mixing with other flowers.
Tulips come in several forms such as the classic single type or double (more petals), fringed, parrot (scalloped petals) and peony (an even fuller petal type). A favorite at Springwell Gardens is the double form called Monte Carlo.

 It's featured in the bouquet below with single white tulips and blue muscari (grape hyacinth)

and another bouquet white snap dragons and white ranunculus.

Ranunculus are flowers just chocked full of delicate petals. The yellow ranunculus and tulips flash against the different shades of pink and the chartreuse leaves of spirea in the design below.

New bouquets of yellow springtime flowers will be coming soon!

Daffodil Love!

This has been quite the year for daffodils. The first blooms started in mid February (see February 27th post- They're Back).
And while the season is winding down because of the above normal temperatures this spring- there's still about a week to ten days left... maybe.
Some new additions to the daffodil collection included some old favorites: King Alfred (actually a look alike of the renown heirloom) that produced gigantic blooms this year, Barrett Browning- a lovely narcissus with white petals and a dainty orange cup, and a large double narcissus called White Lion, (more about that one later).
So here are some two very different daffodil bouquets for weddings in March or early April.
I just love this all yellow bouquet above!!! These King Alfred blooms were HUGE this year and looked stunning with the black and white striped ribbon.
The next bouquet featured King Alfred daffodils, Paperwhites, Bridal Crown narcissi and Barret Browning- the fragrance was heavenly.
Vase life for flowers in the narcissi family is about five days... the cooler the temperatures the longer these flowers will last in a vase and in the garden.

Daffodils and Springtime Weddings

Nothing says spring like daffodils, but did you know that there are some daffodils that begin to put on a show even before spring arrives.

Meet Ice Follies- this sweet little beauty usually starts blooming in late February. But this year with the mild temperatures, we started getting flowers even earlier. The creamy petals unfold to reveal a clear lemon yellow cup. As the flower ages, the cups mellows to a soft creamy color as well. Vase life is about five days.

Daffodils are absolutely lovely especially in white or yellow springtime wedding bouquets. The daffodil bouquet above features Ice Follies, Paperwhites and an unnamed solid yellow daffodil that blooms at the same time as Ice Follies. After Ice Follies will come trumpet daffodils- like King Alfred, then double petals like Bridal Crown Narcissus, and a new double petal that I am trying called White Lion.
This bouquet in the picture above is a mixed bouquet with pussy willow, yellow roses, Ice Follies, a touch of Bridal Wreath spirea and white hydrangea.
The wrap is made of narrow, pliable stems of curly willow that have been woven around the flower stems.
When working with daffodils, it is important to remember that they must be cut and placed in a container of water separate from other flowers for at least eight to twelve hours. They leak a slimy fluid that pollutes the water and can spoil the other flowers. When working them into designs with other flowers remember not to cut their stems again (so cut them short the first time).

What's in a Name... Bridal Wreath Spirea and Bridal Crown Narcissus

I am often intrigued by the common names that are given to flowers, especially those names that relate to love, romance, weddings and such.
This is from an earlier post about two great flowers with names that are perfect for spring weddings. Both of these flowers bloom in mid to late March. The first is Bridal Wreath Spirea, an old Southern favorite. Graceful, arching branches are lined with lovely white flowers that resemble tiny roses.The stems are perfect for wedding work- especially spring bouquets as shown in the pictures above and below.
Another favorite spring bloomer with a great name for weddings is Bridal Crown Narcissus. These sweetly fragrant flowers are a creamy white with touches of yellow in the cup.
If you are looking forward to a March wedding, both Bridal Wreath Spirea and Bridal Crown Narcissus would be a wonderful addition to your wedding flowers. They have that romantic vintage looks that harkens to an earlier time.
And they would also be wonderful additions to your gardens- no matter what season your wedding is!

Great Flowers for Springtime Weddings

With weather like this, spring is just around the corner.

Now you might be saying, but it's still cold. Yes, I agree it has been a bit nippy, but we haven't dipped into the teens yet. In fact, it's only been below 25 degrees a couple of times this whole winter season. So nature is waking up.
Hellebore flowers are starting to open up- I would say about two-three weeks early...
And I am seeing daffodils just on the verge of bloom, and my hyacinthoides (bluebells) also have green tops up about three to four inches.
There is even a lone hyacintth showing its bright green spears- I am sad to say that I just didn't get around to planting hyacinths last fall so this one is all alone.
The dainty blue muscari are being more patient though (the picture below is from last year)- it looks like it will be a few more weeks before they start showing their flower heads.
There will soon be Bridal Crown and White Lion and Ice Follies daffodils and narcissus blooming. I am watching and waiting, and when the flowers start to bloom again, I will be there ready to gather them up!
All of them are perfect for springtime weddings. This little bouquet from last spring is a sweet reminder of what is soon to come!