A pretty design to make yourself, is a cluster design.  This is done by using all the same flower, in this case, pink carnations, and cutting their stems so their bloom sits right at the rim of the container you are using.  I make this design with the carnations that have broken while conditioning or transporting large buckets of the flower.  I placed these in an antique low bowl given to me as a gift, and used it for my Easter Tablescape.  Easy and fun to make! Try one yourself : )  Mother’s Day is coming…

This is one of my favorite arrangements for Easter and spring!  It is so-o-o easy to create and lasts quite awhile for you.  I filled the bubble bowl only 1/4 full of water so the spray rose heads float lower than the tulip heads that are wrapped around inside the bowl.  Just make sure that the ends of the tulip stems are in water so they can drink.  Reeds can be added to this bowl too, to add interest to the very bottom of the bowl or around the upper part of the bowl.  The idea is to have your fresh flower heads at different levels….the roses on one level and the tulips in the center – at a different level.  The tulips can be all the same color – like pictured here, or all different colors.  Acrylic stones or jewels would be awesome on the very bottom of this bowl too.  You try this design and experiment with it and share some pictures with me! I’d love to see what you come up with.  Happy Easter!

It’s another sure sign of Spring coming when Pussy Willows are seen for sale in bunches all around our food stores!  Your local flower shop might have examples of different kinds  of pussy willows too so check that out. I was so surprised to find out there were black ones and curly ones…so cool.  If you want to try for rooting your pussy willow, cut the ends and place in water.  If you want the fuzzy bloom to STAY fuzzy and not go to seed, ( turn yellow-ish with pollen ), don’t place in water.  On a recent trip to NYC I saw HUGE pots just filled with pussy willow outside a big hotel and I just had to stop and look at how beautiful and simple that was! Guess what is going in my ‘porch pot’ next week?  The great thing is they hold up pretty well and you just need to place their stems in dirt to hold them in place! So easy and yet a cheerful way to welcome spring at YOUR doorstep!

These bright yellow blooms will help you get through the last couple weeks of winter.  I cut them so their heads just clear the top of the vessel they’re in.  Leave the stems a little longer to add height to your arrangement.  You can place these little designs all around your house.  I filled a blue teapot, a teal colored Ball jar and an antique vase I love.  Add a raffia bow or knot and place somewhere to cheer you or share with a friend who has the winter blues.  Hey! I just peeked at my garden for the first time all winter and I saw the tips of my hyacinths coming through!  A sure sign the weather is getting warmer – even if that does mean 40 degrees instead of 30.  Hang in there – only 17 days til the official start of spring.

Try this simple and pretty valentine’s design.  You only need a container, a piece of oasis soaked, some greens, and 7 red carnations!  I made this one on an angle so the heart appears slanted / leaning  in the container.  You can do the same by cutting one carnation , leaving only 2 inches of stem length, and placing that carnation at the bottom of  your container to be the bottom point of your heart shape.  Then build up your shape by placing carnations at the 2 points at top and center dip of heart in middle.  Then fill in with the carnations left and this will successfully give you a heart shape in flowers!  Place pieces of evergreen, or boxwood, or eucalyptus, or baker fern… whatever you have at hand to cover the oasis and give your shape more definition.  I added spanish moss around heart shape first to soften the look.  I then placed pearls on a wire garland to the top of the heart shape.  I also outlined the heart with pieces of stem cut on an angle for interest. The arrow through the heart is made with the new round wire that’s on the market!  I love making these for a hostess gift, a thank you gift, or just for someone I love!  I made this one to welcome a new neighbor that moved in.  I just left it on their porch because no one answered the door…so anticlimactic,  but at least they’ll know we are friendly!  OH!  I forgot to say I did a ‘strip wrap’ on this design.  That is where you take a strip of clear cello and wrap just the middle of the design on both sides and tie it in the center with a nice ribbon or raffia.  Shops are doing more of this wrap because it saves on cello and allows the design to breathe…plus it makes a more dramatic impression, and provides a more finished look!  It’s fun to change it up and mix the blooms you put in – just be sure to keep the heart shape to meet with success.  I KNOW you can do it!  Only 10 days to practice : )   HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY !!!

Here is an example of using one of those cute owls in a fresh flower arrangement!  This design I made for my mom.  I said, “Mom! I brought you a fun arrangement that has an owl in it. Owls are the hottest thing right now!”  She said, “Oh – that’s nice but I liked the scarecrow in the one you’re holding”.  ”Mom!” I said, ” the flowers are dead now in this – I’m replacing it with fresh flowers.”  Mom says, ” The scarecrow’s not dead – can’t you put it in with the owl? Where’s the owl anyway, I can’t see it? “……….sigh………I put the scarecrow in with a plant in her room and that made her happy.  Oh! and she did like the owl once I took it out of the arrangement and let her hold it : )  Hug YOUR mom today…but don’t take her scarecrow away! hahaha

The flowers used are bronze spider mum, orange alstromieria lily, green buttons, and pale yellow alstromieria lily, preserved leaves, permanent botanical grasses, cattails, and blonde wheat, all in a whitewashed wicker basket.

I was having a gathering of women at my home the other day and I was ready an hour early so I decided to make a little seasonal cluster of a few blooms and some preserved leaves for each guest.  I pulled out my pretty antique Noritake vases and filled each one with water. I placed the cluster of fresh blooms and leaves in each vase and set them around the three rooms my guests were in.  I only had a few stems of fresh flowers left in my home so this was a great way to share the flowers and stretch them at the same time : )  I pulled off the laterals with the blooms of the alstromieria lily and ended up with 5 pretty blooms of white and 4 of red.  I then separated the laterals and blooms of the green button mums and had at least 2-3 for each cluster.  I didn’t have many bronze/ brown chrysanthemums but was able to include them too.  Then I grabbed my bin of extra leaves and randomly took a couple to add to each bundle. I tied each bundle with a piece of raffia to finish it off.  As my guests were leaving, I asked them each to take a cluster of fresh flowers with them.  It’s a great way to share your fresh flowers.  In the past I have placed the clusters in a shallow bowl with water, somewhere near the door so I didn’t forget to give them away.  How many parties or gatherings have you had where you stressed over a favor only to forget to give them out at the end of your party?  If you try these seasonal fresh flower clusters, consider adding wheat and cattails too!

Pitch black feathers with bright red, with undertones of purple, ( if that’s possible ), are the colors of the new garlands out for  this Fall.  I had to purchase one because the unique feather colors caught my eye at Morris County Farms, Inc. in Randolph, NJ.  When I read the tag I just smiled.  These garlands are made from pigeon feathers! What is it about pigeons?  They just are birds that get no respect from us!  I mean the peacock struts it’s attitude and it’s feathers are gorgeous…I’d say worthy of respect.  The ostrich is unique, and with fluffy feathers, elegant really, so therefore worthy of respect.  I never saw a pigeon in that light.  I only see pigeons when I visit N.Y. and they seem to be a nuisance to everyone there….a dirty bird so to speak!  That’s why I smiled!  These garlands help me to see pigeons in a whole new ‘respectable’ light, if you will ; )  I’ll have to think of how I’ll use it this season.  Maybe around the neck of a vase with fresh flowers coming out the top of the vase….maybe on a long and low tablescape with seeded orbs.  Come visit me at one of the area libraries and see for yourself how to incorporate a pigeon garland into your Fall Fresh Arrangements!

Feathers, wood chips, straw, and bewildered eyes.  This is the make up of this season’s hottest arrangement accessory!  Are you surprised? I saw it coming when I went to a friend’s baby shower last spring and there was a lot of owls happening : )  I knew it would hit the floral world soon and here they are.  You can find some cute ones in Michaels Craft Store,  and Morris County Farms in Randolph, Chester Garden ClubBundling ArrangementNJ. That’s where I found mine.  Today I used one in a fun fall design for the CHESTER GARDEN CLUB.  I made a ‘Bundling Arrangement’ and put the cute owl right in the center.  It did add a whimsical element to the design for sure!  Don’t know what a Bundling Arrangement is? uh-oh…you need to come to a Dare To Design Demo and maybe  I’ll make one for you!  OCTOBER 10TH,WEDS. I’LL BE AT SOMERSET LIBRARY – FRANKLIN BRANCH TO SHARE TOPIARY DESIGNS…START TIME 7PM….JOIN US!

Gather 45 or so people and set each one up to create his/ her own fresh floral design and that’s the setting at Sussex-Wantage Library twice a year!  Jayne McHugh and her wonderful team of volunteers meet me in the lovely room at  the library 30 mins before the ‘Designers’ arrive. The room is transformed into a major floral shop work center.  These ‘Designers’ range in age from 7 yrs old to 70plus.  What a fun, energetic group.  I LOVE teaching this group each year because THEY LISTEN!!!!  They only get out of control at the end of the workshop when accessories like cattails, raffia, ribbon loops, etc are passed out.  We will be planning a cool design for a Nov.17th workshop coming up.  Ask for a Workshop at your library!  It’s a fun 2 hours, (usually less), and you go home with your own creation. Dare to Design today….and I can help IF you need it : )

This a picture of a ‘Designer’ working real hard on figuring out how she wanted to incorporate her bear grass into her tulips and bear grass design in a bubble bowl. How adorable is this girl in the pink shirt…notice the boy behind her!  These kids are SERIOUS – let me tell you! Thanks for the ‘non-blurry’ picture Jayne! See you soon~