Lisa & Jesse...Simply Beautiful

Simply Beautiful Trumpet Calla Lilies
Trumpet Calla Lilies are just such a simple and clean flower... a beautiful large ivory trumpet supported by a magnificent thick bright green graceful long stem. I love, love, love them in a simple clear glass vase. This was one of the 2 Altar arrangements we used at the ceremony of Lisa & Jesse at St. Augustines Church & then moved to their reception at Cecil Green Park House. These arrangements are about 4 ft.tall and worked beautifully in both settings...

The Head Table

The Head table was in front of the Fireplace in the sunny Yellow Room at Cecil Green Park House at UBC... Back at the Church , we had also tied single Calla Lilies to the Pews, which we later moved to the reception, and used on the mantel in a group of 3 vases, and also on the Guest Book Table. The Head table had a beautiful green silk table runner over ivory linens with white Tulip Centrepieces. (My apologies to Lisa that I took this photo before the chair covers were placed!)

The Guest Tables
The guest tables had ivory linens with a darker moss green silk runners and centrepieces of loosely arranged long stemmed white tulips running along the length of the tables, interspersed with white votive candles. ....

More Weddings tomorrow!

White Peonies & Blue Hydrangea

My Living Room Flowers

Well it's hard to believe but Peony season is beginning to wind down...These are the last of the local hothouse white (Duchesse de Nemours) Peonies available until the field Peonies become available, probably late next week. Of course I had to bring them home! The scent, which is soft and beautiful, filled my whole living room for the 4 days that they lived. Day 5, I came home and there was a mass of petals on the table.... Oh well, like a fabulous meal, or a spectacular glass of wine....some things are meant to be enjoyed in the moment. C'est la vie...

We still have soft pink "Sarah Bernhardt", hot pink "Kansas", and red "Red Charm" available in good quantity this week. In the next few weeks, it will depend on our weather!

Sky Blue Hydrangea Centrepieces

As my favourite Spring flowers (Peonies,Tulips, Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, Anemones, Ranunculus, Muscari , Mock Orange Blossom, Solomon's Seal) start to dwindle in availability, I look forward to the flowers of Summer. The Hydrangea pictured above are imported from California, but a small selection of our local cut varieties is already available in smaller quantities . As every flower loving Vancouverite knows, Hydrangea is the flower of our city in the early summer in Vancouver. From soft sky blues, soft greens, light pinks and mauves, to jewel toned sapphire blues, royal purples, and fuschias, all changing their colours as the season progresses. Depending on the variety, colours may lighten or get deeper and richer as the summer progresses. .

My own personal favourite is a delicate chartreuse variety called "Annabelle" which I am desperately sourcing out right now to add to my own shade garden. This is a variety that dries true to it's colour, and though I have been known to be somewhat vocal about my dislike for dried (ie: dead) flowers, Annabelle dries so beautifully that it has graced my own home on more than one occasion. (of course, for no longer than a month or 2, at which point it fades and gets dusty and is sacrificed to the Yard Trimmings pile in my garage)

Special Characteristics: Hydrangea actually means "water" and if they run dry of water, either as a plant or as a cut flower, it is ame over...no second chance. (This is why they are not a great wedding bouquet flower choice ) As a cut flower, they drink through their petals as well as through their stems, and are a wonderful flower to display submerged entirely in water. They don't receive enough water to sustain them adequately when used in floral foam, so should only be used in fresh water arrangements. Most varieties should live for 5-15 days as a cut flower, depending on conditions.

Modern Homes...Fabulous Orchids

Paphiopedalum Orchids

When designing flowers to "show off" a home, for whatever reason...to impress friends, guests, or potential buyers...simple arrangements of all one type of flower have the strongest visual appeal. It should never look like a florist has come in to "do the flowers". They should be part of the decor, complementing the style of the space.

Modern Homes

I took these photos at the Grand Opening of the display suite of an Arthur Erickson designed apartment building in Yaletown. I used several varieties of Orchids for this event, knowing the flowers needed to be fabulous and needed to last for as long as possible.

Cymbidium Orchids

Most commercially available Orchid varieties work well in modern spaces by virtue of the nature of their blooms - the clean and crisp textures, shapes, and colours of their petals, throats, and stems. The other advantage in using these extremely beautiful flowers is their strength and longevity. The varieties pictured here last from 2 to 3 weeks as a cut flower in most conditions, and require a minimum of maintenance.

Mokara Orchids

Chartreuse Cymbidium Orchids

Post Long Weekend Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Time To Get Up!

Lola and I had 2 days off and spent the whole time gardening and loving it! After some prodding (see photo above), we returned to work this morning to a beautiful stream of flowers being brought in and being sent out. New displays, our regular weekly orders, Customers phoning in orders and coming in to order ….Birthdays, Anniversaries, Deaths, Graduations, Weddings…the whole crazy life/flower thing.
Getting ready for a demo & speech to a local Westside Garden Club at the home and garden of the much loved Mrs. Marjorie Anne Sauder this Thursday… West Point Grey Academy Grad at the Wall Centre on Saturday….Tiffany and Co. event next week … 2 Weddings following Weekend…lots of details to plan & order for, Wedding season is in full bloom starting now!

Men In Trees...A Sad Goodbye

Goodbye Elmo Inn!

One of our favourite shows to work on has been cancelled....Men In Trees wasn't picked up for a new season. The following are some photos of my staff working on a wedding scene filmed last year in Brackendale, B.C. substituting for the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska. We will miss working with Wendy Harke on this show, but are currently working with her on a Movie of the Week called "Spectacular" due for release later this year. Life (and the Film Industry) goes on!

Lydia & Giles Garlanding their hearts out!

Behind The Scenes

Prep Time

The Finishing Touches

The directives for this scene included the fact that the flowers were supposed to have been done by friends, and made entirely out of wildflowers from Alaska....set in October....a bit of a challenge at the best of times. We just hoped nobody realized there are no wildflowers in Alaska in October! (Sometimes I wonder what the writer's are thinking!)

Liz and Toby Get Married At Jericho Beach

Liz and Toby

On Saturday, during the Mothers Day rush, we pulled off another beautiful wedding...This time for lovely Liz & Toby...

Hydrangea, Peonies, Roses, Snowball Vibernum and Lily of the Valley

The Happy Couple At Jericho

The Bride & Groom Tandem Bicycle

Huge Thanks to Angela Hubbard for sending me these photographs! If you are planning your wedding, or looking for a fabulous photographer to photograph your children, pets, or if you are a Rock Star needing some promo pics....Angela is second to none. Check out her website at http://www.hubbardphotography.com/ or her bloghttp://www.hubbardphotography.com/blog

Arthur Erickson Guided Garden Tours

Spend some quality time with your Mom....The most inspirational $10 you'll ever spend.

The Arthur Erickson House & Garden Foundation offers guided tours of the world famous Architect's garden every Thursday at 5pm April 17 to mid October. (Or, at other times for groups of 4 or more by special arrangement) Cost is $10 per person. Reserve at 604-738-4195 or by email at aegarden@telus.net
The compact garden set on 2 residential lots in Vancouver's Point Grey, reflects Erickson's passion for Japanese gardens. For more Information visit http://www.ericksongarden.org/

The Best Mom

My Mom & Her Proudest Achievements Circa 1962

Again, another crazy busy day - I kept meaning to photograph some of the arrangements we sent out to add to the blog but customers kept arriving wanting things NOW, and with a work bench full of orders....no time! Instead, I have included a photo of my own Mom, who passed away last year shortly before Mothers Day.

That's me in all my 2 week old glory in the middle along with the two best gifts my Mom ever gave me, my brother and sister. What I have learned since her death, is that a mother is likely the only person who will love you completely and unconditionally no matter how much you mess up. I swear that if I murdered someone, my Mom would have been convinced it was their fault. So enjoy your Mom while she is still here with you - Spend some time with her! And above all, give her some flowers!

Mothers Day...Information & Hours

My Mom & My Sister Circa 1956

Mothers day...Here we go! Today started at 5:30 am at the Auction picking up the best of the best. One of those days when even though I'm exhausted I know why I love my job so much!

In addition to our regular hours, we will be open Sunday this week from 11am - 4pm, We offer delivery on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (morning )to the entire Metro Vancouver Area, including The North Shore, Richmond, New West, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Surrey, Whiterock, Tsawassen, and Langley. and our last delivery for Mothers Day (Vancouver only) is picked up at Noon on Sunday. Please give us 24 hours notice to ensure we can deliver for you! Please call us for delivery prices. If we can't provide delivery due to late ordering, we can always have the flowers ready for pick up. Because of the volume of deliveries it is impossible to guarantee an exact delivery time!

Because we are so busy right now, please have all the information ready when you call us to place your order, or print off the PDF order form from the Contact Us page on our website and fax it to us. We NEED your Moms address & PHONE NUMBER to ensure timely delivery. Please link in to our website for more photos and information!!!

Mothers Day...Think Pink!

Peony & Rose Bouquet

Timeless and classic beauty for your wonderful Mom....A monochromatic pink bouquet comprised of Bugatti Roses, Dr. A. Fleming Peonies, and Karl Rosenfeld Peonies. The bouquet shown is $75.00. (Prices start at $50.00 for similar style bouquets)

Our Signature Apple Green Wrapping with Pink Satin & Chiffon Ribbon Detail

Because God is in the Details....and Mom notices the details. We know Moms are worth more than a cellophane wrapped, raffia tied corner store bouquet!

Pink Hydrangea

If Mom has a garden with a shady area, she can enjoy her Hydrangea in the house for a few weeks, and then plant it directly in the garden (or in a frost proof pot on a balcony) and enjoy it as it gets bigger and fuller every year as it blooms through the summer. The gift that keeps on giving! Hydrangea is available in many shades of pinks, blues, and mauves. Ranging in price from $19.99 (wrapped in tissue and ribbon) through to $90.00 (as shown) depending on the vessel you choose.

Holt Renfrew/ Arts Umbrella

Today we provided the flowers for the annual Holt Renfrew/Arts Umbrella Fundraiser for one of our favourite clients, Arts Umbrella. Here are some photos of the flowers and the set-up.....

The Centrepieces

The Set-Up

The Tables

Tune in tomorrow for Mother's Day Ideas!

Just In Time For Mothers Day

Selection of Green Teas

One of my biggest challenges is finding new products that aren't sold everywhere else in Vancouver. We are the only store in Canada that carries Lupicia Teas, which I found and fell in love with in Honolulu last year. Our first shipment has just arrived! These are amazing green & black teas from Japan, beautifully packaged and sold as loose Tea in tins, or in packages of 5 or 10 teabags.

Selection of Black Teas

Sakurambo - Black Tea with Japanese Cherry

Keep checking in...each day this week we will feature different flowers & gifts for Mothers Day!

Vancouver Club Wedding

Altar Arrangement

Today we worked on a wedding at our favourite venue, the absolutely beautiful Vancouver Club. We have done the weekly flowers here for several years and love working in such a stunning venue. The photos above and below are taken in The Georgian Room. Peonies, Roses, Orchids, Crab Apple Blossoms, Snowball Vibernum....with up lit pedestals to make the submerged seashells glow.

The Georgian Room

Packing up the Centrepieces for delivery

The centrepieces are Lily of the Valley and white seashells enclosed within clear glass cylinders on short stems. What a delicious scent!

The Bridal Bouquet

The Bridal Bouquet was a simple hand tied Bouquet of "Dr. A. Fleming" Peonies. These became available locally just this week!

Happy 16th Anniversary!

Hilary & Lola

Well, It's hard to believe that it has been 16 years since I first opened the doors of my fabulous store. It certainly has been quite a ride! I have always felt blessed that I get to work in such a wonderful environment every day, surrounded by the flowers and the people I love. I want to thank all my clients for their continued support, and my wonderful staff (past and present) who have made coming to work each day a true joy. Without them, I would not be able to pull it all off .

In celebration of my Anniversary, Lily of the Valley, which is my all time favourite scented flower is on special tomorrow...3 bunches for $15.00 It truly doesn't get better than this!!!

Lily of the Valley (Muguet)

Keep checking in over the next week to see our Mothers Day ideas!