Coral and Blush Poppies for Weddings in April and May

I can't think of  more cheerful and bubbly flowers than POPPIES. They started showing their faces in mid April which worked out perfectly for pairing them with ranunculus, another April bloomer. Their bloom times overlapped for almost three weeks.

Below they are shown together in a bright and playful design of corals, hot pinks and yellows that includes Chantilly Snapdragons, sweet peas, pale green hellebore, and chartreuse euphoribia.

The softer peach and cream colors of poppies take on a more refined air as in this design that also features

blush colored garden roses, black eyed anemones and Dusty Miller.

 Poppies don't like the heat though! They are already starting to slow down. I was hoping to push them into June, but I think that I may have to shoot for earlier bloom times rather than later. Which means I will try to have them blooming in time for some mid to late March weddings next year!

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Zinnia Bouquets in Peach and Coral and Lavender and Plum

Spring lingered a little longer than usual this year, but with the typical humidity of the Deep South streaming in over these last couple of weeks, I think it has finally given way to summer.

This is a transition time in the flower garden. Snapdragons, Feverfew, Yarrow and Queen Ann's Lace are some late spring bloomers that will persist through June. Zinnias, gomphrena, and celosia are just starting up and will crank out blooms through frost. Dahlias are also starting up as well, but won't hit their stride until fall.

So as the weather heats up, I thought it would be a great time to work up some bouquets with summer offerings.

Open-face Chantilly snapdragons and zinnias in soft yellows, peach, salmon and pink are paired with white feverfew and Queen Ann's Lace. It's a very popular color palette this year!

The next bouquet features hydrangea, clematis, zinnia, marble arch salvia, chocolate cosmos and catmint in lavender, purple, plum, and pink with touches of white double flowered feverfew.

The best part of all is having my daughter, Judy, agree to help me out, and hold the bouquets for me. I tell her it's good practice...

She just laughs!

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Peach and Coral Ranunculus and Bleeding Hearts for Katey and Matt

Some of the most beautiful flowers for springtime weddings are grown here at Springwell Gardens. Ranunculus, leucojum, tulips, bleeding heart, and more have been making an appearance in the garden beds since late February.
And that is just what Katey and Matt wanted for their April wedding- flowers from the garden.

When we first met last March, I showed Katey and Matt some designs that featured ranunculus in an array of beautiful colors peaches, corals, pinks and yellows... they decided these would be the perfect flowers for their wedding designs.

 

 They also liked the idea of trying to use some of the other seasonal flowers from the garden such as Angelique tulips, leucojum and bleeding heart.....

Here's Katey's bouquet filled with a colorful array of ranunculus, leucomjum, Angelique tulips and bleeding heart from the Gardens, along with coral spray roses and creamy stock.

 Matt's boutonniere featured two plump ranunculus buds and a single bleeding heart floret.

Posies for the aisle chairs were created with apricot colored snapdragons, coral spray roses and peach and coral ranunculus.

Centerpiece elements featured pussy willow, curly willow and ranunculus from the Garden in sleek cube and rectangular vases for the reception at The Umstead Hotel and Spa.

Loved having the chance to work with this sweet couple. And since they live near, I would be more than happy to help give them pointers for a flower garden of their own!

 Wishing you all the best, Katey and Matt, as you begin your lives together.

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Zinnias for Summer Weddings

We're seven weeks from our last frost date, and I'm in the midst of seed planting for summer wedding flowers- Black-eyed Susan, gomphrena, pincushion flowers, feverfew and one of my favorites- Zinnias!

 Zinnias will be playing some type of role in several of my late spring, summer and fall weddings. I'm growing coral colored zinnias for Taylor and Grant's wedding at Snipes Farm in May.

 And yellow zinnias to play a support role in Courtney and Patrick's wedding flowers in June, and a larger role in the flowers for Elizabeth and Chris's late July wedding.

There will even be white ones in September for Hilary and Gordon.

 Zinnias remind me of a cross between dahlias and Gerber daisies. They are such cheerful flowers and are fairly easy to grow. I often use them mixed bouquets and centerpiece work. At Springwell Gardens I grow coral, white, pink, wine and orange, and sometimes red.

The first batch of seedlings is a little over a month old- they should be ready for cutting by mid May.
Next week I will do a quick primer on growing your own zinnias from seed. Once you see how easy they are to grow, they may become one of your favorite flowers too!!!

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Beautiful Corals for Katie and Will's Wedding- The Real Pictures

It's so exciting to share the REAL PICTURES from the weddings of couples that I have worked with.

I am continually amazed at the talent that goes into capturing the images of such a monumental day. Katie and Will's September 1st wedding was just incredible, and their photographer, Perry, of Perry Vaile Photography did an outstanding job of capturing the joyful emotions of their special day!!!
Take a look and I am sure you will agree...

Katie's choice of colors were corals, soft peaches, creams and ivories. The finishing touch for the bouquets were flowing ribbons of satin and organza.

Here are some priceless shots of Katie with her bridesmaids....

 

Of Will and all the men in the wedding party sporting bow ties....

And touching moments of father and daughter, and two sisters who really are best friends.

 Jones Chapel on the campus of Meredith College was such a classic venue for their wedding.

After the wedding the guests made their way to the University Club in Raleigh to continue the celebration. Perry really took time to capture so many of the personal details...

The little things that make this wedding unique to Will and Katie....

Click here to see more wonderful images of their special day.

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Peaches and Corals for Katie and Will's Wedding

What a treat to be asked to create Katie and Will's wedding flowers. Katie and my daughter, Mary, were good friends growing up- especially during those high school years. Lots of good memories come to mind when I think of this lovely young woman!
Katie envisioned a warm color palette of peach, light coral and pops of green for the bridesmaids bouquets and soft whites and ivories for her own.

One thing that was tweaked a little a couple months out from the wedding was the wrapping for the bouquets. I showed Katie a picture of bouquets with multiple hanging ribbons, and she was all for giving it a try.

Ceremony designs were created in large footed urns in keeping with the traditional atmosphere at Jones Chapel in Raleigh.
Centerpiece designs somewhat mimicked the bridesmaids' bouquets. Each one set in a ribbon and button embellished vase, (so thankful to have Sandy assist me with all of these!).
I can't wait to share some of the real wedding pictures... so more about these two coming up later this week!

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Soft Coral Garden Rose and Pink Dahlia Bouquet

Sunset hues of peach and pink and yellow make for a stunning color combination.
They are colors that resonate well with summertime- soft yet vibrant.
The flowers in this lush bouquet are gorgeous peachy-coral cabbage roses called Romantic Antike and soft pink Majolica spray roses with some lovely picks from the garden-
Annabelle Hydrangea, Indigo Spires Salvia, Gabrielle Marie Dahlias, and fragrant Tuberose. Check back next week to see a version of this with a splash of aubergine perilla!

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Summer Flowers- Bright Corals and Yellows with a Touch of Blue

The warm hues of summer flowers are cranking up in the garden- There are two varieties of Black-eyed Susan- Indian Summers and Goldilocks, coral and red zinnias, and some late flushes of feverfew.
There are still lateral stems of foxglove and Ammi blooming as well, and a small crop of Mountain Mint. I thought this arrangement looked so cheery, but afterwards I found some Delphinium stems I had meant to include as well...
So here is the same design with punches of blue... it really changes it up a bit, don't you think?
Next year there will be more Mountain Mint. It's a plant that I have loved for years, but lost a few seasons ago. I was thrilled to find it last year at the Farmer's Market in Raleigh. The botanical name is Pycnanthemum spp. To read more about it go: Beautiful Wildlife Garden
I love this soft green filler! It looks beautiful in floral design work and smells wonderful too!

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