Poppies Make a Statement in Springtime Bouquets

September is the month for getting ready for next spring's flowers. Seeds have been ordered and in the next week or two I will start sowing. And poppies will be some of the first to go in. It has been great to have these flowers to offer to offer to brides for both spring bouquet and centerpiece designs.

Delicate blooms should start appearing around the second week of April.

I grow Icelandic poppies in a mixture called "Meadow Pastels". It comes in soft shades of pink, peach, yellow, ivory and white, with some of the stronger yellows and oranges as well.

They really grab your attention whether in a bouquet, or a simple arrangement for the table. And they should look stunning for the upcoming weddings in April and May.

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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!!!

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Locally Grown Flowers for a Springtime Wedding

Last May I had the pleasure of meeting with Bridget and Chris at an Open House at The Shady Wagon Farm. They were looking forward to a 2015 springtime wedding, and Bridget had her heart set on a garden/wildflower look for the wedding flowers.

That meeting led to some beautiful floral creations last weekend! I was so excited to be working with a couple that loved the look of garden style flowers, and I loved the opportunity to grow many of the flowers for them!

The garden beds at Springwell Gardens are really starting to wind up by mid May, and there were lots of flowers blooming that fit the soft pinks, creams and green color palette. 

Some of the flowers that were grown on site for their wedding were Chantilly snapdragons, poppies, cosmos,  Chinese Forget Me Not, and nigella blooms. I was hopeful there would be ranunculus, but the plants finished up too early. Thankfully the white anemones with black eyes  continued to hang in there!

Peach foxglove delivered some beautiful stems, and there were quite a few peonies that became part of the designs at the last minute.

I was excited to see Bridget when I delivered the flowers a few hours before the wedding. It was great to see her smile and hear her delighted approval!

I am so happy for you both as you begin this wonderful life together, and I look forward to you dropping by sometime to learn how to grow some of these beauties in your own garden some day!

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Locally Grown Wedding Flowers for May

May ushers in a whole new set of wedding flowers at Springwell Gardens. There are beds of poppies Chantilly snapdragons, and Chinese Forget-Me-Not that started up in April, but are 

really getting underway now that May is here. New to the gardens are cosmos- I am growing the Double Click and Sensations Mix varieties. And a Nelly Moser Clematis vine is in its second year.

These lavender-pink blooms should be ready for bridal bouquets starting in May 2016.

Other locally grown flowers that are on the verge of blooming are Love-in-a-Mist, pastel and yellow yarrow, Rose Campion, catmint, zinnias and more. They will start making appearances in some lovely weddings over the next few weeks!

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Romantic Bleeding Heart for April Wedding Bouquets

As the end of April approaches I want to get up one more post about a great April flower for weddings. Bleeding Heart (dicentra spectabilis Gold Heart) has been a favorite at Springwell Gardens for several years. I have loved the occasions that its bloom time has corresponded with weddings.

It makes such a romantic statement in both the bridal bridal bouquet and the groom's boutonniere.

It is the perfect picture of springtime love!!!

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Anemone and Ranunculus Centerpiece Designs for Spring

Anemones and ranunculus are probably the two favorite springtime bloomers at Springwell Gardens.

Anemones will actually start up during the winter months and slowly gain momentum through April. By mid March the ranunculus are joining in.
The bold faces of anemones with their dark eye and the full flounced ruffles of ranunculus are a nice contrast in floral designs.

I love to use them for wedding bouquets, but they are also stunning in centerpiece work as well. In  March they may be paired with other locally grown flowers such as Bridal Wreath spirea, Winter Daphne, pussy willow and hellebore.

And as springtime moves into April they are joined by leucojum, snapdragons and viburnum and the slightly fragrant buds of Spice Bush. In May they .

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Lily of the Valley for April Weddings

So many springtime flowers make a delightful appearance that lasts for only days, and then we must wait until again next year.

One of those flowers is Lily of the Valley. I have been watching for it since the end of March, even though I know it won't come until April.  Those delicate white bells finally started unfurling earlier this week and they were a joy to see.

  Lily of the Valley is a short stemmed flower that works well for petite designs, or it may be wired and added to larger bouquets. Another option is to provide a hidden water source

Then it can be worked into a larger design such as a centerpiece arrangement. Here it is featured with white anemones, pink, blush and white ranunculucs, hellebore, pieris and bleeding heart.

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White Flowers from the Garden For Spring Weddings

The white anemones, ranunculus and leucojum are blooming at Springwell Gardens.

Each one is a favorite for springtime weddings.

Below they are gathered together in a charming bouquet with blooms from some springtime flowering shrubs such as Korean Spice Bush and Pieris!

It has been so nice to see spring flowers again after such a cold winter. Their beauty is fleeting though- these flowers love cool springtime weather. With the temperatures flirting with upper 70's and low 80's I am afraid their season will be short!

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Spring Flowers at Springwell Gardens

Spring is here, and the spring flowers are putting on their show. This year at Springwell Gardens

there are white, magenta and blue anemones, blue and white muscari, white and pastel ranunculus, leucojum, daffodils, and pussy willow just to name a few.

Spring is a short season in the South, which makes these flowers extra special. The bloom period for many of these is just two to four weeks.

Some like the anemones and ranunculus will bloom a little longer. I suggest that brides who are interested in using locally grown flowers, especially in the spring, learn ahead of time what is blooming around their wedding date.

Are you interested in daffodils or a special color of ranunculus, maybe something blue? If you plan ahead (late summer to early fall), and you're working with a designer who grows flowers you may be able to have her grow some- just for you!

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Garden Flowers for Spring and Summer Weddings- Chantilly Snapdragons

Every day brings us one day closer to spring! Even with the very cold weather I am already seeing signs. Here's another flower that will be blooming soon at Springwell Gardens- Chantilly Snapdragons!

This type of snapdragon has a lovely open face with delicate petals that face. Chantilly Snapdragons come in an array of soft pastel colors such as pink and peach and light yellow.

I grow this variety with winter protection. The blooms start up in late March along with ranunculus, poppies, and anemones as shown in the design above.

 It continues to bloom through early summer and looks great with zinnias, yarrow and feverfew.

I am looking forward to using it for my May and June weddings!

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Garden Flowers for Spring Weddings- Poppies

One of the most romantic and ethereal flowers is the poppy. Delicate petals, thin as tissue paper, flutter and dance like butterflies!

That romantic, delicate appeal is what makes the poppy a wonderful flower for weddings!

The preferred cultivar for cut flowers is the the Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule). I grow a variety  called Meadow Pastels from seeds started in late fall. The flowers bloom from late March through May. Because of their delicate nature, poppies are at their best when they are purchased from a locally grown source. 

Or even better- when they are grown with your wedding day in mind!

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Leucojum- A Dainty Flower for Early Spring Wedding Bouquets

There are already some daffodil bulbs pushing up stems in the garden, and I think I even see a few leucojum (Spring Snowflake),  as well. This petite, white bell shaped flower is perfect for bridal bouquets.

Bulbs are planted in the fall and the normal bloom times in the Raleigh-Cary area are mid March through early April.

Which makes it perfect for brides who want to incorporate local flowers in their early springtime wedding flowers. It is featured in a bouquet above with pink and white ranunculus, hellebore and a fragrant variety of viburnum called Korean Spice Bush. And in an all white bouquet below with anemone and ranunculus.

I love to include flowers like these in bridal bouquets because they are just the type of flower that a bride can easily grow herself and enjoy each anniversary for years to come.

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Ranunculus and Anemones for Spring Weddings

This will be a busy month! In a addition to some upcoming, lovely weddings, there are of course, garden chores.

Yesterday my shipment of ranunculus and anemone corms came in. These flowers are breathtakingly lovely, and are a favorite of brides! I plan to get the first batch of corms into the garden beds later in the month. I hope to have some Carmel white anemones with dark eyes ready for Kaitlin's December wedding.

The plantings will be staggered a bit. Most of the corms should be in by mid October, but I am still experimenting with putting in a small batch for later springtime blooms. Anemones will start blooming as early as December, and will continue slowly through January. The pace will begin to pick up by late February and continue to gain speed through April.
If the temperatures for winter are normal in 2015, I expect to see the ranunculus blooming by early March.

There will also be other lovely flowers to join them- Hellebore, Winter Honeysuckle and Winter Daphne will begin to bloom in January. And I plan to set aside some protected garden space for lots of pansies. All of these flowers are absolutely fabulous for winter and early springtime bouquets.

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