Bouquets to Art - 2013

Spent last Wednesday in the city at the De Young Museum viewing all the amazing floral work for the annual Bouquets to Art.  More than 100 floral designers create arrangements that interpret artwork from the museum's permanent collection.  The event raises money for the museum to support conservation projects, education programs and special exhibits.

I also had the chance to attend two floral demonstrations by Cort Schwanebeck of Acres garden store in St. Helena, CA, and Laura Dowling, the current White House florist.  Watch for future blogs on their work.  

Here are a few photos of some of this year's Bouquets to Art creations.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep track of all the designers so can not give credit where it is do.

Simple Tulip Arrangements

Now that you know how to process and condition your just purchased tulips you will want to place them in an arrangement.  However, they can be frustrating to keep in line.  Tulips are very temperamental--like teenagers; they like to do what they want, when they want! 

Because tulips continue to grow (as much as 3-4 inches after being cut) and bend toward the light they can be difficult to arrange.  Here are a few simple arrangements to make them behave.  

This is super easy, just place three tulips at varying heights inside two different size glass cylinders.  You could do this with two, three, four or more vases of different sizes or all the same size.  Just make sure you check the water level every day as tulips are thirsty flowers. 

Gather tulips (here I used five each since the vase is small) keeping flower heads level and use a rubber band to hold stems in place.  Wrap the bottom of the stems with a tulip leaf and secure with decorative pin.  Cut stems straight across below the leaf.

Arrange tulips and grass in your hand (here I used bare grass but lily grass would work, too) and secure with rubber band.  Cover band with decorative ribbon or rafia.  Cut stems to correct length for your vase and angle over side of vase.  

Tulip Time

It's peak season for tulips.  Although tulips are available year round--thank you hot houses and overnight shipping--now is the best time to find quality flowers in a variety of colors and at the 

lowest prices.

Generally, tulips are kept in cold storage and out of water when shipped and at flower markets.  To make sure your tulips last as long as possible you will need to process and condition them correctly.

Once home, remove the tulips from their plastic wrap.  Fill a bucket with cool water but not too deep.  Tulips prefer shallow water.  Like most spring bulbs they like their feet cool and their heads warm.

Take newspaper and loosely wrap the bunch.  This will help keep the stems straight and strong as they absorb water.  Remove any lower leaves that would fall below the water line.  Cut the stems above the white parts at an angle and place in the water bucket.

Leave in the bucket for a few hours or overnight.  Tulips are heavy drinkers so make sure you check the water level in your bucket and add more cool water as needed. 

Tulips can "blow" open quickly if they have been stored in a cool location (such as the flower shop cooler) and then exposed to heat too quickly.  Be careful to move them to a cool location out of direct sun light so they don't open all the way on the first day home.  

Over the Top Flowers

I saw this video on another blog I follow, FloraFocus, and couldn't believe what was done for the Autumn-Winter 2012 Dior Haute Couture fashion show.  Over a million flowers were brought in to complete this over the top show.  Note that all the walls were covered with green floral oasis blocks and chicken wire.  I'd love to know how many boxes they went through and how long it took to do all the prep work before installing the flowers.  Amazing!

Flower Frogs

A flower frog holds flowers in place, usually with short metal spikes, a glass disk with holes, or a wire grid.  They can be simple, utilitarian designs or elaborate figurines.  They can anchor a large arrangement or hold a single stem in a shallow vase.  

Flower frogs were popular in the mid '20s and '30s in the United States, although a quick Google search shows they date back to 16th century Europe.  I have no idea why it is called a 'flower frog'--maybe because it sits in water like a frog.  Regardless, it is a very useful tool when arranging flowers and worth adding to your flower tool box. 

My small collection of  flower frogs--most found in antique stores

A nice selection courteous of Martha Stewart

It's easy to use a flower frog--just place at the bottom of your vase or container.  Because I'm using a flower frog I'm able to arrange in a very shallow container without adding additional support (chicken wire or floral tape) or building up a base of greens.  To secure the flower frog I used green tacky floral tape.  Do this before adding any water; otherwise, the frog will not stick as well to your container.  

Now you're ready to design, just insert the stem in the floral frog.  The frog will support the stem, allowing you to place your flowers exactly where you want them.  Very easy.  

I used gorgeous dahlias found at our local farmer's market and then came back in and added pink hydrangea from my yard.  Okay, I'm busted--I started this post last September, when I made the arrangement.

Here are some other fun ways to use Flower Frogs...

Great for organizing your desk, craft area or make-up table

Fun idea for table place cards 

Easy way to hold photos

Valentine's Day

I planted a Hardenbergia vine last year and it is beginning to bloom.  Flowers in February is one of the benefits of living in California.  Spring arrives early.  Of course after all the cold weather we have had this year it couldn't get here early enough.

I love this vine for it's prolific purple, lilac-like flowers and thought it would be pretty in an arrangement  so picked up some tulips and mums at our local Trader Joes and put this together this afternoon.  

Happy Valentine's Day to me.  :-)

Hardenbergia Violacea

Pretty in Pink (and purple) in a cement container - love the contrast