Autumn 2023 Gathering

Hosting a gathering in the middle of my busiest season to date came as a gift of reprieve and opportunity to slow down my hustling body and mind. The past few months I have spent every weekend adorning tables with florals, candles and table runners for celebratory feasts of newlyweds and their cherished loved ones. I feel so grateful to participate in these nuptial celebrations through the gift of flowers. That said, it felt so good to finally sit at the table made beautiful for a meal of which I could partake alongside my own guests. On October 6th, four incredible women came into my studio and left with full bellies, friendship and a handful of blooms. 

Below I will share with you the ingredients and instructions for the flower arrangement we made. As for the meal, I made a white bean soup using a recipe from the cooking blog, Rainbow Plant Life. While I enjoy creating elaborate meals for my guests, for this gathering I prioritized ease since different seasons evoke differing capacities and during the month of October time was limited. I loved how easy this stew was to make and how accommodating it was to a wide range of dietary needs. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we all did!

Fall Dahlia Bouquet

Ingredients:

• Focal Flowers: 7-9 stems of dahlias

• Focal Supports: 5-7 stems of zinnias

• Texture: 3 stems of celosia

• Line Flowers 3 stems of caryopteris

• Line Flower: 3 stems of salvia

• Unique Filler: 1-3 Perilla

• Foliage: 3 pelargonium foliage (scented geranium)

• Foliage: 3 stems of hydrangea leaves

Instructions:

1. Using your less dominant hand, pinch your index and middle finger together with your thumb as you would a shadow puppet.

2. Turn your hand so the hollow part is facing up. Using your dominant hand, take a dahlia stem and place it vertically in between the pinched thumb and fingers of your less dominant hand. From there, begin adding zinnias and remaining dahlias (alternating between the two) at an acute angle. Twist your bouquet 180 degrees before incorporating the next stem. This will allow you to form a spiral. There are a number of different ways to create the spiral. My method is inspired by Amy Balster’s (the Floral Coach) technique.

3. Next add in celosia, caryopteris, salvia and perilla into the spiral. By now your spiral should be well formed and your fingers loosened. Cut the longer stems to keep the bouquet balanced in your hand. Shift flower necks and heads so florals are distributed evenly throughout the bouquet while ensuring the stems remain in the spiral.

4. Lastly, add the foliage lower in the arrangement, forming a collar around the stems. Then secure it with a rubber band.

5. Place the bouquet in water before either cutting short for a vase or giving to a friend or loved one.

Bouquet Overview: Philadelphia Grown Blooms
Caryopteris, celosia, dahlias, gomphrena, hydrangea foliage, pelargonium, perilla, salvia, zinnias

Sourced from:The Philly Floral Guild Farmers: Flores Temporis, Hickory Grove Gardens, Liberty Plants, Love’n Fresh Flowers, Pinewood and Posies, Spring Wind Farm

Your Spring Garden Guide for a Colorful Fall

If you are like me, spring gets here and you begin seeing things bloom so you rush to your local garden center and buy all the seeds you know will bloom in the fall. When you get home you realize that half the seeds you bought do best when planted 4-6 weeks before the last frost. As a florist who is constantly preparing for weddings months in advance, I have learned that planning ahead is key to success both in gardening and in business. While we cannot control the future, we can do our best to listen to the earth, discern and take the risk of planting a seed that may or may not grow. It’s worth it.        

10 Steps to Garden Prep

Here are 10 steps to creating your own planting calendar in the winter to ensure that your garden is colourful for spring, summer and fall.

1. If you have not already ordered your summer/ fall blooming seeds, do it ASAP. My favorite place to order seeds is from Baker Creek Seeds: Here are some seeds I would recommend for a vibrant cut flower garden that is easy to grow (atleast in Zone 7)

   1. Amaranth

   2. Cosmos

   3. Celosia

   4. Dahlia bulbs

   5. Dara

   6. Fennel

   7. Marigolds

   8. Rudbeckia

   9. Sunflowers

   10. Zinnias

2. Go to your grocery store and buy a 2023 Farmers Almanac. Look up the last frost dates for spring 2023. To be thorough, I would also google a few other sources. For Philadelphia, I would say you can begin planting transplants safely by the last two weeks of April.

3. Once your seeds have arrived read the planting recommendations usually located on the back of the seed packet. Sort your seeds into piles based on the time from the last frost when you should plant. Some should be started in containers while others can be sewn directly into the ground when all chance of frost is past (generally you are good by May).

4. Count back from your estimated last frost date and mark the dates in your calendar.

5. Grab some small brown paper bags and on the outside of each bag, write he date and seeds that need to be planted. Anything before your last frost date will likely need to be planted in containers. Once your bags are labeled by month, place the seeds in the appropriate bags and store them together in a larger box.

6. Ensure you have all the trays you need for the flowers that you are planting. For example if you have 200 Marigolds make sure you have 100 cells to plant them in. This may seem like a lot, but not every flower will make it. Often these trays come with 72 cells so plan accordingly.

7. Prepare shelving and a warm, bright environment for seedlings to grow. In the past I have placed my seedlings by windows or on top of the refrigerator. To be honest, I have had mixed success with this method, in part because my kittens destroyed half my seedling trays but also because I think the light to warmth ratio was off. If I placed them on the fridge, they didn’t get enough light. If I placed them along the windowsill, they didn’t get warm enough. This year I decided to invest in warming mats and grow lights. Here are links to grow lights and heat mats I bought. If you have any others you would recommend, I am all ears:

1. Heat Mat

2. Grow Lights

8. Starting in March watch your calendar for when you need to begin planting the first seeds. Prepare you seed starting mix in your trays and begin carefully planting seeds.

9. Now that your seedlings have started to grow, transfer your new little plants to the yard in early May or even late April.

10. At the beginning of May, start sewing seeds that can be directly seeded into the ground.

Now, all you have to do is wait patiently, water and then enjoy!

Wreath-Making Gathering

We had so much fun at the Flower Clvb wreath-making gathering but if you missed it, below are the materials and instructions for how to make a dried flower wreath:

Materials

Sourced from Unique Gardens, a local Pennsylvania flower farm about 45 minutes away from the city. You can purchase the eucalyptus and dried materials from them at the Clark Park Farmer’s market every Saturday.

• 16-18” grapevine wreath

• 3 bunches of dried flowers (1 bunch = 10 stems)

• 1-2 bunches of fresh or dried eucalyptus

• 24 gage wire

• scissors

• Hot glue

Instructions

1. Cut about 30 stems of eucalyptus into about 6” pieces. Strip-off the bottom third of their leaves. Set them aside into a pile.

2. Next, take dried flowers and cut 30-50 stems to the length of 6.” Strip-off any foliage.

3. Then, take three stems of dried flowers and place them over three stems of eucalyptus and pinch them together in your hand just below the bottom leaf of your eucalyptus stems. Use the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand to pinch while using your less dominant hand to place each stem in the pinched fingers.

4. Take a piece of wire and slide it under your thumb where it is pinched. Then wrap the wire around the eucalyptus and dried flower stems five or six times, leaving excess wire to wrap around the wreath.

5. Repeat the above step 10 times so that you have 10-15 little bunches.

6. Once your bunches have been made, place the first piece along the curve of your wreath and attach it with the wire either by wrapping it around the entire arm of the wreath or a few vine branches so that the wreath remains secure.

7. Take the next bunch and place it over the stems of the first one so both the wire and exposed stems are covered. Attach it with the wire.

8. Continue to attach bunches to the wreath until your wreath

9. Find a place to hang your wreath. Take a step back and examine where there might be holes.

10. Using a a hot glue gun or by simply weaving the dried elements into the vine, add your remaining pieces until your wreath feels balanced.

    Note: Depending on the look you are going for, you do not have to cover the entire wreath. The grapevine is beautiful in and of itself.

Autumn 2022 Gathering

October is the grand finale of flowers for the year. Dahlias, marigolds, perila and herbs abundant are seen in yards all around my West Philly neighbourhood. It is also a time for harvesting and feasting before the cold winter comes and makes us wait for things to grow once more. With each floral and dinner recipe found below, take a moment to pause in gratitude for the gifts of the earth.

Bouquet Overview: Philadelphia Grown Blooms
Amaranth, basil, caryopteris, celosia, dahlias, gomphrena, hydrangea, marigolds, perilla zinnias

Sourced from: Farmer Lady Flowers, Lunaria Gardens
Feast Features:
Apples, butternut squash, chickpeas, chipotle peppers, cranberries, pecans

Sourced from: Mariposa and Whole Foods

The Flowers

While I am not completely opposed to super market flowers, the varieties you can find grown locally are always going to be fresher and more unique than ones at the grocery. Often farmers markets will have a stand dedicated to a flower farm. During the past fall season, I sourced some flowers from my local famers market but most of my flowers I purchased through site called Rooted which connects florists with local flower farmers. Flowers sourced from farming partnerships and cooperatives such as Philadelphia Flower Guild and Jersey Cut Flower Market can be seen in almost every one of my weddings this past season. I am excited to share with you a centrepiece recipe made from locally grown flowers.

Ingredients:

Sourced from Lunaria Gardens and Flower Lady Farmers from Jersey Cut Flowers

• Foliage: 3 basil (Cardinal Tall)

• Foliage: 3 stems of perilla

• Filler: 1 limelight hydrangea

• Focal Flowers: 5 stems of dahlias

• Focal Supports: 3 stems of zinnias

• Texture: 3 stems of amaranth

• Texture: 3 stems of celosia

• Line Flowers: 3 stems of pink caryopteris

• Fluttery Elements: 3 stems of gomphrena

• Fluttery Elements: 3 mini marigolds

Additional Supplies:

• Container with 5” inch opening and 5-7” inches tall

• Chicken wire

• Wire cutters

• Garden shears

• Water proof floral tape

Prep

1. Once you have gathered and sourced your flowers, find a container that has about a 5 -6” opening and is about the same in height.

   *Container tip: Ikea’s plant pots make great, affordable containers!

2. Using wire cutters, cut a piece of chicken wire 8x10“ then fold over into a ball or pillow like structure so you create multiple layers with the chicken wire.

3. Place the chicken wire ball inside the vase

4. Using the floral tape, place 1 piece of tape across the diameter of the vases, then another piece of tape crossing over that tape so that you see an ‘x’ over the opening

5. To double secure the tape, place 4 pieces of floral tape over the 4 ends where the floral tape meets the vase.

6. Fill container to the top with water

My Process… yours might be different and that is okay

1. Start with the basil stems. Measure out basil stems at the following heights:

   1. Tallest: 15 Inches high

   2. Medium height: 12 inches long

   3. Shorter height: 8 inches long

2. Place the tall stem towards one edge of your arrangement, the shortest one on the same side but slightly below and veering outward, then place the medium length one on the opposite end of the tall stem and have it protruding out towards the horizon.

3. Place the perilla to follow the lines of the basil but lower in the arrangement, covering some of the tape and the edges.

4. At this point your arrangement should have three sections.

5. Cut the hyrdrangea short and place it in one of the three sections of your arrangement.

6. Visualizing a zig zag line going up and down, out and in, place the dahlias, throughout your arrangement. Refrain from placing dahlias low behind other flowers. They should be out and loud

7. Place zinnias slightly lower and slightly behind the dahlias as if to further pronounce the dahlias

8. Using your dangly amaranth, insert near the greenery and place the celosia low in the arrangement to fill any wholes in the arrangement .

9. Place the caryopteris along the same lines as the greenery towards the edge of your arrangement

10. Finally, insert the tiny marigolds and gomphrena as elements sticking out above, fluttering around the arrangement

The Feast

I have a next door neighbour who often prepares a double portion of her family’s dinner in case the opportunity to share arises. She always seems to offer these meals to me on the days I am exhausted and/ or too busy to cook. Countless evenings she has provided me a dinner so delicious that I make her text me the recipe. She is a hospitable friend and since October was her birthday month, I gave her a seat at the Autumn gathering as a gift. Spicy butternut squash soup was one of the dishes she so graciously shared with me so when deciphering recipes for the evening, I knew I wanted to try this soup.

Below I have included recipes for the soup, as well as the other delicious food items we shared.

Fig and Roasted Pecan Salad

Salad Ingredients

• Pint of fresh Figs

• 1 c of Roasted Pecans

• 5 oz Organic greens

• 1/2 c of Goat Cheese (optional)

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp of ACV

• 1/4 c olive oil

• 1 Tbsp of honey

• 1 Tsp of dijon mustard

• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat Oven to 350 degrees and roast the pecans for a total of 6 minutes

2. Set pecans aside to cool

3. Mix together dressing ingredients

4. combine all ingredients in a lage salad bowl

Cranberry and Chickpea Appetizer (adapted from Running to the Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 2 peeled sweet potatoes

• 2 TBSP of olive oil

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• salt

• 3 c of chickpeas

• 1.5 c of cranberries or pomegranates

• 1/2 c of roasted pine nuts

  Tahini Dressing:

  • 1/4 c of tahini

  • 3 TBSP olive oil

  • 2 Tbsp of maple syrup

  • 2 Tbsp of lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove

  • salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 430 degrees

2. Mix olive oil and spices with sweet potatoes then roast in oven for 18 minutes

3. In a blender mix the salad dressing ingredients together

4. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked and have cooled, mix together with the chickpeas, cranberries and pine nuts then add in the dressing

Apple Cinnamon Palette Cleanser

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice

• 1 apple

• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon

Instructions

1. chop apples and place in a small bowl

2. mix with lemon

3. mix with cinnamon

Spicy Autumn Butternut Squash Soup (Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen- Mexican Favorites)

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 small onion

• 1 large butternut squash with seeds and stringy bits set aside

• 5 cups of water

• 1 cups of coconut cream

• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

• 1 tsp of chipotle chili minced

• 1 tsp of ground cumin

• roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instruction

1. Steam butternut squash

2. heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, saute onion, seeds and string of squash for about 5 minutes

3. pour water in sauce pan, add some salt and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes

4. Strain out the seeds and squash meat from squash.

5. Scrape squash from skin into the pot

6. Using an immersion blender, blend squash into water, then add all other ingredients except pumpkin seeds

7. When ready to serve, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top

Butter Cream Maple Frosting for GF Jules’ Spice Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c unsalted butter

• 2 c powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons of whipping cream

• 1 Tsp almond extract

• 1/4 c maple syrup

• 1/8 Tsp of salt

Instructions

1. Whip the butter using a hand mixer

2. Add the powdered sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes

3. Add in the whipping cream and mix a tablespoon at a time and whip for two minutes

4. slowly add in the almond extract, maple syrup and sea salt, whip for 7 minutes.

5. Spread over two layer cake