2022: Year in Review

Looking Back on 2022

The annual review is my favorite blog post of the year. While, it is a way for me to archive and track each year’s accomplishments, my aim in sharing it is also to encourage those who may be struggling in similar areas that I do. January is a great time to reflect on the things that worked well during the year and the things that did not in effort to make goals and plans for the next.

2022 allowed me the the privilege of completing 37 weddings and events for couples and clients across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. With each celebration, I was able to provide unique varieties of flowers, the majority of which were American grown. Cultivating relationships with growers exceeded my expectations as I connected with and purchased most of my blooms from 14 local farmers around the Philadelphia and South Jersey region (Buds and Botanicals, Blushing field, Farmer Lady Flowers, Flores Temporis, Ford’s Nest, Hickory Grove, Jig bee, Kemble and Clover, Laughing lady, Love’ n Fresh Flowers, Lunaria Gardens, Spada Flora, Spring wind Farm, Unique Gardens). Hiring more freelance help for my weddings, hosting intimate gatherings and participating in the Love’n Fresh Flowers cohort were some of the things that made the year deeply meaningful.

The following images capture the arrangements, people and gatherings that made-up such a flourishing year.

Cosmos grown at the Love’n Fresh Flower Farm

Centerpieces

Over the course of eight months (March- October), I created over 480 centerpieces. Below are just a few of my favorites!

A fall arrangement with florals all sourced from my garden

A summer wedding with Alaskan grown peonies and pops of blue

Spring wedding at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn

Flowers in memory of Dr. McFarland, my beloved friend’s father who passed away in May. All florals from this image were grown in my garden.

Arrangement for a Wabi-sabi inspired wedding

People

The success of the 2022 wedding season was made possible by the many helping hands of my incredible freelance team. I had 18 people help me throughout the wedding season. To Ali, Annamarie, Becca, Beth, Cassidy, Christy, Genny, India, Jeremy, Kam, Karol, Kristen, Laura R, Laura S, Lindsie, Nora, Olivia, Rachel, Thank you!

Nora (not her real name), an Afghani refugee connected through the Nationalities Service Center Philadelphia who freelanced for me during my fall wedding season.

Cassidy has helped me with so many weddings this past year and I am immensely grateful for her gifts and spirit! Looking so forward to 2023!

Laura Swayne who I met through a Team Flower workshop years ago came for a visit and we created beautiful arrangements togehter!

Inida, what a joy and talent you have!! Excited to have you back for 2023!

Rachel is both my dear friend and neighbour. She has a natural gift for florals and it is inspiring!

My lovely mom, holding a bucket of dahlias grown in NJ!

Annamarie helped me with so many of my NYC weddings this year. I don’t know what I would have done without her!

Another pic of Rachel and I after a wedding at Cairnwood Estate!

Bouquets

I made 135 bouquets in 2022 and often recruited my friends to model them for me. Below are some of my favorite pics!

September wedding with only local flowers

A bouquet that includes everything I love about spring

Late Fall bouquet with Cosmos as a focal

Summer bouquet for a wedding at Please Touch Museum

The Cohort

Each year, I invest in a professional development opportunity and for 2022 I wanted to find a floral guide who would serve as a mentor and also share my value for sustainable practices. When Jennie Love of Love’n Fresh Flowers announced the application for her 2022 cohort, I knew it was the perfect fit. I can truly say that I learned so much from my experience under her teaching and formed so many wonderful relationships through the program. Here are some pics and highlights from our time.

Installs

Installations are some of the most thrilling floral designs as they are so architectural in nature. I completed 28 installations this past year including everything from arches to hanging ceiling florals.

Another favorite from the Brooklyn Winery

Gatherings

During the five gatherings I hosted in 2022, we celebrated the seasons through sharing meals together and creating beautiful floral arrangements. These gatherings are intimate and intentional events and I am so grateful for each person who participated. Stay on the look out for the 2023 gathering announcement.

Summer gathering, photo taken my Stacey McDonald

A Year of Nourishment

2022 was profoundly different than 2021 in ways that were for the most part positive. I stopped drinking, started taking a small dose of anti-depressants, and intentionally did not take weddings during the winter season. My mental health has so profoundly felt the nourishment of these choices when I compare it to how I was feeling the year prior. Taking my cues from the cadence of the earth, working hard as it labored and toiled then resting when it entered into its natural sabbath, allowed my body to find consolation in the rhythms of nature. I look back on 2022 in gratitude and joy.

This past year was such a stark contrast to the overwhelming waters of the couple years prior, that it is was a real challenge for me to think of the things that didn’t work as well. However, when I take a deep hard look, it is the tension between caring for the earth vs. making more convenient choices that cause me to pause. Imported blooms from the wholesaler might feel quick and easy but they come at a cost. While I certainly sourced a good majority of my blooms locally, there were times that an imported rose or carnation were part of my ingredient list. Were they still beautiful? Yes, but the plastic involved in their preparation and the length of travel they underwent did not serve the earth or those receiving them to their full potential.

Every flower shipped weighs on my conscience which is why my 2023 goal is to only source American grown flowers with the majority grown hyper local. Luckily, so many couples are continually choosing seasonal options. As I look ahead and consider a word to hold at the forefront of my year, I am choosing the word, “Special.” The earth has given us so many special gifts and my hope is that with each bloom encountered through a wedding or gathering, will make those who receive them feel the same.

January Book Clvb

We Are What We Eat by Alice Waters

January’s book of the month is Alice Water’s We are What we Eat, a manifesto for her philosophy on food. Waters is one of the forerunners of the slow food movement, inspiring professional and at home chefs alike to eat local, beautiful and quality meals. Since I started my business, I have followed the work of Debra Prinzing, leader of the slow flowers initiative for floral designers. Similar to Waters, she encourages florists to source American grown flowers, supporting local farmers and using sustainable mechanics.

Prior to these movements both with food and flowers, “slow” has assumed negative connotations. However, when we examine the ways access and the instantaneous nature of our food systems have served to deplete the natural world, the contrasting adjective, “quick” and “fast” are revealed for what they truly are. The cost of speed is paid for by the health of the earth and its creatures. Our choices can either further honor the earth or weaken it.

Food and flowers are often enjoyed in the same company. The way a meal is prepared and a table is adorned matters more than many of us may realize. When a person is proposing to their partner, unless acting in irony, McDonalds is not the first choice to pop the big question. While I am not here to criminalize fast food, I do think cooking a meal offers something so much more meaningful and intentional. Proposals are done, birthdays are celebrated and lives remembered in spaces where the beauty and details suggest care and connectedness.

Years ago when I was running youth art programs in government housing developments, I noticed that the quality of programming was not the only thing that brought dignity to the children. It was the intentionality and beautification of the space where we were inviting them to spend time. The bright and colourful walls and sparkly clean floors communicated to participants that they were worthy of beauty. When a space is dimly lit or sterile feeling that too communicates value to those present.

Both the environment Waters has created through her Edible School Yard program and the ways she has designed her restaurant, Chez Panisse, provide a simple and beautiful experience for participants. In cultivating warm and inviting meals and spaces, she re-affirms the notion that grand measures of expense and displays of wealth are unnecessary for encountering beauty. Rather, enjoying the way light enters a room, cooking food grown from one’s own garden or picking wild flowers to ornament a table requires little expense.

Reading Water’s manifesto of food is so similar to my manifesto on flowers that I felt like I was reading back to myself early journal entries for my vision of Flower Clvb. Particularly, her emphasis of stewardship and connectivity resonate with my own mission for a business that does not take from the earth but rather, nourishes it. Just as Waters considers where food is grown, how farmers are treated and the ways her kitchen staff experience their work, I also aim to consider the many processes that go into bringing a flower from seed to table.

There is so much that goes into the life of a flower both before and after it graces a wedding. Considering the entire cycle and the different people it encounters along the process is important to me. If flowers are still blooming well after a wedding, I will take them to a hospice. If not, I will compost them. Alice Waters writes of her care for the people who wash the dishes as well as the people who pick up the trash from her restaurant as all being important members of the process.

I hope that after reading this book, you too will be inspired to care for all creatures, slow down and intentionally take the time to consider where the things we consume come from and how we can better take care of the world through the ways we interact with it.

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

Cut about 30 stems of eucalyptus into about 6” pieces. Strip-off the bottom third of their leaves. Set them aside into a pile.
Next, take dried flowers and cut 30-50 stems to the length of 6.” Strip-off any foliage.
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.
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.
Repeat the above step 10 times so that you have 10-15 little bunches.
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.
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.
Continue to attach bunches to the wreath until your wreath
Find a place to hang your wreath. Take a step back and examine where there might be holes.
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.

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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:

Prep

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!
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.
Place the chicken wire ball inside the vase
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
To double secure the tape, place 4 pieces of floral tape over the 4 ends where the floral tape meets the vase.
Fill container to the top with water

My Process… yours might be different and that is okay

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
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.
Place the perilla to follow the lines of the basil but lower in the arrangement, covering some of the tape and the edges.
At this point your arrangement should have three sections.
Cut the hyrdrangea short and place it in one of the three sections of your arrangement.
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
Place zinnias slightly lower and slightly behind the dahlias as if to further pronounce the dahlias
Using your dangly amaranth, insert near the greenery and place the celosia low in the arrangement to fill any wholes in the arrangement .
Place the caryopteris along the same lines as the greenery towards the edge of your arrangement
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

Heat Oven to 350 degrees and roast the pecans for a total of 6 minutes
Set pecans aside to cool
Mix together dressing ingredients
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:

Preheat oven to 430 degrees
Mix olive oil and spices with sweet potatoes then roast in oven for 18 minutes
In a blender mix the salad dressing ingredients together
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

chop apples and place in a small bowl
mix with lemon
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

Steam butternut squash
heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, saute onion, seeds and string of squash for about 5 minutes
pour water in sauce pan, add some salt and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes
Strain out the seeds and squash meat from squash.
Scrape squash from skin into the pot
Using an immersion blender, blend squash into water, then add all other ingredients except pumpkin seeds
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

Whip the butter using a hand mixer
Add the powdered sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes
Add in the whipping cream and mix a tablespoon at a time and whip for two minutes
slowly add in the almond extract, maple syrup and sea salt, whip for 7 minutes.
Spread over two layer cake

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November Book Clvb

The Art of Gathering

Despite my love of transforming a space, a good gathering does not begin with flowers or elaborate, candle-lit table scapes. According to master facilitator, Priya Parker, a successful event large or small, begins with establishing its purpose and meaning. While space and decor are certainly important, they only become meaningful and alive when they serve the overall message of an event.

As a florist, I have a set of information I gather from prospective brides that collects logistical information as well as style details. After reading this book, I realized that the most important information I can receive from a couple is the purpose of their wedding. It is always more than simply getting married. Couples throw a party to create a memorable experience for themselves and their guests.

Getting down to what makes a wedding special and uniquely different from others helps couples hone in on their vision, as well as allows me to select flowers and arrangements that speak to who they are and why they want to gather people around their celebration. For example if the main purpose of a wedding is to create a party that is rocking and epically fun, I might recommend a hanging installation over the dance floor. If the couple is more focused on creating an intimate feeling around a dinner table, I would suggest spending more of the budget on the reception centerpieces.

The Art of Gathering is not only a book for those in the party throwing industry but is also an incredible resource for anyone who is throwing a Christmas party, hosting a holiday meal or even starting a book club. I am so excited to be discussing this book at Flower Clvb’s wreath-making gathering. Stay tuned for future updates on gattherings and books by subscribing to my newsletter through the link below.

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Grounded Arrangements

Sustainable Mechanics

Both florists who use floral foam and those who do not are aware of the harm it causes to the environment and to personal health. It is no secret and none can claim ignorance. While I do not cast judgement on anyone who chooses to use it, I personally choose not to. I feel a strong conviction to practice methods of floral design that help care for the earth, conserve resources, and uplift human health whenever possible. This goes beyond merely abstaining from floral foam and I certainly do not claim perfection. However, in an industry that can be so wasteful, I thought I would share one of my favorite techniques for creating a grounded centrepiece using sustainable mechanics.

Ingredients: (all sourced from Lunaria Gardens)

Foliage: 5 branches of spirea
Foliage: 5 stems of sage
Focal Flower: 3 large dahlia heads, 3-5 smaller dahlia heads
Filler Flower: 5 stems of sedum
Secondary flowers: 7-9 small headed zinnias or marigolds
Line Flowers: 3-5 stems of caryopteris
Texture Florals: 3 stems of amaranth, 3-5 stems of celosia (plume and cockscomb)
Fluttery Flowers: 3 stems of cosmos

Extra Materials needed:

1.25’ x .5’ slab of flat wood
rectangular plastic container (to fit on wood)
3 ft of chicken wire
green paint (optional)
staple gun
sheers
wire clippers
water + watering can or vessel

Arrangement Instructions:

Unroll chicken wire so that it measures double the the width of the plastic container (about 1 ft.) but keep the length so it easily fits. It might look like a burrito as you place in the plastic container.
*For extra stability, stick a flower frog to the bottom of the container before adding chicken wire.
Place the container with the chicken wire flat on top of the wood.
Create a chicken wire tunnel/ sleeve. Use the chicken wire to measure the length of the wood. Place the chicken wire over both the container and wood so that even the edges are covered with chicken wire. Leave space on the width to slide container in and out. Staple gun the chicken wire on the four corner edges and and the middle edge along the length of the wood (ensuring not to poke a hole in the plastic container). Using your hands, close the chicken wire on the width’s edges
I recommend painting the edges green in case the bottom wood panel can be seen at any point. You can do this either when the chicken wire is on or before.
Fill the container of chicken wire with fresh cold water using a watering can.
Place the greenery in the vase first, keeping the center low and the edges with greenery reaching out and covering some of the chicken wire on the edges.
Imagine an invisible zig zag line drawing your eye up and down from the top of your shape towards the end. Place your dahlias along the zig zag line with some behind and others forward. All focal flowers should come out towards you and add dimension. You do not want your dahlias looking flat.
Next, place the flower fillers lower in the arrangement. Seedum does so well out of water so use it in some of the ares where you need to cover chicken wire Place hanging amaranth over the edges and clumps of celosia low in the arrangement.
Add the secondary flowers of smaller zinnias or marigolds, connecting the space between the sedum, celosia and the zinnias.
Following some of the foliage lines, Place the caryopteris.
Lastly, place the cosmos floating above and around the arrangement.

All Photography was taken by the incredible Stacey McDonald

September Book Clvb

Blooming Flowers by Kasia Boddy

As a florist who is also a mother of an avid baseball player, I pick up on references I see to these two topics throughout almost every book I read. How is it that baseball and flowers are relatable in some metaphorical way to any situation in human life? Both the mystery of nature and magic of the game must be worthy of my attention. It is with this in mind that I chose Blooming Flowers by Kasia Boddy as Flower Clvb’s book of the month! Though there are little to no baseball references, she takes a deep dive into the ways people have esteemed flowers and found meaning in them throughout history and culture. If anyone knows the baseball equivalent, please do share!

*Kasia Boddy teaches American literature at the University of Cambridge.

One reason we love flowers is because they let us talk to each other about the big and small questions of life: about love, death, class, fashion, the weather, art, disease, an allegiance to nation, religion or political cause, the challenges of space and the passing of time (Boddy xiii).

Overview

A taste for unseasonal flowers dates back at least to the Romans, who imported thousands of roses and narcissi from Egypt during the winter months, and who developed heating systems to speed up their own blooms (Boddy 162).

Divided into four seasons, Boddy dedicates each chapter to specific flowers. Ironically, not all flowers associated with each season in her book, align with the actual time of year they are blooming. I believe the author does this to indicate the ways people have appropriated the earth for their own values and purposes. The tension between the natural state and the human imposed use of the flower is felt throughout the book.

Geraniums, snowdrops, lilies and carnations are just some of the flowers that have served as a status of wealth and privilege in our world. The fact that nations have gone to war over land is not just a matter of real estate, but also of ownership over trees and plants. In the 1960s, flowers were used by anti-war protesters both as a symbol of peace and reminder that flowers bloom for everyone (Boddy 130).

While there are so many different ways that humans have seen and valued floral life throughout history, the two themes in this book that stick out to me the most are sensuality and death. Flowers are consistently symbols of sex and romance, as well as, given to those coping with loss with no particularity to culture, location or time in space.

The chapter that compelled me more than any other, is the one on sunflowers. I have always extolled sunflowers as the most otherworldly of blooming creatures. The way they follow the sun, grow toward exceeding heights and then die so grotesquely resonates with the human experience. One of my favourite movies is Terrance Malick’s Tree of Life. Scenes of sunflower fields compel a consideration towards the ways of nature and grace. I have come to realize that flowers have a greater meaning to me than mere beauty. They communicate about the world without words.

Reflection

Yesterday, I dropped my oldest son off for his first day of kindergarten and can only hope that from here, his love of learning buds and blooms. I think back to my own kindergarten experience with Mrs. Griffin—a nice smelling, chestnut-brown haired teacher— who was kind and caring. She had a jar full of cotton balls, charts for gold stars, large rectangular cards with giant letters and of course stations all around the room for various kinds of learning. She taught us about letters, numbers, animals, outer space and how to use our imaginations to make things.

Though I know it will take time, I am most excited for Jack to learn how to read. It certainly took me a while to get the hang of it. In fact, I think it has taken me well into my adulthood to adopt the habits of a voracious reader. No matter when one starts to embrace the magic of books, my hope is that the fire is lit early. Is it possible that looking at a flower or hitting a baseball into the great unknown of outer space might spark inclination toward wonder? Kids really need no prompting for wonder. On the contrary they need less interference and at most, a paved path into a hidden garden.

My son may not learn to read this year and that is okay. If he can play some ball, look at the stars, climb a few tress and perhaps examine the petals of a flower, that is enough. I like to think of kindergarten as a field full of rich soil just waiting for someone to come along and plant little seeds.

( All the beautiful photography is by Stacey McDonald and pics of my kid are taken by me!)

*Kasia, Broody, Blooming Flowers. New Haven and London. Yale University Press, 2020.

*Tree of Life. Directed by Terrance Malick, performance by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. Riverroad Entertainment, 2022.

Back to School Arrangements

All images photographed by Stacey McDonald

Flowers for Teachers

It’s the middle of August and the break in rhythm that summer lends will soon come to an end. Trading in the spontaneous pool trips and forest hikes for the routines and commitment to bed-times elicits a mix of sad yet excited emotions. Can’t the pool stay open all year? Whether you have children or not, the novelty of school starting back up is felt from the educational supplies at Target to the Instagram posts of children holding “first day of school signs.” This year my eldest son will begin Kindergarten and I am fully aware that these years will go by like a blink of an eye.

Mothers like me are gearing up to entrust the next eight months of their children’s lives to those who will inspire a love of learning in them. We can only hope that our teachers will welcome our young ones with ecstatic joy. I do not yet know who my child’s teacher is, but I have vested interest in making sure they love their job. What better way to get the school year off to a good start than through flowers?!

August and September breed some of the most beautiful blooms. As a last hoorah to summer, plan a trip to a pick-your-own flower farm and collect some sunflowers and zinnias to arrange. Imagine a classroom full of kids experiencing fresh flowers on their teacher’s desk during the first day of school. I picture each petal absorbing all the anxieties that first day jitters might bring.

Below is a recipe of a flower arrangement for anyone who might be interested in gracing their teachers with some beautiful blooms.

Ingredients: (all sourced from my garden)

Foliage: 3-5 branches of nine bark foliage
Foliage: 3-5 branches of smokebush foliage
Focal Flower: 12 large zinnias or sunflowers of various kinds and colours
Filler Flower: 3 stems of sedum
Secondary flowers: 5-7 small headed zinnias or calendula
Fluttery Flowers: 5 stems of fennel
Fluttery Flowers: 3-5 stems of cosmos

Arrangement Instructions:

Choose a container. Re-use a clear glass container from a previous arrangement you have received or go to your favourite antique store and select an old pitcher or vase. It is important that you bring teacher’s a centrepiece rather than a bouquet as they will not have time to find a vase and fill it with water themselves.
Fill the vase with fresh cold water.
Place the greenery in the vase first. I like to establish an asymmetrical shape and then add the filler foliage. Visualize a dancer with one arm reaching up and out, then with the other reaching low and out. The wavy nine bark branches are what I used to establish the shape and the smokebush I used for filling in spaces.
Imagine an invisible zig zag line drawing your eye up and down from the top of your shape towards the end. Place your focal flowers along the zig zag line with some behind and others forward. All focal flowers should come out towards you and add dimension. You do not want your zinnias looking flat.
Next, place the flower fillers lower in the arrangement. I used sedum.
Place the secondary flowers of smaller zinnias, connecting the space between the sedum and the zinnias.
Lastly, place the fluttery flowers floating above and around the arrangement.

I hope these arrangements bless your children’s teachers.

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August Book Clvb

Book Clvb!

A little before the beginning of each month I am going to announce the upcoming month’s book. Anyone who wants to read along can send in thoughts and questions to grace@flowerclvb.com and I will share some of the thoughts and comments on the next newsletter.

Nature’s Best Hope

To commence book clvb, I am going to start with Douglas W. Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard. My biggest take away from his book is the importance of planting native plants in our yards. Native plants help restore natural habitats even in a small way.

Oak-leaf hydrangeas, asters, goldenrod and milkweed are just a few of the plants I plan to incorporate into my garden after reading this book. What I like about Tallamy’s approach is that he does not suggest that you rip out all non-native plants and replace them with native ones. Rather he recommends incorporating plants that serve as homes for insects and food for birds or butterflies that once thrived in the area.

Ditch the Political Arguments for Plants!

Many of us feel very passionately about how we think society should operate based on our own understandings of the world and moral convictions. Often the various approaches and opinions of how we might go about solving the biggest problems of our time lead to divisive arguments that leave friends and families at odds with each other. It seems in many ways that we have forgotten how to listen and dissent in respectful ways. Rather than starting with the big issues, how about we start with our own yards. While we may experience push back, approaching our green space in humility and grace might further serve to unify us.

We’ve all heard the saying, don’t pluck the invasive species out of your neighbor’s yard until first removing that from your own (LOL).

My Yard Evaluation

When I look at my own yard, I realize there is a lot of work to do in terms of creating an environment that is more welcoming to life’s creatures. Recently my neighbor, Todd who works for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society informed me that the barberry I had planted is an invasive species in our region. I was honestly delighted to hear the news because I hated the prickly plant anyway and was looking for an excuse to rid myself of the thing. While I might not always find delight in the removal of some of my plants, I welcome the confrontation. After some evaluating, here are a few changes I’d like to manifest in order to make my yard more hospitable to the birds and the bees:

Replacing my rose bush with an oak leaf hydrangea
Planting Snowberry to provide food for birds
Adding a bird bath
Making various bee hotels and planting them in dry covered places throughout my yard

Evaluating My Parent’s Yard

As a fun exercise, I have evaluated my parents lawn as well. They live in Texas and I have always been impressed with the natural habitat that surrounds their suburban neighborhood. On any given day you might see a bob cat, snake or hawk while sitting on the back porch. Here are the things that they are doing well!

Good Job Mom and Dad!

Motion Sensor Lights: Having motion sensor lights rather than flood lights that are on all night prevent moths and insects from fatally flocking towards the lights brightness.
Trickling Fountain: At the front of their home, they have a trickling fountain which birds love the sound of and provides a place for them to cool off.
Trees: While I am unsure the specific varieties of trees, They have many trees surrounding their property that provide shade and homes for the animals in their habitat.

Knowing my dad’s taste for certain styles and colors of flowers as well as their need to remain in good graces with their HOA, here are the plants that I would recommend based on what grows well native to their Dallas Suburb:

Milkweed (orange)
Winecup (Pinkish purple)
Southern wood fern
Penstemon- (light mauve)
Russian Sage (lavender)

Become Certified

National Wildelife Federation offers certification for your yard. So after reading Tallamy’s book, evaluate your yard, make the neccessary changes and become certified!

Certify Your Yard

Summer 2022 Gathering

If you missed our summer gathering, you can read about what we made and what we ate by reading the post below!