Spring flowers
What makes you think about spring? Is it tulips? Ranunculus? Lily of the valley? Bloooming branches? Spring brings us a great variety of beautiful blooms! Here’s a few photos for inspiration.
White bouquets – all year round
I am going to start this blog by saying that I absolutely LOVE white bouquets (all year round!). As much as I also love flowers and bouquets filled with color, there’s something about a white bouquet that positively shouts ‘bridal bouquet’. I will let these photos speak for themselves with their beauty.
Photography by Erica Rose Photograhy
Photography by Jill Brazel Photography
Photography by FlowersFlowers
Photography by Peter Coombs Photography
Photography by FlowersFlowers
Photography by FlowersFlowers
Unusual beauties
I find beauty in all the flowers in my shop, and some are traditional beauties while others are what I’m going to call ‘unusual’ beauties. These are the flowers some people may call ‘interesting’. Here in the shop, as designers, we are particularly attracted to the blooms that are out of the ordinary.
Some flowers are just unique to us because they grow in countries with gardens very different from ours, while others are variations in nature, such as the burgundy scabiosa bloom which seems to be inside out next to its neighboring ‘normal’ blooms. Mother nature creates each of these flower blossoms, all beautiful. 
Enjoy the photos I took of some of the ‘unusual beauties’ in our shop this week.
Spring wedding flowers
Spring is a time of growth, a transition period, with green sprouts emerging from the muddy brown earth and buds appearing on barren trees, despite the drifts of snow still lingering from past snowstorms. It’s not officially spring until March 20th, and most spring flowers in the Chicago area don’t start showing their blooms until April, however spring has been in full bloom in flower shops since January!
Having a spring wedding and wondering what flowers are available? Most people are familiar with many of the ‘bulb’ flowers such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Perhaps less known and just perfect for their beautiful delicate blooms include muscari, anemones, and ranunculus. Blooming branches are available at this time of year and include quince, forsythia, and cherry. These are great for adding height to arrangements.
FlowersFlowers has created several options to inspire you! Cristina G Photography was behind the camera lens capturing the beauty, and Pensiero Ristorante generously provided their restaurant space for our photoshoot.
The simple and striking arrangement of the coral quince branches surrounded by the lush pink hydrangea, along with rose colored mercury glass votives, provides a gorgeous centerpiece arrangement which can be used at nearly any venue, from a restaurant to a loft. We floated the votive candles to add a bit of an edgy flair to the classic votive candle.
I always love whites and greens, and this floral design uses a grass green ceramic pot as the container, and the hydrangea, anemones, stock, orchids, and green trick, create a fresh spring, low and lush arrangement, perfect for any wedding, from 20 guests to 200 guests. We again added mercury glass votives to the table, adding warmth to the décor.
For a simple, yet dramatic look, a single bloom such as a tulip, will create a beautiful wedding table centerpiece. Add the floating votive candles, and you have a beautiful spring look.
The men get to show a bit of their spring flower fashion with boutonnieres, bold yellow ranunculus or the gorgeous and fragrant hyacinth boutonniere are some of the many options.
This muted pastel bouquet is a posey of lilac, anemones, scabiosa and garden roses, sure to be loved by brides who like a vintage or garden look.
Flowers at home
I love flowers. Absolutely LOVE them. And I love being surrounded by them in the shop. So, it’s probably not a surprise that I take flowers home with me, though I don’t have an abundance of them, as some might expect. I spend most of my day at the shop, so just a small touch of flowers at home is perfect for me.
Garden roses on my kitchen table
I think of my kitchen as the center of my home, both physically and emotionally (!), and there’s usually a small vase of flowers on the kitchen table, next to the PC. Having coffee in the morning, reading the news via the internet, with a simple, yet beautiful vase of flowers next to me is the ideal way to start the day. Usually there’s a cat nearby as well!
I often use a cluster of 3 small vases (vintage milk bottles, mason jars, or bud vases) in which to put some of the blooms I’ve been admiring from the shop.
So, yes, in just above every way, I take my work home with me.