Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Real Weddings: Katie and Matt

I absolutely loved everything about Katie and Matt’s wedding. From the night I met Katie and her mom and grandmom, I knew we were going to hit it off. We spent a lovely, rainy evening in Beth Bailey’s office talking about all things flowers! Katie wanted a natural, color, beautiful palette for her wedding flowers. She also wanted to use her grandmom’s antique jars and bottles for the centerpieces. LOVED IT!

A few weeks before the wedding we all met at the Mt Washington Farmers Market and looked at some of Belvedere Farm’s beautiful flowers. We picked some really great zinnias, dahlias, hydrangeas and other treats.

Then the ordering and pick-ups started! The growers are used to getting my emails listing the flowers I need for that week. However, I don’t think they were prepared for my note requesting 1200 zinnias for one wedding!  How fun!

Katie and Matt were married at the Antrim in Taneytown. This garden was such an amazing spot for a wedding.

IMG-070 The bride carried a bouquet filled with white zinnias, lisianthus, dahlias, tuberose and alliums with splashes of green from the mint and sedum.

IMG-032 The bridesmaids carried colorful bouquets of zinnias. Perfect for this end of summer day.

IMG-081 I loved these pretty hangers we used for the center aisle at the ceremony.

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The centerpieces were made in over 100 jars and apothecary bottles owned by Katie’s grandmom. I always love using vessels that hold meaning to the couple.

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IMG-180  We decorated the cake with some pretty lisianthus and sedum.

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Thanks to ALL of our growers! We bought from almost everyone for this fab wedding!

Special thanks to Amy Ling Photography for providing us with these beautiful photos!  To see some more photos from Katie and Matt’s wedding, check out our flickr site.

Congratulations to Katie and Matt! Thanks for choosing Local Color Flowers. We had a blast working with you! Wishing you much love and happiness in the years to come.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Flowers of the Month Club: The Best of Maryland Throughout the Year

Hencken599This year, we started doing weekly flowers for a couple of small businesses here in Baltimore. It’s been a lot of fun showcasing the changing seasonal flowers week to week. The best part of using local flowers, is seeing the seasons change through the flowers that are available. It was this experience, that inspired me to start a “Flowers of the Month” club.

This monthly offering will showcase the freshest, seasonal flowers available in Maryland and Virginia.  Once a month, Local Color IMG_3395Flowers will deliver a flower arrangement to you filled with flowers, herbs, branches, foliage and other natural goodies available that month. Along with your flowers, you’ll receive a list of flowers that are in that month’s arrangement along with stories and photos from the farms that grew your flowers.

Three plans will be available:

  • The Full Monty: Arrangements will be delivered once a month for 12 months allowing you to enjoy the year round natural beauty available in Maryland. ($35 or $50 options available)
  • The Height of the Season: Arrangements will be delivered once a month May-October during the height of the growing season in Maryland. ($35 or $50 options available)
  • Custom: Choose at least three consecutive months for your monthly delivery. This is a great way to customize your delivery based on your favorite season, or as a birthday, anniversary or holiday gift.

This is a great treat for anyone who loves flowers and wants to experience the full bounty that our beautiful region has to offer. Buy Local this holiday season!

For more information, email Ellen at ellen@locoflo.com

Friday, November 25, 2011

Real Weddings: Lauren and Brian

Lauren and Brian’s wedding was such a treat to work on! They were married on Memorial Day weekend at the Baltimore Basilica.  The bride looked amazing! She carried a beautiful bouquet filled with white peonies, blue bachelor buttons and green Solomon’s seal.

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The bridesmaids carried similar bouquets with pink peonies. They looked so beautiful against their blue dresses.

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Brian’s boutonniere was made with a single white and a single blue bachelor button with a little sprig of rosemary.

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The centerpieces were made it two sizes of glass cylinders. We used simple vases so that the flowers were the shining stars on the table.

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The cake looked great with peonies, delphinium blooms and bachelor buttons.

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Thanks to Wollam Gardens for the beautiful flowers!

Special thanks to Kathleen Hertel Photography for sharing these amazing photos with us! To see more photos from Lauren and Brian’s wedding, check out our flickr site!

Congratulations to Lauren and Brian! Wishing them many years of happiness!

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

October’s “You Deserve A Bouquet Today” Contest Winner: Karl

This month we celebrate Karl! I was especially excited to deliver Karl’s flowers because he was our first male winner!

He was nominated for the contest by his wife Jenny. Jenny wrote:

Karl is not only a great husband and father, he is a great teacher. He has spent the last 16 years teaching at Roland Park Elementary and Middle - helping every child achieve. He gives unselfishly so that the children he teaches feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement.

I image that teaching 7th grade can be rewarding-but challenging. (I remember what I was like in 7th grade!).  Karl seems to be up to the challenge!  Being a positive role model for young people is one of the most important roles a teacher can play. I know that there are families all over Baltimore that are grateful to Karl for his dedication and commitment to the kids at Roland Park Elementary and Middle School!

The kids in the hall agreed that their teacher was pretty great and definitely deserved flowers. IMG_3565

Congratulations Karl! Thanks for all you do for the young people of Baltimore!

If you know someone that deserves to win flowers, nominate them today for November’s “You Deserve a Bouquet Today” contest.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Terrarium Love at Cylburn Arboretum

On Sunday morning between flower deliveries, I headed over to Cylburn for an amazing morning of terrarium building. Tovah Martin, the author of The New Terrarium was on hand to teach and guide us.  I knew Tovah and I were kindred spirits when early on in her presentation she said “You think you’re here today to make a terrarium, you’re wrong. You’re here to change the world!”. Way to think big!

Tovah was an inspiring speaker who is intensely passionate about her work. She spoke of the positive impact terrariums can have on people that are experiencing nature deficit disorder (which is most of us, whether we know it or not!). She also was very clear that terrariums are an expression of your own creativity and artistic mojo (her words!).

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After about an hour of instruction and history on terrariums, we got started.

We started with gravel and charcoal mixed together to encourage good drainage. Next came about 1-2 inches of African Violet potting soil.  IMG_3534

Then came the plants. There were mosses and begonias and all sorts of other goodies. One thing that Tovah said, that I thought was interesting was NOT to use succulents in terrariums. She said while you often see them in photos in terrariums, they don’t live very long and aren’t suitable for the terrarium’s environment.

IMG_3520 I chose my plants, dug them good and then covered them with some moss and other found items like acorns, bark and twigs.

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Finally, I gave it a little water and popped the top on. I’ll open it up in a few weeks to give it some air and a little more water. Other than that, it maintains itself.

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Tovah was no nonsense in her message. She made the class take an oath to share what we learned with others. Be on the lookout for LoCoFlo terrarium making classes in 2012!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Real Wedding: Ikumi and Chris

At the end of June, I worked on charming wedding here in Baltimore. Ikumi and Chris were married on a beautiful June evening at Gramercy Mansion. When I met with Ikumi to talk about flowers she mentioned wanting shades of purple for her bouquet.  This was an exciting challenge to me because I couldn’t wrap my head around monochrome purple.  Purple means something different to everyone. When asking the growers for purple that week, the shades were all so different. 20110627Diamant_220

At first, I tried to leave out the phlox and balloon flowers that looked more blue against the bee balm. I liked how it looked, but it looked a little …boring. I added in the more bluish purples, with the green mountain mint and I think it really made it alot for interesting and really beautiful.

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Ikumi and Chris had small dinner reception at the Charleston, one of my favorite restaurants in Baltimore.  I loved the centerpieces we made for the dinner tables because the included Bells of Ireland. Everyone loves Bells of Ireland for their bright green color and weird suction cup “petals”. Locally, Bells of Ireland are only available for a few weeks in June,  so I try to use them as much as possible.

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Thanks to Talmar and Belvedere Farm for providing us with these beautiful flowers!

Special thanks to Heather Coburn Photography for the fab pictures of Ikumi and Chris.

Congratulations to Ikumi and Chris! Wishing them much happiness in the years to come!

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Farmhouse Flowers Tour with the ASCFG

On Wednesday, as part of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers conference, I got to go on a tour of Farmhouse Flowers in Brookeville, Maryland. Granted, I do make it out there most weeks to pick up flowers, but this was a different experience all together.

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First, there were probably 150 flower farmers there. It was so fun (and educational) to walk the farm with so many talented, passionate growers. Everyone loved comparing notes on how, when and where to plant a LONG list of annuals, perennials and woodies. There was also alot of design discussion-which I loved.

Next, since I wasn’t there for “business” (picking up flowers), I was able to take my time there, instead of rushing on to my next pick-up. It was kind of hilarious listening to Dave’s stories and his business tips. I was also able to tour all the greenhouses, hoophouses and fields. Of course, I was keeping my eyes open for what will be available in a few weeks for Thanksgiving as well as what will be coming this Winter and Spring.

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It was really a great way to spend an afternoon!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Local Love for your Thanksgiving Table: Order Thanksgiving Centerpieces Today!

This Fall, we made a boat load of pumpkin arrangements for weddings and other events. We loved them them so much that we decided to make some more and offer them for Thanksgiving centerpieces. What better way to decorate your table than with local flowers!

We’ll be offering two sizes of pumpkins: smaller and bigger.

A smaller pumpkin will be about this size and will cost $35 (plus tax)

IMG_3407 A larger pumpkin will be about this size and will cost $50 (plus tax)

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If available from the growers, we’ll offer both orange and white pumpkins. They will be filled with local flowers (fresh and dried), foliage, berries and other non-flower goodies like branches and produce.

Pumpkins will be delivered within Baltimore for $15 on Wednesday, November 23 between 8am and 2pm. Pumpkins can be picked up at our workshop behind 4001 Falls Road on Wednesday November 5th between 3 and 5pm.

Orders can be placed by emailing me at ellen@locoflo.com All orders must be received by Friday, November 18th at 4pm.

Thanks in advance for your order!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Day 1 at the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Grower Conference

So, I’m finally here! When I agreed to speak at this year’s conference for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, it was months and months away. But sure enough, weddings are over for the season and here I am in Reston Virginia spending a few days with some pretty amazing people.

IMG_3478When I first arrived, I headed straight to the Design Competition room. This was an ordinary hotel conference room filled to bursting with flowers that growers brought with them from all over the country…flowers I’ve never seen and all kinds of things I wish we had more access too locally like artichokes and safflower.  

The idea for the Design Competition is that everyone uses the flowers to create a design of their choice. This year, the theme was “Raising the Jar” and all of the designs were made in Mason Jars. It was a great time visiting with friends from Farmhouse Flowers, Love n’ Fresh Flowers and M and M Plants. It was also really inspiring to see everyone’s designs.

So here is my submission. What do you think? No real flowers. Mostly grasses and foliage but I still thought the colors and textures were so pretty.

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After the design competition, I headed over to the welcome reception where there was a lively discussion about the future of the flower industry and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.

Today I’m looking forward to a full day of conference sessions, seeing some of our growers like Bob Wollam of Wollam Gardens and meeting new people!