Real Weddings: Mike and Kate

Kate and Mike’s September wedding at Howard County Conservancy was one of my favorites this year!  When I met Kate last December, she mentioned to me that she had a blog –mostly about wedding ideas, styles etc. I followed Kate’s blog all year long-getting excited right along with her. I loved reading about all of the details and decisions she was making. It also helped me create bouquets and centerpieces that fit perfectly with her style and decor. (so brides, if you have wedding blogs…send me a link!)

Kate looked absolutely beautiful on her wedding day! She carried a brightly colored bouquet filled with dahlias, sunflowers, lisianthus, plume celosia and asclepias.

The centerpieces were made up of a collection of mason jars and Patron bottles. The Patron bottles looked awesome! They have a great, unique shape. The glass if beautiful…and the are indestructible!

I also loved this wedding because my oldest and dearest friend was visiting and helped me deliver and set up!  Thanks Kell!

Thanks to our growers for these beautiful flowers-especially Locust Point Flowers and Belvedere Farm! Thanks to Procopio Photography for these absolutely gorgeous photos! To see more photos from Kate and Mike’s wedding, you can check our Procopio’s blog, Kate’s blog, or our flickr site!

Thanks to Kate and Mike for choosing Local Color flowers! Wishing you loads of happiness in the years to come!

Real Weddings: Mike and Morgan

On this snowy winter night, I thought it would be fun to share this beautiful summer wedding with you! Mike and Morgan’s late August wedding at The Cloisters was natural, romantic and beautiful.

Morgan carried a bouquet full of white dahlias, lisianthus and snapdragons. We include a few pink snapdragons for a splash of color. The sedum and hydrangea were perfect because they both had green, pink and white hues. The little dark brown millet peeking out complimented the chocolate brown ribbon.

  

The bridesmaids bouquets were filled with lisianthus, sedum and snapdragons.

One of my favorite parts of Mike and Morgan’s wedding was the Chuppah that was lovingly made by the groom’s mom. We decorated the poles of the Chuppah with potted petunia and grasses. We also made some kissing balls to decorate the front corners of the chuppah.

Thanks to Mason Summers Photography for the beautiful photos of the bouquet, bride and groom and wedding party. To see more pictures from Mike and Morgan’s wedding, check out Local Color Flowers Flickr site. Thanks to our great growers at  Belvedere Farm and Locust Point Flowers!

Congratulations to Mike and Morgan! Wishing them much happiness in the years to come!

And don’t forget…winter doesn’t last forever!

Real Weddings: Megan and Lee

What better way to brighten up this dreary (almost) winter day then to share Megan and Lee’s beautiful wedding with you!

Megan was a  glowing  bride on her wedding day. She carried a bouquet of blue hydrangeas, green and yellow zinnias and scented geranium. Her bouquet and the girls bouquets were wrapped in her family’s plaid ribbon brought all the way from from Scotland for the wedding.

We also added a charm and family pin to the wrap that were important to Megan.

 

The wedding ceremony took place out on the pier at Brown’s Wharf in Fells Point.

 

The reception took place on the top floor of the historic Admiral Fell in in Fells Point. Each table was named after a different Baltimore neighborhood.

Besides loving each other, Megan and Lee love Baltimore! They wanted to incorporate local flowers-especially Maryland’s state flower, the Black Eyed Susan, into their wedding.

We decorated the cake with Black Eyed Susan’s in all shapes and sizes.  They looked great-especially with the blue crab cake topper! (love that the bride is carrying Black Eyed Susan’s and the groom is wearing an O’s hat!)

Thanks to our growers-especially Belvedere Farm who provided the Black Eyed Susans.

Special thanks to photographer Jay Moore of Jay Moore Photography for the beautiful photos. ( the crab photo is mine!)

Congratulations to Megan and Lee! You guys are an amazing couple who deserve all the happiness in the world! Thanks for letting Local Color Flowers be a part of your special day!

Book Review: The Brother Gardeners

While on vacation this past week, I read The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf. Flower lovers, garden enthusiasts and growers of all sorts will enjoy this book. Wulf tells the story of a small group of botanists, flower hunters and  gardeners, known as the Brother Gardeners, that were responsible for creating the gardening craze in England in the 1700’s.

The book begins with American John Bartram. Bartram was a Pennsylvania farmer who sent plants, seeds, trees,  and more to his “pen pal” Peter Collinsworth in London. American classics such as kalmia, Echinacea, monarda, lady’s slipper and many more could now be seen throughout English gardens. This introduction of American plants changed the English garden landscape forever. The friendship between Bartram and Collinsworth lasted for over 40 years-even though they never met face to face.

While loads of new flowers and plants were being discovered, the botanical world  was having heated debates about how to identify and categorize the new varieties. While Swedish Botanist Carl Linneaus seemed like a pompous ass that everyone hated, his system for standardizing the naming of plants was the easiest to use and the most widely used. While his protégé ditched him and moved to London, while the community of European gardeners cursed him every chance they got, Linneaus is the one whose name will be remembered in history.

The last third of the books tells the adventurous tales of the team of Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander-botanists and plant hunters from England who traveled the world bringing exotic flowers and plants to England for the first time. Flowers that seem common to us today like birds of paradise or the bread fruit tree were coveted as the most unique plants ever seen.

The Brother Gardeners was captivating, interesting and even laugh out loud funny in parts. This is a great read for anyone interested in flowers and gardening.

Winter Plan and Extended Services

“What do you do in the winter?”  I get asked this question ALL the time!   It’s a good question-since Maryland usually gets a hard frost in  late October, killing most field flowers. So while it’s still a work in progress, here is the beginning of my winter plan.

First, for us, winter really means the off season. The off-season is technically November-March. We do book weddings and special events in the winter. In order to be true to our mission while also being a sustainable, viable business, we’ll do the following from November to March:

• Use locally grown flowers from within 100 miles of Baltimore. This is the same as we do from April-October. We have a few growers that grow cut flowers in heated greenhouses. Some of our growers use unheated hoop houses to extend the growing season. Some flowers like it cooler and are available later in the season. We’ll use any and all cut flowers that are available to us locally.

• Use local non-flower elements. In the winter, there are a plethora of branches, berries, succulents and greens available locally. Additionally, we have loads of creative ways to use fruit and veggies for centerpieces. LoCoFlo will use all of these natural elements to make beautiful, seasonal bouquets and arrangements.

• Use potted flowers, plants, greens, succulents and herbs. We love using potted “stuff” especially in the winter including mums, amaryllis, poinsettias, paper whites, Christmas cactus and more!  We’ll also used dried flowers and branches that we’ve picked in the warm weather and dried for the cold season.

• Use flowers shipped from ASCFG Growers outside of our 100 mile radius. The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers is a national association of flower growers that includes growers from all over the country. Local Color Flowers is creating great partnerships with growers in the association that will ship flowers directly to us in the winter. Our goal will be to get flowers from as close to Baltimore as possible from ASCFG growers that we know and trust.

So, if you are having a winter wedding or event and you want to use locally sourced flowers and natural elements, contact us today! We’ll keep you posted on our other winter plans soon!

Going Green and Local On Black Friday

I know that people go crazy about Black Friday. This year rather than head out to Target or Old Navy at 3am, though, I thought I would give you some ideas on how to Buy Local and Green on Black Friday (and throughout the Holiday Season)

Baltimore neighborhoods are filled with amazing local shops selling everything you need for the holidays. Spend and afternoon or evening with friends strolling the streets of Federal Hill, Fells Point, Canton, Mount Vernon, Hampden, Lauraville/Hamilton, Mt Washington and more. Take in the decorations, stop for a snack at a local cafe or restaurant and just enjoy the diversity of shopping options that Baltimore’s neighborhoods provides.

 

Farmer’s Market Gifts: One of my favorite holiday gifts –especially for friends and family out of town-are gift baskets that I make from all of the amazing things you can find at Saturday’s 32rd Street Market or the Sunday Market under the JFX. Baskets and bags filled with Zeke’s coffee, Nick’s Back Fire spices, honey and syrup and jewelry and hand knit hats and gloves and more!  A great way to finish off any of these Baltimore gift bags is with a bottle of Black Ankle Wine. Shop early-because last year they sold out! Another great way to use the market for your holiday shopping is to buy fresh veggies, milk, herbs and more and make your local friends and family a special homemade meal or dessert that they can enjoy at home!

BAZAART: Check out the the American Visionary Art Museum’s BAZAART this Saturday November 27th from 10am-5pm. This holiday marketplace of local artists and craftspeople will NOT disappoint. Entry in free on Saturday. You can also check out the early bird preview tonight for $20. 

Holiday Heap: On Saturday, December 4th from 10am-5pm head over to 2640 St Paul Street for Charm City Craft Mafia’s Holiday Heap. Local Crafters will be on hand selling their cool, quirky wares. This is a great spot for holiday shopping, coffee drinking and chit chatting with friends.

Women’s Industrial Exchange: Since 1880 (yes…1880) the Women’s Industrial Exchange located at 333 North Charles Street has been a haven for local craft artists, many who are women, to consign their crafts and handmade goods. Filled with amazing treats, my favorite are the sock monkeys! I know a little one year old that will be getting one this year! 

Baltimore’s Buy Local Directory: Need a set of wine glasses, or a pair of handmade earrings or Baltimore made holiday cards-check out the Buy Local Directory to find businesses that will have what you need!

There are loads and loads of other ways to shop local and green this year. Leave a comment to help our reader find the best local, green deals! Happy Shopping!

Real Weddings: Rebecca and George

As Fall is coming to an end, and Winter is on it’s way, I thought it might be fun to check out this beautiful Spring wedding we did back in March.

Rebecca and George were married at the Peabody Library in Mount Vernon on March 27, 2010. Everything about that day seemed sunnier, warmer and more spring-like after the crazy, snowy winter we had in Baltimore.

The bride’s bouquet was a celebration of early spring. It was full of tulips, anemones, snapdragons, curly willow, iris’ and freesia.

The teal wrap on the bouquet matched the brides sweater perfectly.

The Peabody Library is truly a spectacular place to be married. It almost doesn’t look real! The bride chose beautiful, eclectic milk glass vases for the centerpieces. Each one was bursting with flowers and curly willow.

 

And the cake!  We added a little touch of spring to the top of this decadent delight.

Thanks to Farmhouse Flowers and Van Dyk Brother Farms for these beautiful flowers.  Special thanks to Maggie Mudd Photography for these gorgeous photos.  To see more photos from Rebecca and George’s wedding, you can check out Maggie Mudd’s blog or Local Color Flower’s Flickr site.

Congratulations to Rebecca and George! Thanks so much for choosing Local Color Flowers!