For the Love of Gardening

This Spring my garden is amazing . As I walk around with my clippers in hand, the question I keep asking myself is ... To cut or not to cut? As beautiful as the flowers are outside I want to bring them indoors to enjoy as well.

My style has always been very casual with what I feel are very romantic flowers. As a florist and a gardener my desire for the garden was to grow not only beautiful flowers and plants , but varieties that would last well after cutting and arranging. A delicious fragrance is always a must!

Freshly cut Snowballs

Here, these sweet peas in a pot are just ready to burst. Way ahead of all the sweet peas up in the terraced garden. My secret...lot's of fish emulsion as a fertilizer.

In one of my very first blogs I began to bring my garden back to life by pruning my roses back hard and adding alfalfa and compost into the soil. They did not disappoint. Just beginning to bloom, here are a few of my favorites.

Climbing Colette Rose

Golden Celebration Rose

Fair Bianca Rose

In the process of rejuvenating my garden I realized we all need something to nurture, and love. Something that reaches our soul and brings us to a place of happiness. This is what gardening does for me. I can't wait to go outdoors every morning when I wake and see what's blooming next. That is of course after huge amount of coffee!

Foxglove

My husband Brian gets all the credit for taking all these beautiful photos of our continued work in progress. Who, by the way is also a fabulous gardener and always full of love and support.

This rose is Love and Peace. My wish to you all!

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A Day for delighting the Senses

A Day for delighting the Senses


Looking for some new inspiration for a photo shoot, Brian and I headed out to the Santa Monica Farmers Market. This is truly a delight to the senses. You want to see, touch, and smell and taste everything there. You knew fresh herbs were ahead of you just by the fragrance filling the air.


There were the beautiful young leeks and garlic I could not resist. Not to mention the berries and broccoli. Delicious, juicy oranges we peeled and ate on the way home. Everywhere, so many fruits and veggies I'd never seen before.


Is that me eating a chocolate croissant by the flowers? It doesn't get any better than this!


Oh wait are those French magazines? A nice ending to our trip. Might I add it takes a good sense of humor and a lot of confidence to To Take an Old Bag Shopping!

Market bags featured are available on Personal style at Shopbotanicals.com

April showers bring May flowers!

This May is a very exciting month for Botanicals. I have the opportunity once again to be a florist at the 7/8 PTA La Canada Spring Home Tour. This will be my 10th home. Everything about this home is incredible. Sworn to secrecy of it’s location, I can tell you it’s very French, lots of stonework and beautiful grounds and gardens. You truly feel as though you are in the French countryside!
April will be a month of creativity and planning for not only the Home Tour which will include a Botanicals Boutique, there is a May Day Boutique in the works as well. So it’s time to put on a French Beret and start thinking!

As you enter...

The gardens...

For more details and tickets select this link: Home Tour

A Botanical Easter!

Here's the "How To " for these beautiful botanical imprinted Easter eggs. Tuck them into centerpieces , Easter grass, planted baskets or pots for a very naturally elegant look.

Here are the supplies you'll need to start.

• Large pot of boiling water

• A big bowl full of onion skins from the grocery store. Call ahead and have them saved for you.

• A pair of panty hose cut into squares large enough to pull tightly around the eggs.

• Kitchen twine or tiny rubber bands. Scissors.

• Freshly cut leaves from your garden. Fern, rose, strawberry and columbine work well.

• Vinegar
  

• As many pre hard boiled eggs that you'll be decorating. Free of any cracks after boiling.

Begin by slowly adding onion skins to boiling water, pushing them down into the water as you go. The onion skins will act as a cushion for the eggs while they are dying. The skins will need to steep on low for at least 30 minutes to reach the rich terra cotta color. At this point add a dash of vinegar to the water.

Place the leaf face down on the egg.

Gently place the nylon square over the top of the leaf and pull all four corners around until you have totally covered the egg and bind with twine or a rubber band. This must be very tight and secure.


Once all the eggs are ready to go , gently place them in the onion skins and water. Keeping the dye on a low temperature, simmer the eggs for approx. 20 minutes. Lift out with a spoon and check for a rich terra cotta color.



Set on paper towels, snip off the binding and remove the nylon stocking. Yes, the eggs will be very hot!


After the eggs have cooled, polish them with a drop of olive oil and a soft cloth. Beautiful, don't you think!

• Tip: No need to refrigerate the eggs after this process.
  

Join us for a Botanical Dyed Eggs Workshop and Planted Basket "How To". Visit
shopbotanicals.com for details. Click on "Good things to come".

A warm welcome!

Yes, It's Springtime. My very favorite time of year. To me, the most welcoming place of your home begins at the entrance. If a front door could speak it would be saying." Come on in, I'm so glad you're here!"


Pots of Flowers, trailing ivy , ferns and topiaries lead the way. As if we didn't know Spring is here, this sign with a tiny pot of primroses says it all. And yes people who love to garden do live here!

We welcome you to the next Spring Boutique. Details on shopbotanicals.com Click on Good Things to Come!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

Going Green with Botanicals

St. Patricks Day is just around the corner and I was inspired by all the flowers in the hues of greens and white and soft yellow.

Creating Planted Baskets with Daffodils, Primroses, Shamrocks and Moss create an Irish Centerpiece.

A welcoming sign on the front door designed from a recycled door panel.

Can you believe these vivid green flowers are Carnations! Fabulous with these white Lizzy and Snapdragons. These are going in my house!

A whimsical "Cheers" on a Vintage French Terra Cotta Garden relic!

Getting ready for my next blog. Planting wheat grass for a very green Easter. What would life be without a Greenhouse sign!

All this and more are available at shopbotanicals.com

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Thank Goodness for the Greenhouse

It's very chilly out and rain is on the way. After an early morning at the flower market I'm ready to get to work.


Today I have the pleasure of filling a home with fresh flowers, blooming plants and topiaries for a very special occasion.


It's cozy and warm in the greenhouse. Such a nice place to work surrounded by all that I love, flowers, plants and garden treasures.


Arranging flowers in a their natural environment is so rewarding. They open beautifully and the fragrance is almost overwhelming. It's a good day!


When I'm not outside, most likely I'm in the kitchen. Just could not resist a photo of this Lemon Ginger Cheesecake I baked for a friend's birthday. Of course it's topped with pansies and strawberry leaves from my garden. What else did you expect!


Fresh Flowers, Blooming Plants and Topiaries are always available at www.shopbotanicals.com