Christmas Flower Ideas

Christmas is my favorite season.  I love the decorations, the lights, the music, the smell. As soon as the Thanksgiving turkey is made into leftovers I am pulling out our Christmas decorations and hopefully inspiring the same love of the Christmas season in my 4 year old daughter. Since we don’t have a fireplace she thinks Santa comes to the door and says “ding dong” to bring her presents!

Fresh flowers and plants make the holidays even brighter. Oregon is blessed to have a wide variety of fresh holiday greenery that bring the wonderful smell of Christmas to life. These days we meet requests for holiday flowers for everything from traditional centerpieces to fun and modern arrangements. Don’t hesitate to try something different this year! Here’s a little inspiration to get you started…

Recent Weddings at Dandelions

This amazing tan orchid with pink veins looked amazing in this bouquet

An orange and pink bridal bouquet for a “Hawaiian” theme wedding

Although it was a Hawaiian themed wedding, the bride wanted more traditional flowers so we brought in white freesia that were reminiscent of plumeria

These unique tan and pink orchids brought a touch of tropical

The starting bouquet created in shades of green including hydrangea, green trick carnations, sedum, rosemary, poppy pods, green chrysanthemums, ti leaves and a moss orb.

The light green Mega Beaded wire intertwined in this bouquet added a touch of modernity for the bride who likes a little something different

Adding in more natural elements like the curly willow, eucalyptus pods and seed pods turned the green bouquet into a natural and earthy statement.

Stem wrap treatment using 2 shades of bullion wire

Three shades of carnations combined to make this bridesmaid’s bouquet. Grouping the colors together keeps it from looking like polka-dots

A great way to differentiate a bridal or maid of honor bouquet is to add a touch of glam with jewels or crystals

I love this Diamond Wrap that can be used on a stem wrap, around vases or applied to corsages & boutonnieres

A traditional combination of roses and hydrangea get an natural makeover with grasses and pods

Adding interesting foliage keeps these hydrangeas from looking to rounded for this bride who wanted a looser, more natural feel

Green, peachy-coral and purple bridesmaid’s bouquets

One of my favorite bridal bouquet creations to date…the David Austin roses in this were just stunning!

 

Flower Astrology: Aquarius Horoscope Jan 21- Feb 19

Zodiac sign: Don’t be fooled by the Aquarian’s love for independence – underneath this zodiac sign’s penchant for autonomy lies a thriving romantic streak as well. An air sign with an honest, loyal, spiritual and intuitive nature, Aquarians are exceptionally committed and faithful to the people they love. And because they can usually be counted on to see the positive side of any situation, the people they love, love to be around them.

Birth Sign Flower: With its quiet beauty, artful form and inherent grace, orchids are a perfect complement to the Aquarian’s spiritual and intuitive characteristics. And with symbolism tied to love, beauty and strength, orchids will resonate with this birth sign’s sense of loyalty. Choose pink orchids, representing pure affection, to fuel their romantic streak or surprise them with cattleya orchids to convey mature charm.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Aquarians are progressive, entertaining, and independent. Their individuality can sometimes make them rebellious or standoffish, but it also imbues them with unusual and exotic tastes.Thus, their floral favorites include orchids, birds of paradise, and gladiolus. As Aquarians are aligned with the color blue, iris bouquets are also a wonderful fit. And during late spring, birds of paradise, with their vibrant hues, are the perfect thing to send to as they can help jumpstart your Aquarian’s positive energies as the exciting summer months near.

Aquarius

Orchid Flowers

Eryngium (sea holly), arum lily (Zantedeschia), bird of paradise (Strelitzia), pitcher plant (Sarracenia), banksia, protea, yucca, aloe flowers

Gilliand Bayney Wedding

The wedding of Darci Gilliand and Carl Bayney on September 18, 2010 was a beautiful event. Dandelions Flowers designer, Julianne, created an elegant look using dahlias, calla lilies, dendrobium orchids, and curving foliages of bear grass and aspidistra leaves. This  at-home wedding in Eugene, Oregon had an intimate reception dinner with round bowls that held white dahlias with bear grass circles. This look is very simple yet undeniably elegant. The bride accented her wedding with a crisp, clean blue to add a pop of color.

Our congratulations to the happy couple, Darci and Carl. Thank you for letting us help you on your big day!

For more pictures, check out Daniel Rogers Photography…

 

Colorful Winter Houseplants

Bring the garden inside this winter with a selection of bright, beautiful winter-flowering houseplants.

Cylcamen are a delicate plant perfect for any cool windowsill. As it grows it is best to place the plant on a saucer and water from underneath rather than directly on the plant. Remove any spent blooms and it will continue to flower throughout the winter. The blooms of this plant are guaranteed to fill your house with their strong perfume.

Azaleas usually produce in bright pink and purple flowers but also come in white and a deep pinkish-red. Keep deadheading it and it should flower for about 6 weeks. A good plant for a cool room. Water sparingly with lime-free water (rainwater is best) and occasionally feed with cold, black tea. Avoid placing next to radiators as this will dry out the foliage and may kill the plant.

Add a touch of the exotic to your house with the winter-flowering cymbidium orchid. Originating from Asia, the long stems carry impressive, tropical-looking flowers. Although it’s a houseplant, it does need a spell outside in the summer in order to stimulate it to flower in the winter months. It requires a bright but slightly cooler area in the house.

Kalanchoes are a blooming plant in the succulent family and are known for their robustness and their ease to grow. They enjoy rich, free draining soil with minimal water and are ideal for a bright sunny window.