I arrange lots of cut flowers for clients intended as Mother’s Day gifts. It may be old fashioned or expected, but I do believe the gift of flowers or plants is so appropriate for a Mom. My Mom was a scientist. Her view of the world had to do with experiments, statistics, dispassionate reasoning and disbelief without solid verification. But she did in her own special way nurture me. We had a very long and very intense relationship over the garden-once I got old enough to understand that gardening, and a love for nature and all growing things was a way of life-not always so pretty or stylish, but genuine and connected.
Julia died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2001. For 2 months, I turned every light on in the house before I went to bed. I could not sleep, unless the house was ablaze with light. I finally went to see my doctor-she told me everyone expresses their grief differently-I should not be concerned. I eventually turned the lights off. As much as everyone expresses their grief differently, everyone expresses their joy and appreciation differently. The shop was jammed over Mother’s Day weekend-we did our best to help every person express their feelings in a way that satisfied them. 
I also do cut flower arrangements for clients. Any orders I have for Mother’s Day flowers, I take seriously. There is a son, a daughter, a husband, a niece, a friend, wanting to express their feelings via the flowers. I order flowers in season, and fresh for these arrangements.
The Dutch do a vastly better job of growing Dutch iris than I ever could. A California farm has delphinium belladonna available. The white sweet peas-I confess I do not know where they came from. The white tulips-from my own garden. The mix says spring. Hello, and Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for all you have done for me. All my love to you. The arrangement is densely flowery, in a fairly formal shape .
The arranging of the floral orders for Mother’s Day-I spend a fair amount of time with them. Why so? My clients are asking that I interpret their caring in a way that accurately represents them. I understand they are entrusting me with an important message. I take the time. And I enjoy it. Working with cut flowers is time well spent.
Whether the arrangement is big or small, formal or casual, subdued or bright and sassy in color, the message is fairly universal. Thanks for helping me to bloom, Mom.
Tulips, Dutch iris, and bupleurum
Lisianthus, white dendrobiums, pale yellow gerbera daisies, and lavender freesia
white ranunculus, iris, and bupleurum
tulips, ranunculus, and orlaya
white Dutch iris, yellow and white ranunculus, belladonna delphinium
If you arrange your own flowers for your home, or as a gift, proper conditioning is really important. I recut every stem on a steep slant, and put them in fairly deep water which is lukewarm. I try to find a very cool spot to set my buckets for 24 hours. This treatment gives the stems time to take up water. Cut flowers are delivered to me in boxes-they need to take a deep drink. This step is especially important if the flowers are arranged in floral foam, as opposed to a vase filled with water. The foam will quickly obstruct the pores of the stems, and impede the uptake of water. The stem and flower should be juicy.
I cut each stem again, as it is arranged. Taking the time to condition the flowers will give them the longest possible life in the vase. This is true whether you buy flowers from a florist, the grocery store-or if you cut flowers from your own garden. A bouquet from fresh flowers from the garden makes a very personal and thoughtful gift. What spring garden flowers make great cuts? tulips, grape hyacinths, spring flowering branches as in dogwood or viburnum,, hellebores, peonies, iris, delphinium, sweet peas, early clematis, trollius- the list is plenty long.
It is not only a pleasure to be able to bring the garden indoors, it is a pleasure to share it with someone near and dear.
Occasionally I get garden requests that are out of the mainstream. The brother of one of my clients called and asked if I would be willing to host a birthday party for his sister at my store; so why not? She loves her garden, and anything flower-related, so it wasn’t hard to imagine this place dolled up and ready for party guests. Though he lives in California, he was able to plan with the local help of Fran Gross; her events are always well choreographed and beautiful. Arranging the store for guests, and doing the flowers would be my part. As the party was a surprise, we lined our iron gates with fabric. Douglas had told her he wanted her to look at something he was thinking of getting her for her birthday-little did she know. She had ten seconds to process that her initials were in fact on the gates, framed in gerbera daisies, before she walked into a crowd of guests. What fun for her-and her guests.
We did lots of flowers-all in variations of a her favorite color-pink. This vase placed outside the front door -a flowery ice cream cone with pink nerines, pink spray roses and a tutu of La Reve lilies. Yummy.
Pink and gold were the colors of the day. Table cloths, and napkins, the gold chairs and clear glass plates edged in gold set a very festive, and very feminine tone. I thought the flowers should be tall-in the airspace. This not only makes conversation easy at the table top level, it creates interest at eye level when people walk into a room. More than anything, a party should be designed such to put the idea of celebration in the air.
These party favors are the work of my client. He knew his sister not only as very feminine and vibrant woman, but also as a very successful and high powered business woman. She successfully balances being a woman, and a boss; this is not easy to do. The flower coated hammer is his wry and supportive gesture. The personal element celebrates the relationship of friends and family; the party is for everyone.
The flowers set on top of twig stands are primarily every version and form of pink I could find. But some contrasting color showcases that pink. The brown amaranthus, yellow freesia and roses are a nod to the gold table accessories.
The arrangements are shaped such that most of the blossoms are visible from a seated position; the oval overall shape is like a friendly umbrella over each table.
I I think the room looks lovely.
The flowers brought life to the room. All it needed was company-and company she got. What an incredibly thoughtful brother. What fun it was to be a part of what is such a good memory for her.
Garden spaces are at their best, filled with people.