Hyacinth

 

 Did I mention how much I have been loving the hyacinth?  Never mind that they're named after an ancient Greek youth who was  beheaded by Zephyr, the west wind, while playing a game of discus.

Favorite Winter Flowers

I love me some hyacinths....And they are out in all their glorious, highly scented, every shade of violet and pink gloriousness.....I like placing them right at nose height on the banister in my hallway and I smell them everytime I walk by.....

Getting that Earthy Organic Look in Home Decor

Might I suggest a branch, a root, a stump, a vine?  Seriously, are you looking for some organic bling chez toi?

Why not hang a beautiful branch on that empty wall?  Or a dramatic piece of driftwood down the center of your dining table?  Contorted Filbert, manzanita branches, lichen covered wood, moss covered branches we've got some beautiful choices at Passionflower.   Click here to see  my favorite sandblasted grapevine branch in use.

Photo by me taken at the Roost Home Furnishings booth at New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF)

My Christmas Eve Tradition......

I give away all the last of the wreaths to employees, neighbors, and  friends.  I let the last few straggler Christmas Eve customers come in and make a purchase after we have closed.  They invariably tend to be other merchants who have been busy in their stores all season.  I load whatever is left into my tiny rig.....there's always some garland and a wreath and lots of candles.  Then I pick up my dad at the airport,  go home and decorate.....because Christmas Eve is when the holidays begin for me.

Tis the Season

People don't make yourself crazy or exhausted or stressed out with Christmas decorating.  Thing of it as time to light a lot of candles and bring the boughs of greenery into your homes and make everything smell good. Time to pull out a few time worn treasures from their boxes and bring a new treasure or two home. Time to bask in the warmth of the season and put a wreath by the door to welcome all who might enter.   We're chock full of  beautiful wreaths.....and this year we're fond of playing off the brown of the cones with lots of rusts, and persimmon, and oranges and ruby tones.....Click here to find out more about the history of wreaths.

There's Something About Tillandsias.....

How is it that tillandsias in all their earthy, organic, tropical strangeness can look so good with everything?  Even something frilly and romantic and victorian like this all glass box?

Click here to see something else we've done with tillandsias....and here and here and here too ! Oh here too.
Okay I just can't get enough of them....And we have a great selection right now.

Notes from a Conference

There were days way back when, say in the first decade of my career as a florist, when I just couldn't get enough.  When I was drinking in everything that I could.  When I planned to take over the world, or at least Eugene, with flowers as art. 

I was cleaning out some papers the other day and came across notes from a floral conference I attended during those thirsty times.  Here's some excerpts from that conference with my commentary in parentheses- "draping flowers are in the subservient position, the position of service, bending over and touching the ground.......read more rumi ",....".cultural roots can serve as inspiration (hmm...haven't quite been there).....source out hens and chicks and tillandsias (OMG I can barely remember the days before tillandsias- standard part of Passionflower repertoire now) ..".the idea of making little wreaths for boutonnieres could be super charming for a winter wedding"  (would still love to find a bride who wants to do this)...."try to sleep more on my back face up" (I have absolutely no idea what that note has to do with a floral conference but there it was)...'could be fun to hang a hammock in the store for a summer display"(yes it could be and I think I shall).
I'm glad I took notes and glad I kept them....It's different now.  While I might not have that deep drive I had then, I have something else.  It's deeper and quieter and more contemplative and instead of taking it all in, it's more like deciding what it is I want to put out......

A Good Cause

                                                             

                                             

                                                     

                The Eugene Symphony Guild asked us to "decorate" a dining room for their annual Holiday Tour of Homes....and since we think there are few things as wonderful as live music, and that Eugene is lucky to have  a symphony of this caliber, and to tell the truth, we absolutely adore the person who asked us to do it, we decided to help them out.  No matter that it coincided with our busiest weekend of the entire year, that it meant moving a bunch of our inventory off the floor for many days, and longer hours for yours truly and my amazing manager.  We went for it and had a great time doing it (except for those slightly panicky moments the day before when I couldn't quite figure how I was going to be able to get it all done).  But now it's fait accompli and on to the next ....Click here should you like to find out more about what the Eugene Symphony has in store for the upcoming season.

 

Mixing It All Up in Flower Land

We're trying, we're really trying to take better photos but we have a long way to go.....

Nonetheless I love these small pieces mixing fresh and dried flowers that Erin has been doing....

An Arrangement using Fresh Flowers, Plants, & Dried Material

When I first opened the store I did (and still do) try to always have something fresh cut, something living, and something dried around. The idea was to represent the plant in all it's phases.  Erin has taken this idea a step further and mixed fresh, dried, and plants all together in these beautiful arrangements she's making in matte white Guy Wolff pots.  They won't last for years like a plant, but they'll last longer than fresh cuts.  They'll be somewhere in between.  You could just pull whatever goes first and replace it with something else.  Plus I love that she's using things from the sea, the mountains, and the desert....they're super fun.

Back from My Summer Wanderings

I am back from my little summer blog hiatus.  I've been traveling and it's too hard for me to work in the teeny tiny i phone format, so I'll simply say that I am glad to be blogging again and am bubbling over with all kinds of great things to share with you.  Not too mention that I think everything in my yard grew at least a foot in the two weeks I've been gone.

I wanted to start out by showing you this beatiful bouquet that Erin made for a lucky August bride.  I can't tell you how happy I was to see this picture as I was flicking through facebook in my New York hotel room. It's so great to be able to get away from the store, recharge my batteries, get inspired, and shop for goodies and know that all is in good hands back home.  I am sol lucky to have such an awesome staff.

Art for the Garden

Imagine a world where every public park has a resident artist making site specific installations that playfully delight and engage you.  Such was  the case at the Van Duzen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver BC where, a few years back, they hired Nicole Dextras to spend the summer making art in their park.   See more of the results here. She likes to use words and plants together.    Ms. Dextras has moved on to other things, most notably her Weed Robes which have been getting lots of press.  (Click here to see those).  And also here to see a recent update Ms. Dextras sent me about the robes. But when we open the imaginary art gallery, we'll definitely want Ms. Dextras to do some site specific installations on the grounds!

More Wedding Flowers

Thank you Sara Gray Photography  out of Portland for the pics of this super fun wedding.  Would that we had a professional photographer to take photos everyday.  You make us look good Sara!  Thanks.....

P.S.  How cute are those shoes?

Ode to Olaf Hajek and Flowerhead

The internet seems to be a medium that shows off illustrators particularly well. Or at least thats my conclusion when I notice how many illustrators I have lately been drawn to. I found German artist/illustrator Olaf Hajek via Becky's tumblr and had to get his book Flowerhead for the store. It's magical realism that shows us just how fine the line is between beautiful and disturbing......Loved the book so much we decided to make our own flowerhead.

Becky made our bad boy from Mozambique this great flower hat.....I think the shades add just the right touch.

Go here should you want to see more of M. Hajek's amazing work.

Boutonnieres by Becky

And the cutest little bouquet wrap by Erin
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What's that expression? "God is in the details".

Good to be Back

The blog really hasn't been getting too much of my juice lately. It's been a busy and fruitful time....a wedding or two, a trip to LA to buy clothes for the store (and reconnect with an old high school friend ), our summer reset at Passionflower, art classes, gardening, a celebration or two.
But now the blog is calling to me again and I have lots to show. Stay tuned.

May Flowers

The last of the vinca, the squill , and the forget me not.

More Flower Love

What say you? You may think this is a close up of a begonia leaf but (drumroll from the natural world), it's from a plant called tiarella and it's part of this beautiful arrangement that our friend's at Pewter Rabbit Antiques were sporting on their front counter the other day.....

Their pal Randy brings them fabulous arrangements from his garden. He's the master of subtle parallels in nature......tiarella leaf and checker lily make me swoon. Plus he always finds the just right container.

Randy's flower arrangements.....one more reason I love having Pewter Rabbit as a neighbor.

The Middle of the Night

You know how they say that when you can't sleep, it's good to get up and do something.?
Well here ya go....photos of the big bottle with an apple branch....4 A.M. PST

April Showers

Remember that part about time flying? Well it's true.....it seems like the beloved field tulips were here in all their glory....outshining every other flower....and then I blinked and they were gone.....

And I am still trying to get over it. Like a great friend who comes for a visit that is way, way too short. Or at least this year's visit was too short.....I shall have to console myself with all the beautiful May flowers on their way. I have a hunch that the May blog posts will be long on floral shots. Lucky us.