Thanksgiving Feasting at Passionflower

From our neck of the woods to yours. Blessings on your meal.

Happy Thanksgiving Day November 2009

Sandy Raney as Weather Barometer

How do they make that herringbone pattern? Sandy's wearing vintage fur.

Brrr.....it's getting cold outside.

Osage Oranges add Something Special to Flower Arrangements

These big bumpy inedible, green fruits are great for floral design. Long lasting and almost indestructable, we are lucky enough to have a local source though I confess I have never seen one growing. This year the harvest was timed perfectly and they are super beautiful. Here we stacked them in a tall slender vase. The water magnifies them a little. They can have a very modern appeal.

And then they can go all earthy and organic. Here Julianne used them with some angel vine twig as an accent at the base of an orchid.

And here it became the focal point of an arrangement that is all foliage and fruit....

Who says "flowers" always have to have flowers in them?

Deer Fern, Hydrange Foliage, String of Pearls, Osage Oranges, and Lichen make a rich arrangement.

The Venus of Willendorf Visits Passionflower

This isn't exactly mail, it didn't cross my desk, but it did cross our doorway. I love it when people bring me strange things.....Strange in a good way.

Here our friend Ann Gordon was showing off her potato which I think looks a lot like the Venus of Willendorf.......Did you know that this 25,000 year old figurine (not the potato) has fans on Facebook? Click here for more info on the Venus of Willendorf.

Bella Notte Pillowcases Get A Little Lovin'

Here's a beautiful little bedding study in purples and lavenders.

As I studied the photo, something was bothering me.

Hhhmmmmm.......

Uh Oh - that pillowcase looks a little bit like a tic-tac-toe board.

Merchandising 101 - all bedding needs to be steamed or ironed.



Stay tuned for more merchandising 101.

Lane County Farmer's Market - Adieu

Passionflower is two blocks from our local outdoor Farmer's Market. Here's my bounty from sometime last summer. Eremurus (Foxtail Lily- do you see the foxtail), Callas, Monarda, and Golden Yarrow. Lucky the florist who can buy this two blocks from their shop.

It's a funky, slightly crowded, market with the usual amazing farmer's market greatness - stands of greens and roots, honey, and vegetables....and new in the last year or two, a great
bakery stand from Hideaway...

But I am always on the prowl for the strange........and different-

Did you know you can buy mushroom growing kits down there? You take home these big plastic bags of spores and sawdust (and other stuff) and whoa......oyster mushrooms....and you can eat them.

Here's some pink ones....I love this color pink.....so fleshy.......

I can sense a little inspiration kicking in.....I want to use these in flower arrangements....not sure how they would hold up for a couple of days....

Probably won't be using these voodoo lilies in anything. But then again, you never know.

Here are some beautiful lily bulbs.....They remind me of some vaguely succulent type flower.


And last but not least, I was happy to be able to buy my canned tuna from a guy who caught it.....better get busy eating tuna if I want to use those cans for flower arrangements.
I will miss the downtown Farmer's Market until next year.

Fall Wedding Flowers at Passionflower Design

Designing with flowers and plants is a big part of every day at Passionflower. I don't show nearly enough of the fabulous floral work that goes out our door. That is because I never think the photos do the flowers justice -ever.... but I guess I'll get over that and just start showing them . I think of the pictures more like records, or ciphers , or memory joggers of a particular floral moment in time.....They are ten thousand times more beautiful in person-

Really had fun with this wedding.....an older couple....they met on a Christian Singles Site. I loved that. Both of them came to the floral consultation. I loved that too. She was wearing a shimmery silver dress. We started to think of the wedding like mixed metals.

The palette was dusty and peachy and silver and coppery and browns.

Metallina Rose, Brown Mini Cymbidium,
Brunia, & Chocolate Eucalyptus.