Deck the Patio with Boughs of Holly- Fa la la!

Recently I was invited to do a demonstration at one of Atlanta's older garden clubs, The Druid Hills Garden Club.  This club was formed in 1928 with an initial membership of 10 women.  The Club's first civic project was the creation of a municipal Rose Garden in the public park on Ponce de Leon and Lullwater Road which the members continue to maintain today.

My presentation was very simple, a DIY project that requires not a lot of time or money.  Sound good?  With the holidays upon us, this is an easy way to spruce up your existing planters and pots, window boxes, or birdbaths.

I started with an iron window box which sadly has remained empty and in storage!  Any pot, empty or full of dirt, planted or not, will do.  A suggestion I have is to put a brick of water soaked floral foam in the container to prolong the life of the greens you will add, but in a pinch just sticking them directly into the dirt already in there (or if totally empty, just go ahead and fill with the greens!) is completely fine.

I lined my window planter with sheet moss and a plastic bag, and finally added a couple of floral foam bricks.  The fun part is gathering the greens you want to use.  There are so many readily available options here in Atlanta, and I chose Magnolia, Carolina Sapphire, Holly, and pine cones.  Whatever you have access to is perfect- you can't go wrong!

To finish off the look, I clipped some dead branches from an evergreen that I sprayed gold.  These branches are popping up in all of my holiday arrangements this year!

Below is the evolution of this fun, easy, and effective way to dress up your outdoors.

Iron window planter gets dressed for the holidays

Magnolia is plentiful in the South- I can't get enough of the velvety brown underside!

The silvery feathery Carolina Sapphire is a nice contrast to the larger glossy Magnolia leaves

And the finished product! 

Pine cones are one of my favorite elements to add to any holiday decor

A closer peek at the gilded branches

There is always room for a little Holly!

One Man's Trash is Another Girl's Treasure

First of all, has it REALLY been eight months since my last post?  That is unacceptable!  It is truly amazing how fast our lives move, isn't it?!  Even so, I do try to soak up each day and be more aware of the small things.  Having a daughter has really allowed me to view everything we take for granted (or never even notice) as a child might- with clear eyes, no judgement, and curiosity that is just so sweet it will make you cry.

For instance, a neighbor of my parents had some Bradford Pear branches piled on the sidewalk, awaiting pickup by the City of Atlanta.  Walking by with Blakely (my daughter, 16 months old), I noticed the unusual coloring of the leaves.  They were simply a gorgeous, rich cocoa hue that varied from what I can only describe as milk chocolate to dark chocolate!  My first thought was that I'd love to go make brownies.  My second thought, and fortunately the one I went with, was to create something with these leaves that would show them in a new light and celebrate them before they were taken away.

My resulting project is something that I'd love to try with other types of leaves, especially the stunning fall leaves that we are just starting to see around here...I present to you Leaflowers!

The Bradford Pear leaves, in all their glory!

The only supplies you need are floral tape and acorns.

Take a leaf and wrap the stem with the tape, rolling it between your fingers, adding new leaves as you go.  I started with smaller leaves for the center and worked my way to the larger leaves.  It was quick work, just a few minutes, and I had reached my desired shape and size. 

Working the leaves in, petal by petal, to create a Leaflower.

The floral tape, wrapped around and around each leaf stem

The next leaf awaits

When you are finished creating the flower, continue the floral tape to secure it to a twig that will become the stem.  I wanted to add a center by gluing an acorn, but any little finding will do!

Secured to the twig/stem with the floral tape

The finished Leaflower

And there you have it folks, the Fantastic Leaflower.  Now I know I'm not the first person to ever make this, but I just think it was a fun little project that would be easy to create with your kids.  It may last a day, it may last many, but it reminds us (yes, us adults) that there is beauty lying on the side of the road.  Just let yourself think like a child, and life will be beautiful.

My Leaflower has a permanent home in an apple juice bottle

Rainbeau(tiful) Orchids

Cattleya- one of the showiest of orchids!

Recently I made the trip up to Milton to visit a local orchid farm, Rainbeau Orchids.  Nestled among the many horse farms, Rainbeau Orchids is a wholesale grower that is open to the public on weekends.  It is really an amazing place, and the rows upon rows of all different types of orchids blew my mind!

Cattleya

Rainbeau Orchids is a supplier to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  They are gearing up for Orchid Daze,  beginning February 4th and running through April 15.  This spectacular exhibit is not one to miss.  2012 marks the 10th anniversary of both the Orchid Daze exhibition and the Fuqua Orchid Center, home to the largest collection of species orchids in the United States.

Here are some photos from my visit to Rainbeau Orchids.  If you are interested in getting an orchid to enjoy in your home, I would love to pot one for you!

Rows of orchids

Phalaoenopsis waiting to bloom

Zygopetalum

Zygopetalum

Phalaenopsis

Greenhouse

Zygopetalum

Zygopetalum

Zygopetalum

Cattleya

Cattleya

Cattleya

Cattleya

Almost looks like an iris!

Oncidium

White Phalaenopsis are one of the most popular of all

I imagine these Phals are quite happy

Dendrobium

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis

The spikes all grow to face South

It Takes Two to Tangerine Tango

Every December, Pantone chooses the next "it" Color of the Year.  Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and has a superior color matching system that was developed to solve the problem of creating accurate matches in the graphic arts world.   

If you have ever experienced picking out a color for paint or created a design on your computer, only to have the final product look completely different than what you saw, the Pantone color matching process is the answer to that.

For 2012, they  have named Tangerine Tango as the Color of the Year.  This is a vibrant, "spirited, reddish orange", according to Pantone, and I can see that it will be quite popular.  First, it can be found in the fashion world and then in the home decor arena.  From purses and shoes to pots and pans, this hue is everywhere.  Take a look!

How about a whole room...

...

Or maybe just a few desk accessories?

In this bedroom designed by Miles Redd, the orange vibrates against the green

Looks from the runways of Charlotte Ronson, Tommy Hilfiger, Peter Som, Derek Lam

Clambake

Patent leather and banana cork Louboutins

The process of choosing the color of the year is quite an ordeal. Pantone employees look the world over for color influences in media, music, and art, searching for the hues that most affect people. With the digital age well underway, they also look at designs created electronically.

When it comes to flowers, the possibilities are truly endless.  There are over one hundred orange roses a florist can use, and one in particular, Arabia, is the perfect match for Tangerine Tango.

Look for this hue to pop up everywhere this year!

Take My (Baby's Breath) Away

Baby's Breath has a slightly less than desirable reputation as a cheap filler flower from the grocery store.  And it can look a little, well, tacky with a dozen red roses (just my opinion!).  There is a time and place for everything, though, and so it is with Gypsophila.  In the language of flowers, this one means "everlasting love", so really it can be fitting for a wedding celebration.

I was reading a favorite blog today and came across stunning wedding flowers.  And the real gem was the Baby's Breath.  I liked it so much I was inspired to do some searching and found an abundance of very pleasing arrangements of nothing but Baby's Breath.  It is airy, fluffy, ethereal and quite dreamy when used alone.  That is the key, sometimes... even with carnations, another flower with a bad rap- by massing them together you create a strong visual and high impact.  Not bad for cheap flowers, right?

This is the photo that caught my eye and started my hunt...

I love this blue, black and white scheme

Wreath, would dry well

Simple bouquet, with satin ribbon

Really elegant ceremony decor

Church decor, snowy and wintry

What a statement

Love the round shape mimicking the ceiling