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

Red, White, and Coo

This week I was able to do something for a group of women who I admire greatly.  Operation Shower, a non-profit organization that puts together baby showers for pregnant wives of deployed military personnel, recruited me to help out with the decor at a shower here in Atlanta.

I was, of course, providing the floral decor, and I wanted it to tie in with the rest of the shower.  Pinwheels were provided by Pinwhirls, the custom party printable graphics by Anders Ruff, and some of the goodies for the expectant moms were graciously donated by Carousel Designs.  The shower took place at the Birdies for the Brave outpost on the 16th green at the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

Below are pictures of the florals, from start to finish.  The color scheme was red, white, and light aqua, and it was a lot of fun to put together!

It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of something that brings joy to the families of the military!

Show Stoppers

While the blooms are usually in the spotlight when we think of flower arrangements or container plantings, there are some pretty interesting non-blooming elements that deserve a little attention.  Two of my favorites play very strong supporting roles and are so amazing in fact that they could steal the show.  They work wonders in both cut flower arrangements and planted containers.

Coleus are truly gorgeous leaves that grow in a great variety of colors aside from green, from deep burgundy to orange and purple to bright pink- with so many variations that an arrangement of just Coleus would satisfy me!  Here's a cool trick- pick up a pretty plant at your nursery, snip a few stems, and place in a small vase on a windowsill.  Before long, roots have sprouted and you can transplant them to a pot if you want.  I love mixing coleus with other summer-flowering annuals to create a loose, casual backyard bouquet.

Henna

A rainbow of leaves

Kiwi Fern

"Fall" foliage

Velvety red Coleus with a combo of garden cuttings and store bought flowers

My other fave is a Rex Begonia.  Sold as houseplants, I like to keep a few on hand and snip leaves here and there.  These leaves are stunningly variegated in shades of green, red, pink, purple, silver and brown and have incredible texture.  They also grow in a nice range of asymmetrical shapes, from smaller hearts to large spirals. The hairy underside of these begonia leaves is usually a deep red and can be just as striking as the front.  I really think that Rex Begonia leaves enhance floral arrangements to such a degree that they are as interesting as the flowers!

David Austin roses and the veiny underside of a Begonia leaf

Escargot

Begonias are the focal point

Cowardly Lion

Stained Glass

"Backyard Bouquet"