January

One of the things I get asked most often is "what should I plant? ( in order to have great things to cut?) At least once a month I'm going to dig into what local flowers, foliage and textures I'm using, show you my favorites and what I'm doing with them. While I'm not a gardener so I can't advise on how to grow them. I can curate a list for you of the plants that I would most want to see in my cutting garden. Current favorites I'd recommend are:

Tulip or Star Magnolia

Dogwood- Any kind! Right now buds are showing up on the flowering varieties that will pop open if brought indoors

Fantail Pussywillow

Deciduous Huckleberry

By the end of the year I should have a very comprehensive list of suggestions. No matter what season it is there is ALWAYS beauty in nature to be appreciated.

As we currently sit iced in and going outdoors doesn't sound terribly appealing I'm also wanting to include a few flowers that dry very well as a way to have some pops of color even during the short,dark days of winter. Some of my favorite dried flowers saved from this last growing season are:

Ranunculus

Billy Balls

Celosia

Rosehips

Poppy Pods

Some refer to dried flowers as "everlasting" but I hesitate to call them that. While they do last longer than fresh, everlasting is a bit of a stretch. They will eventually fade and/or get dusty or crumble and I wouldn't have it any other way. One of the things I love most about flowers is their fleeting, ephemeral nature: their demand to be appreciated in the moment, their invitation to NOW.  That being said, as I strive towards seasonality in my craft  there is obviously a time of year in which "flowers" are not in season. The cold temperatures of winter have hit us hard this week but that doesn't mean that there isn't still beauty hiding out there, laying the groundwork for spring. Tulip magnolias and other blooming branches are already putting out buds that will even burst open if brought indoors. The winter season of hibernation, preparation and anticipation still has so many admirable offerings. Architectural branches, evergreens, even home grown tropical foliage, seed pods and preserved flowers are all always in season and these textural elements can be combined in all sorts of ways, with or without a vase, wreaths and wall hangings, even just artfully arranged on a mantle, altar or table; I think it is always both beautiful and beneficial to bring the outdoors inside and pay homage. Grasses, seed pods and dried flowers can even be arranged in unconventional vessels that do not hold water. Most recently I've arranged into found vertebrae and driftwood for wall hangings. If these creations aren't made to order you'll find them next door in my space at Stars. Dried and long-lasting is also an option under color pallets if you are placing an order for a vase arrangement. Let me know if you'd like to see it in an unconventional container.

Dried flowers are also great for wearables like flower crowns and jewelry. I recently did a private birthday party where all the girls got to make flower crowns and we all had such a great time! Reach out if this is something you're interested in as they won't be on the website until after Valentine's Day. Speaking of, it's almost time to make those Valentine's Day Plans....