Booking 2015 Weddings with Dahlia Love

I thought I would offer up Dahlias as today's fantastic Fleur du Jour as both a way to really make us miss, I MEAN LOOK FORWARD TO, summer and as a way to say I AM NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR 2015 WEDDINGS.  

While many people think of Dahlias as fall flowers, which they most certainly are, Dahlias here start blooming at the tail end of June and early July. Different varieties are earlier or later by nature in showing off their remarkable blooms. Some variability also results from how early or late spring arrives and from how "on time" I am with putting the tubers in the field. Last year it was cold longer and I was later. That said, I cut the first flower on July 7. If you are planning a wedding before July, no need to worry as plenty of amazing flowers bloom before the dahlias!

For couples looking for late summer and fall weddings, Dahlias can be a lovely addition to bouquets, centerpieces and other floral designs. As a rule, I like to limit my full service weddings to one a day so as to give the best of myself and my flowers. I will add bulk flower orders for DIY brides who are making their own arrangements and will put together bouquets or other wear and carry pieces for the same day for my "Something In Between" brides if I feel I can do so with the quality I demand.  So, as we wait for dahlias together, please contact me soon if you, or someone you know, are looking for your 2015 wedding florist. Congratulations to all the BEAUTIFUL  wedding couples and their families.

Secret Pleasures of a Flower Farmer a.k.a. the Perks of the Job

Could use a whiff of lilies right about now.

It's that time of year when every seasonal flower farmer is truly missing the flowers. Sure, there are seed orders to fine tune, equipment repairs to be made and all the rest. It is not as though I am not busy every day. In fact, there is little time off in this job, especially for a farmer florist, who also does floral designs, weddings and events, as well as grow flowers. As I think back to the season past, I feel the need to reveal some of the perks of the job - weird as they may be - and which I so miss as I look out the window on a rainy December day. Today I'll just point to a few. 

In no particular order, here goes. I am in my flower rows everyday of the growing season and many days before flowers appear, as well as after they are gone. It doesn't feel right to not be out there. Maybe I don't love it when it is raining on me or super cold or really windy when I am trying to do some jobs, which in do not in any way, shape or form require wind as a helper, and I don't love having my hair whipped around my face and totally messed p by wind, but I love being outside. I love smelling fresh, clean air. I love smelling air after it rains. I love smelling air on hot, humid summer days. I love smelling warm soil inside a plastic low tunnel when there is snow on the ground outside the tunnel. I hugely love the many fragrances of blooming stock and tuberose and lilies. How can flowers have so many different scents? Even chrysanthemums, which I have typically considered somewhat acrid-scented, have a very soft, subtle, sweet scent when coming out of my gardens.

Five types of scented geraniums shown here. Boy, do I ever miss these, but makes them even more special when in season.

Speaking of scents, I love, love, love running a hose to spray the basil!

Have you ever been totally surrounded by basil fragrance?

I mean TOTALLY surrounded, as in infused?

Grow some basil (or a few rows of it) and give it a hand watering! Wow!

The really cool thing is I grow a bunch of different varieties and they all have unique fragrances! Wahoo. I am in Heaven. I know I am.

And, by the way, anyone else around here missing the glorious scents of our scented geraniums? Ummm, yeah.

Love the smell of honey these hydrangeas drag in!

Here's another scent I really like - the scent of

honey. Yep, honey. When my hydrangeas are

blooming and bees are visiting, standing next

to these great big balls of flowers is like

sitting on the edge of a honey jar. It

practically bowls me over.

The same thing happens with goldenrod. One cultivated variety, in particular, blooms a bit later than all the rest so is a star bee attractant. the great thing about the great honey caper is the scent comes with the flowers.

Three bumble bees loving the goldenrod.

So, when I cut them for an arrangement,

people's houses and event spaces can smell of

both flowers and honey. So sweet!

The big black blobs in the goldenrod photo to

the left are bees. It does make cutting a bit

awkward! Usually have bumble bees, honey

bees and others at the same time.

Perfume factories!

Finally, since I am speaking of scents, I'll share another secret obsession of mine: opening the cooler door when it is full of flowers. Well, I don't mean opening too often because I DO want to keep them cool, with that being the idea of the cooler afterall. Any visitors to Butternut Gardens definitely get "the open door" treatment, which consists of my opening the cooler door, standing back and partaking, with my visitors, in the glorious cool waves of mixed flower "perfume." Ahhhh. could do it forever.  In fact, I think I'll take a walk now in this nor'easter of a rain storm just to see what it smells like out there, see what's growing, and give myself some hope for spring. 

Welcoming new couples at wedding expos

So many wonderful couples came my way through two recent wedding expos in Connecticut. The welcoming Fox Hill Inn in Brookfield recently hosted a Wedding Steps Expo and was followed by another Wedding Steps Expo held at the gorgeous Water's Edge Resort in Westbrook. Wedding expos are a great place for couples to meet vendors, get ideas, and begin planning for their wedding day.

I love meeting with couples, often with families and friends, to talk flowers.  While I don't have a lot of time to go into all the individual details of each wedding, I am able to answer a number of questions specific to a good number of wedding visions and also to comment on issues which most couples face. In addition, of course, I am able to talk about Butternut Gardens and how my Evelyn Lee Floral Designs often differ a bit from designs of others. I am the only flower farm in Fairfield County. My designs are definitely garden-inspired. They incorporate so much rich material fresh from the field and showcase a wildflower, or simply wild look. While tighter arrangements can be made, the looser, more natural feel is definitely what most brides seek when working with me.

As I design in the late weeks of autumn, I love

working in some of the best of the local vegetable

harvests.

At both shows I decided to create an interesting

mix of blooms and veggies around a hurricane

lantern. You can see it here in the lower right. Kale,

carrots, peppers and more, including a soft plume

of broom corn sparkle among the mums, dahlias

and hydrangea.

Here it is closer up.

I was also able to bring a sweet arrangement showcasing a rustic look with zinnias and sweeping Baptisia foliage in a fabulous green vase.

Didn't you know, one of my delphiniums joined in!

It is not unusual for some of the spring-bloomers to send up fall blossoms.

You might notice, in your own landscape, for example, that the azalea near your house offers up a few blooms at this time of year.

Nature has its wonderful own way, and I am absolutely willing to work with it.  

Hence, a striking blue accent to this lovely grouping.

Brides dream of their bouquet.

So, how could I go to an expo without some hint of what a bouquet might look like?

For both shows I took a lavender and white combination which popped with dahlias.  

Deep purple, ivory and lavender ribbons flowed, and how could I help but sneak in some totally awesome ornamental kale with its soft green and lavender-pink lacy leaves.

To add to the softness of it all, dusty miller nestled in quite nicely as did one of my favorites - the grey-blue ageratum.  

Fabulous Brooklyn wedding at 26 Bridge Street

Three galvanized vessels with wrought iron patina were a perfect choice for a fall harvest look of broom corn, hydrangea, and lilies in soft bronze colors in the stunning front window. Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington, D.C.

Autumn colors were perfect for Barbara and Jimmy's gorgeous, love-filled wedding shared with so many wonderful family members and friends in early September.

The venue, 26 Bridge Street in Brooklyn, is a 

magnificantly-renovated open loft-space in a

former foundry nearly the water. With steel

beams, wood floor, brick walls, glass ceiling

windows and authentic foundry doors,

26 Bridge Street was perfectly prepared for a

ceremony amid the Butternut Gardens' birch

chuppah and family style dining at twenty-six

farm tables.

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington, D.C.

How often does one chance a glimpse out such a perfectly simple, yet utterly awesome window as this? Each window frame is 1' x 1 1/2' in size!

Such a marvelous backdrop for a light beverage and conversation before the ceremony, and champagne and cocktails following.

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington, D.C.

If I do say, the Butternut Gardens birch chuppah is in and of itself truly beautiful.  

I literally have been known to press my hand against the black-speckled white bark of the birch poles, just because.

Something about it just touches me inside.

On this September afternoon, the chuppah was especially beautiful because we had the wonderful good fortune to drape across it a lace-fringed antique family heirloom from the groom's family. Thank you.

Gorgeous! Isn't the embroidery and fringe spectacular in the light of the ceiling's glass openings to the sky? Photo: Yne Leal Still Photography, Brooklyn, NY

We know that beyond its physical beauty, it was enriched with an entire fabric of memories from others dear to this lovely couple.

Boy, was that ever special. I can't even begin to describe how that made me feel. Humbled and privileged just for starters. (I guess I had to begin somewhere, after all.)

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington, D.C.

Farm tables seemed to run forever; flowers too. 

A sprig of Rosemary graced each place setting. 

Such a nice welcoming touch. 

I loved using six different colors of raffia to encircle different sprigs.

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington D.C.

Most exciting was being given the go-ahead to mix and match the table arrangements and to use herbs, vegetables, and any other fun amenities, as well as flowers.

Mix and match is usually quite welcome, allowing for significant creativity and added interest on the tables.

Vases of deep green and blue colored glass, ivory china, and mercury glass juleps and pedestals worked beautifully together! 

Photo: Yne Leal Still Photography, Brooklyn, NY

One of my favorite clear glass vases is this one.

Delicate.

Flared.

It seems to offer the stems the perfect angle for repose. 

I think what I like most about it is it is a rather thin glass, which, up close, has a slight tinge of green/blue coloration. I think it is its more delicate, thin quality which most appeals. Gives it such a vintage look and feel. 

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington D.C.

Herbs have universal appeal.

Basil.

Sage.

Parsley.

A number of tables paired cut flower arrangements with herbs potted in light terra cotta bowls or rectangle planters. Potted strawberry plants snuck their way in as well! So refreshing.

Photo: KanKan Yu, Washington, D.C.

Fall is a great time of year to incorporate a whole bounty of lush botanicals.

Cabbages and kales come in so many varieties.  Do you want flat or rippled leaves? Soft green leaves?  Or bicolor white and green or pink and green?

Such gifts.

Once I opted for this oversized ornamental kale, how could I say no to the white dinner plate dahlia? Broom corn, arching Baptisia foliage and aster accents completed this particular design.

Photo: Yne Leal Still Photography, Brooklyn, NY.

Also showcasing seasonal vegetables were a series of hurricane lanterns.

Around the base sat kale, peppers, tomatillas, green beans and more amidst our mixture of blooms.

What glowed from within the lanterns? Sprigs of cut herbs, of course!

Photo credit: Emily Lee, NYC

An extra special member of the wedding party made my day as he showed off his floral attire.

Throughout the design process, my underlying thought was, "How will this color bloom match his natural color?" I couldn't wait to see.

Thank you, Barbara and Jimmy, for allowing me to be part of this beautiful day. The love of family and friends was all-encompassing. 26 Bridge Street is awesome. Thank you to Yne Leal Still Photography in Brooklyn, NY for sharing such lovely photos of the day. Thank you also to KanKan Yu, of Washington, D.C., for her spectacular photographic skills. I loved working with my New York-based team of "family" - Emily, Dorothy, Kristen and KanKan - who made it all sparkle, and brought the vision to fruition. Love to all. A special day it was.