The Flower Blog

The Problem with Peonies

Posted by Fri, May 31, 2013 @ 11:40 AM

Sarah dye gillespieAs I watch the rain falling outside, I imagine the trees, grass, flowers, etc. joyfully drinking up the cool rain drops.  The plants look refreshed in the steady rain, especially after several days of sunny, warm weather.  However, I see a large peony bush, which yesterday was full of large, perfect peony blooms, now lying against the ground, the blooms beaten and bruised by the heavy rain.  This sight reminds me of the problem with peonies.

mixed peonies

 

As our state flower, peonies are a very popular flower in Indiana.  Over the last couple of years, I have seen an increased popularity of peonies in wedding celebrations.  Peonies are large, fragrant blooms, which lend themselves to simple, yet elegant bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids.  So, what’s the problem?  Peonies have an extremely short season of availability.  Local peonies are only available for about 3-4 weeks a year, depending on the weather.  With the heavy rain today and with more heavy rain expected over the weekend, the season will be coming to an abrupt close for the local crops.  Local growers keep a close eye on the weather forecast to try and preserve as much of their crops for as long as possible.  If heavy rain is forecasted, the growers will harvest the peonies a little early.  They can then place them in water with floral preservative, and store them in a refrigerator, cooler or very cool environment, until they sell the blooms to a local florist.  

Screen shot 2013 05 10 at 4.48.49 PMPeak season for the local peonies this year is now (late May).  Last year, the peak season was in April!  This is because in March, we had steady temperatures in the mid 80’s.  This year, our weather remained cooler than normal for April and even the beginning of May.  Generally speaking, the peak of our local peony season is around Mother’s Day.  Last year, the peak occurred early and this year the peak occurred late.  Therefore, another problem with peonies is trying to include them in an event (such as a wedding), not knowing if they will be available at the time of the event.  

Before you scrap peonies from you wedding plan altogether, here are some tips that I share with brides when I learn of their interest in peonies for their wedding.  

  1. Plan the date of your wedding to coincide with peony season.  If you really wish to include fresh cut peonies in your wedding, plan your wedding early in the spring.  Peonies are not available in the summer and fall months.  Peonies are available from other countries in the late winter, which increases the probability of their availability.  Keep in mind, however, imported flowers are much more expensive due to the packaging and cost of shipping.

  2. Have an alternative plan in place.  If weather affects the availability of the peony for your planned event, be sure to have another option ready to go, just in case.  I suggest garden roses (large headed, fragrant roses) or hydrangea.  

  3. Source some “silk” (fake) peonies.  The silks that are produced now are very high quality compared to silks 20 years ago.  There are even times when I suggest silk flowers over fresh flowers if a particular color of flower is not available in nature.  On a number of occasions, I have designed fresh bouquets with silk accents to achieve the desired color or texture.

  4. Cold storage.  Have the peonies on hand a week or two before you need them and keep them in water and cold storage.  We store flowers in our 500 square foot cooler at a chilly 34-36 degrees to keep them fresh for days.

Mother Nature does not always cooperate with our plans.  However, with a little planning, the problem with peonies can be minimized.

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Topics: weddings, Wedding flowers, Videos

Capturing the Essence of Winter with Flowers

Posted by Fri, Jan 04, 2013 @ 10:42 AM

Sarah Gillespie DyeWinter Sunrise on the Gillespie Homestead

It may sound funny, but some of my greatest inspiration comes to me while I am driving to work! As I drove into work this morning, I noticed the sun peeking over the snow covered branches of the trees. I thought to myself, “What a beautiful scene! I would like to capture this feeling in an arrangement.”
Winter wedding flowers bouquet
I found myself thinking about how to create the feel of winter with fresh cut flowers. I visualized the snow and imagined arrangements of flowers in shades of whites and creams, like a fresh and crisp snowfall.
I also pictured natural accents such as birch, pinecones (frosted are my favorite) and lotus pods, which reminds me of the barren landscape all around us. Even berries (Winterberry, seeded eucalyptus or hypericum) add a splash of color and/or texture that enhances the overall winter look. We offer several options in monochromatic arrangements for a variety of occasions. 
Winter bridal bouquet flowers   

 

 

 

 


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Topics: weddings

Top Fall Bridal Bouquet Favorites - Weddings

Posted by Tue, Oct 23, 2012 @ 02:24 PM

Sarah Gillespie Dye

 

Fall 2012 brought about the beauty in the season by way of autumn foliage, fall colors and of course gorgeous wedding flowers! Wedding Specialist Sarah describes a few of the wedding bouquets from the weekend and gives some solid advice regarding the best flowers to use during the cool autumn months.

 

Fall Bridal freesia thistle

 

Fall 2012, the Gillespie staff enjoyed designing a wedding with rich fall colors and textures.  I was especially thrilled with the bridal bouquet, which featured freesia, Lipstick roses, Eryngium, hypericum berry and carnations.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Bridal Freesia gerberas

 

The white freesia added a touch of white to blend with the bride’s gown.  More importantly, freesia adds a sweet, memorable fragrance.  Did you know that your sense of smell is linked to your memory?  I recommend that brides carry fresh, fragrant flowers to heighten their senses and to provide a lasting memory of their wedding day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Bridal with Lipstick Roses 

The Lipstick roses are a colorful addition to this bouquet.  This particular variety of rose features a bright yellow color with a deep red edge.  A popular choice during the late summer and fall, Lipstick is a unique addition to wedding bouquets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curly Willow Fall Bridal

 

 

Hypericum berry has been a fall favorite for the last several years.  Hypericum is available in several fall colors, including burgundy, which is featured in this bridal bouquet.  Hypericum adds a light fragrance and a beautiful texture.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunflower Hypericum berry fall bridal bouquete

 

Roses and Hypericum fall bridal bouquet

 

 Carnation faux Peony bridal bouquet

Carnations sometimes get a “bad rap” for being a common flower, but carnations are available in a wide palate of colors, as well as provide a unique texture of their own.  When grouped together, carnations take on a similar shape and texture to the peony (which is only available for a short time in the spring).  Although the fragrance of a peony cannot be duplicated, carnations have a light and pleasant scent of their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bridal bouquet thistle Eryngium

 

 

Eryngium, also known as thistle, is being used more often in wedding décor as a seasonal and textural accent.  The silvery, pale blue color lends itself to a variety of popular color schemes as well.  Pictured here are additional bridal bouquets featuring Eryngium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

blue wheat thistle bridal

 

Ready to start planning your dream Fall wedding? Click below to contact our wedding specialist!

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Check out some of our designs online with pictures and pricing!

WEDDING COLLECTION

 

Also, Check out our great Fall wedding video! 

Topics: weddings, Videos

A Baseball Wedding: Bridal and Bridesmaid Bouquets!

Posted by Wed, Oct 03, 2012 @ 11:00 AM

Della Gillespie mendenhallA few years back we had a wedding that was on a baseball field! We were excited and honored to be a part of that wedding and it was very popular because a local news station even came out to videotape the ceremony! To find out more about that wedding CLICK HERE! 

We recently had another baseball themed wedding and although this one was not on a baseball field it was more exciting (for us) than the last! 
We got to make bridesmaid bouquets look like baseballs! The couple is big Red Sox Fans and they wanted to incorporate baseball into the wedding without losing the tradition of a classic wedding. I think they made great choices!
 
Baseball bridesmaid bouquet
 

For the Bridesmaid bouquets: We actually took a bridal holder (which is a plastic handle with a small round cage that holds oasis) and designed a baseball out of white carnations and red mini-carnations. The bride wanted the bouquet to look like a hand-tied bouquet so we surrounded the handle with carnation stems then ribbon wrapped it like we would with hand-tied bouquet!

For the Bridal bouquet: We made a traditional hand-tied bouquet that was beautifully classic! We used lush red roses, lots of fragrant freesia, soft tree fern, salal leaves and it was tied off with delicate lace!

We are getting more and more themed weddings over the traditional classic wedding! When planning your wedding, think about what common interests you as a couple share! That may make a great theme for your wedding! Whatever you choose, we would love to be a part of your big day!
 
 rosefreesia

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Check out one of our favorite wedding videos!

Topics: weddings, Videos

Vintage Weddings

Posted by Tue, Jul 10, 2012 @ 12:16 PM

Sarah GillespieVintage is the latest buzzword in the Indianapolis bridal industry! I have met with dozens of brides this spring and summer who are getting married using a vintage theme.
These young ladies are following in the footsteps of their grandmothers, modeling vintage from head to toe! From Birdcage (net) veils, dainty hats and feathers to gorgeous gowns (often tea length) trimmed or overlaid in elegant lace, these brides are vintageVintage Bridal Bouquet
chic!

What type of flower bouquet would be appropriate for the vintage theme wedding? A round, clutch style bouquet, of course! Large flowers work best; fewer stems for less
bulk, but dramatic effect! Flowers of choice are garden roses, peonies, anemones, dahlias, cattleya or phalaenopsis orchids and gardenias. Vintage does not mean that you have to relinquish the right to your own personal style, however. Consider adding a splash of color or some “bling” to make your special day your own, without sacrificing the theme that you have established. To complete the look, add feathers, broaches, rhinestone pins, pearls, an heirloom handkerchief or heirloom wedding bands into the bouquet. These accents can give a stylish twist for the vintage chic bride of today.

Plan your Vintage Wedding today! Click below to contact our wedding Specialist!

 

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Topics: weddings

Glorious Glamillia!

Posted by Thu, Jul 05, 2012 @ 02:49 PM

Sarah GillespieMy sister and I are attending a workshop on advanced design techniques for wedding flowers. One of the common themes that I have noticed in wedding trends this year is the Boomerang effect of designs. Simply put, a design or style of the past is coming into fashion again. For those of you with parachute pants, I would not put them on quite yet, but who knows? Those pants could be the next big thing… again!Glamillia

First of all, I should probably explain what a Glamillia is! A Glamillia is made from multiple florets of gladiolus, which are carefully pulled apart and repositioned within a composite style bouquet. The end result is a unique looking, single bloom effect. The name is derived from the camellia, which is a large-headed, single bloom flower.

Composite Calla BouquetThe idea of composite style bouquets is not new. As a matter of fact, Glamillia bouquets were widely carried by brides in the 1960’s. Recently, I have noticed many brides are choosing to wear vintage wedding gowns on their wedding day. When the demand for vintage gowns increases, so does the demand for vintage style bridal bouquets. To that end, we designed a composite calla lily bouquet for a wedding last month (with the added effect of a rose and jeweled accents).

Composite type bouquets can be made of roses, tulips, gladiolus and calla lilies. The end result is a simple, yet elegant bouquet (or corsage) that is both stunning and (re) trend setting!

 

Topics: weddings, informational

"Beyond the Bouquet" Design Show - Part 2 - Prom Flowers

Posted by Fri, Mar 30, 2012 @ 06:16 PM

Della Gillespie Mendenhall  Della and SarahEveryone here at Gillespie’s loves to learn new things! As you can see in the picture, myself and Sarah sure do!Joyce Mason-Monheim Teleflora’s Indiana Unit hosted a design show called “ Beyond the Bouquet “ at Van’s Floral Products. Many of the Gillespie Employees went to this show and had a great time! The main focus of the show was actually on weddings but our teacher, Joyce Mason-Monheim also touched base on corsages that could work for Prom! So, We are doing a two part blog covering this great show. The first about Weddings and the second about Prom corsages and boutonnieres!Flower Necklace for Prom

Joyce offered up great ideas for corsages but also alternatives to corsages, like this necklace pictured here! This is a handmade necklace Joyce created out of wire, beading, orchids and a gardenia.  Funky Prom CorsageA necklace can be made for you to match your prom dress perfectly! If you already have a necklace but it needs a little something, You could bring it in and see if we can add flowers to it for you! We have tiaras you could add flowers to also, like the one pictured here.

Corsages don’t have to be just another Mother’s Day orchid. Joyce encouraged us to think outside the box by using flowers not typically seen in Prom corsages. Of course, the bling is important too!

Joyce made us tons of corsages and boutonnieres for us to look at and I want to share them with you so enjoy some pictures and this video of both the wedding flowers and Prom Flowers! Enjoy!



Blue Prom corsageProm corsage streamers

Topics: weddings, Seasonal, Prom flowers

"Beyond the Bouquet" Design Show - Part 1 - Weddings

Posted by Thu, Mar 22, 2012 @ 04:33 PM

Sarah Gillespie fresh flower purseNothing like gathering a group of floral designers together for some inspiration!

I recently attended a floral design show highlighting trends in wedding and special event designs. After several successful Super Bowl events in February and the upcoming wedding rush, I felt that I could use a jump start into spring with some fresh new ideas!

As expected, the show did not disappoint! Collectively, it was decided that anything goes as far as color trends these days. It was mentioned that in tough economic times, consumers decorate in blues, greens and purples for comfort funky bridesmaid bouquet blueand calming effects, which has certainly been the color trend for the last few years. In the past twelve months, the trend is decidedly moving towards “nude” or “skin” tones, pushing the color palate to the warmer tones of peach, ivory, mocha and gold. This change could be signaling the end of the economic oppression felt by many consumers since 2009.Orange Calla Bridal unique

I particularly enjoyed the newest “bling” that has been introduced this year! Exiting baubles, beads, wire, rhinestones and buckles are sure to dazzle any bride to be. And let’s be fair- brides don’t get to have all the fun anymore. Prom décor can be dazzled with these creative additions, too!

Composite style bouquets are becoming more popular. This process takes a regular bloom of a focal flower (i.e. a rose) and making a larger impact by adding the individual petals of additional roses all around the central rose bloom. The final product is stunning!

Birds nest bridalAnother trend that is becoming more widely accepted is the use of fresh and permanent botanicals together to create luscious designs. The benefits of this new “marriage” are: keepsake items after your event, perfect color matching (especially shades of blue and purple), no seasonal constraints (peony, magnolia, forsythia) and no shipping constraints due to damage (lily of the valley, gardenia). The bouquets were masterfully designed in such a way that even the trained eye could not see the difference between fresh and permanent within the bouquet.

As the wedding season reaches its peak, it will be interesting to see if the color trends that are forecasted will indeed take the spotlight!

multi layered rose

yellow and white calla bridal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Gerbera BridalRhinestone Bridal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready to plan your unqiue wedding? Contact our Wedding Specialist!

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Watch For Part 2 of "Beyond the Bouquet" where we will show you great Prom ideas!!

Topics: weddings, informational

Local Wedding Trends: The Color Purple

Posted by Fri, Jan 27, 2012 @ 02:28 PM

Sarah GillespieSince September of 2011, I have seen a huge increase in the number of weddings featuring dark purple (often referred to as Lapis or Regency purple). In the world of flowers, there are not as many natural choices in this shade as compared to other colors (yellow, pink, white).

Purple and white bridal bouquet

However, with a little creativity, we have come up with some beautiful options for all of our “purple” brides to be!

 

Flowers that grow naturally in shades of deep purple include: Calla lily, carnations, stock, larkspur, gladiolus, statice, limonium, safora, liatris, dendrobium orchid, iris, hybrid delphinium and tulips. Not all of these options are cost effective or appropriate for all types of wedding styles. Therefore, it is necessary to get creative with how we design with the color palette to make a beautiful presentation.

Consider Designs using purple as the focal point.

lavender blue and white bridal bouquetSince purple is a dark color, it is often more balanced to use a lighter, contrasting color to supplement the deeper, more focal color. I would suggest using deep purple with softer shades of ivory/white, pale green, pale pink or lavender to create a design that highlights your thematic color choice, but does not overbear the design.

Add in purple embellishments.

Using jeweled pins in the center of contrasting colored flower blooms is a fun way to sprinkle your themed color throughout your bouquet. Another option is to use ribbon accents in your bouquet. This can be in the form of ribbon loops, bows or streaming ribbons. For the more adventurous bride, consider using feathers or tufts of tulle to create a little flair within your bouquet.Fresh and silk bridal bouquet

 

Incorporate artificial flowers into your fresh flower design.

This may seem a little odd at first, but if Mother Nature does not provide what your heart desires, skillful hands probably can! Last year, one of our brides wanted to incorporate purple anemone into her bridal bouquet during a season in which the anemone is off-crop. Her wish was our command! Beautiful artificial anemone is shown here in this stunning bouquet of fresh cut blooms!

 Ready to design your dream wedding flowers? Click Below to contact our Wedding Specialist!

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Topics: weddings

Is There A Wedding Season?

Posted by Fri, Jan 06, 2012 @ 01:12 PM

Sarah GillespieWedding Season

It seems funny to think that weddings have a season, but just like everything else in life, there is a constant ebb and flow.

It has been fairly quiet on the wedding front since Thanksgiving, which is typical. That’s not to say that we didn’t have beautiful weddings taking place, because we did!

New Years Bridal bouquet

This stunning bridal bouquet was carried for a New Year’s Eve wedding ceremony (how romantic)!

However, since Christmas, I have talked to more brides in less than two weeks than I have in nearly two months! What causes this sudden upswing in wedding flower shopping? Engagements, of course! Many couples get engaged during the holiday season and Valentine’s Day. For the next several months, I will be meeting with brides to start the initial planning and budgeting for their wedding flowers.

As we turn our calendars past February, brides will be finalizing their wedding plans for summer weddings. We service weddings year round, however our most popular months are March through October. This is what I have dubbed “wedding season” at our shop!

My schedule changes to reflect the needs of our brides, insuring that I am here when they need me! 

Planning a wedding? Email me for more information or to set up a consultation at:

weddings@gillespieflorists.com

 

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Topics: weddings, Wedding flowers