How to make your own natural floral crown

Hello and happy Saturday! I just read this beautiful how to this morning on how to make your own head wreath using natural flowers on the Etsy wedding blog. It was so lovely I just have to share it with you. Learn how to here! Enjoy! -hil

The beautiful photo above is by Brittany Watson Jepsen and Amanda Thomsen via the Etsy wedding blog.

Why I love Ginestra (and so should you)

Yesterday at the flower shop I was processing a new shipment and in it I found (oh joy!) Ginestra! Ginestra  is what we call a filler flower; it's never the star of the show but it does a great job next to big poms or roses in helping to make a bouquet look full. The flowers come in many different colors: yellow, pink, white, lavender, and even orange. They are arranged as many tiny buds on green wispy stalks and have a fresh, weedy elegance to them. But by far the best thing about this flower is its scent. Whereas many flowers you buy in a shop today don't have any scent to speak of anymore, Ginestra smells like a million miles of honeysuckle on your favorite summer day. It's perfume is so strong and rich and pretty...just put a bouquet of it in your home and you'll find yourself catching a wonderful wiff every time you walk by.

delightfully engaged

You may be wondering about now why, with all this talk of it's wonder, Ginestra isn't the filler of choice for most florists. I will tell you: it's expensive. Ginestra is imported from the hills of Italy, which accounts for most of the price-hike. Also, babies breath is dirt cheap and the most well-known filler flower, though I have yet to find a florist who thinks very highly of it. (note: if you're looking for a nice filler that's not as expensive, go with wax flower. It doesn't smell, but it's beautiful and comes in a small variety of colors).
I did find a great blog on a gorgeous bouquet you can make yourself using Ginestra. You can find all the details for this lovely arrangement at Delightfully Engaged. They formulated this particular bunch with Sweet Peas (so pretty!), Ranunculus, Dusty Miller, and Rice Flower. It is absolutely to die for, and the how-to is straight forward and easy to follow. I hope you enjoy making it, or at least using the great tips it shares, and if you're ever in a flower shop (or the italian countryside) keep an eye out for Ginestra. You may grow to love it just as much as me. -Hil

How To: plant a terrarium

For years I've been steadily accumulating glass containers with the intention of planting terrariums in them and yesterday, with the wonderful weather and just a little extra time between jobs, I finally did. I've been reading up on them and gathering plants, moss, and soil for about a week now. A couple of years ago my mom gave me the book The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin and Kindra Clineff. I thought it was cool but never took the time to read it...until last week. The book gives a very thorough explanation of terrariums: the first one accidentally created by a fern in a bottle, Wardian cases, open containers, etc. The best part is the great resource of case studies in the back, though. It tells you how to plant your own terrarium and beyond that gives a break down of the different environments and types of plants acceptable for use in them. It also lets you know the preferable supplies you'll need to plant each one. On top of that they list many greenhouses and nursuries from which to obtain supplies. With all this under my belt, I set off to plant my first terrarium. Read on for the visual how-to after the jump!

How To: plant a bulb garden

Spring will soon, well, spring, and at work we've begun to get a lot of orders in for bulb gardens. Bulb gardens are little baskets or planters featuring spring bulb plants like Hyacinth, Tulips, and Daffodils. This may just be my extreme bias towards spring flowers talking, but they're adorable. And as an added bonus, they're fun to make! That's why I put together a brief demonstration from a basket I assembled at work. View the visual how-to after the jump!

a note on florists and buying flowers.

an original arrangement from Sprout Home

Whether you like it or not, Valentine's Day is fast approaching. And despite myself I am longing for some flowers. I used to pretend I didn't want anything special on February 14; my practical side reminded me that flowers get marked up because of the high demand. It was all a sham, though, and now that I have such a wonderful person to celebrate with, I am putting away all pretenses: bring me a bouquet!
Now, ordering flowers can seem a bit daunting. Sure, you can go to your local grocery store and pick up something pre-done (and they're not half bad!) but come February, the prices on those blooms will be going through the roof, whereas the prices at your local florist might stay the same or allow a little bargaining. I'm here to give you the insider scoop today on how to get something special for your someone special without putting a hole in your wallet. Tips and tricks after the jump!

Artisans in our Backyard: Becky Maglich is a Gardener extraordinaire.

Becky with her basket: ready for the harvest.

Last Friday morning I had the unique pleasure of visiting Becky Maglich in her garden. Becky and her family live a few blocks away from us. They were the couple with whom we did our premarital counseling, and her husband Jeff officiated our wedding. I wanted to do a segment on gardening because I feel it takes a lot of imagination to garden and it also brings creative fulfillment to many people, especially in the way that you get to see the fruits of your labors and enjoy them. Unfortunately, our small garden consists merely of four tomato plants in a bucket right now, and they are just starting to produce since groundhogs mowed them down all summer. I needed to call in a ringer; someone with a true green thumb and a joy of gardening. That person was Becky.


More about the beautiful Maglich garden after the jump!