The Petal Press

Posted in: on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at at 3:21 PM 0 comments  

There are so many ways to guide your guests to the right location when they come to your wedding or reception. This sign was made for Bena and Ed to make sure their guests knew exactly where to be on their special day. The idea that originally came from Liz Guthrie ,their coordinator, was then brought to life by Quyen Murphy and embellished by Haute Horticulture. The bold purple print and coppery red flowers were hard to miss! See for yourself.

Posted in: on Friday, September 4, 2009 at at 11:22 PM 0 comments  

This week's feature bouquet is from the Ireland Meets Italy Wedding in May. Terry Way took this stunning photo of the bride holding her bouquet of sweet pea, lisianthus, beautiful swan garden roses, bells of Ireland, and lily of the valley. Every flower had a special meaning to Catherine and even the pearl bracelet in the photo has a story behind it.

Posted in: on Sunday, August 16, 2009 at at 8:51 AM 0 comments  

Failte!

The photos from the Ireland Meets Italy wedding are now on the Haute Horticulture website! Being Irish myself, I get a little misty eyed thinking about the bagpiper as he played in front of Catherine down the wedding aisle and then played the couple out of St. Mary's together. Then the entire crowd of 150 guests followed the piper through Los Gatos to a cozy park for pre-cocktail refreshments! This wedding had it all: perfect weather, a happy couple, beautiful scenery, great food and spirits at Testarossa Winery, and (one of my favorite things) a candy buffet. It was non-stop photo ops for everyone involved!

Thank you to Catherine and Dan for allowing me to share these photos with the world. Thank you also to Terry Way for capturing the emotion of every moment. www.terryway.com

To view the entire slidewhow click here:

IrelandMeetsItaly

Posted in: on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at at 9:29 AM 0 comments  

Posted in: on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at at 8:35 PM 0 comments  

Posted in: Haute Clients and Events on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at at 9:56 AM 0 comments  

Posted in: Behind the Scenes on at at 9:18 AM 0 comments  

It's no secret that I love candy. Perhaps that is why I use it in floral designs and inspiration boards all the time. Love, like candy and flowers, is sweet! I think candy buffets, soda stations, chocolate tasting tables, and all the like are fabulous additions to any wedding or reception. I noticed at a recent wedding that the candy buffet we set up was most appreciated at the end of the night. It kept dancing guests energized and gave them something to snack on after the food was no longer available. Of course, nothing is better that well made wedding cake, but these additional sweets will only enhance any celebration!

That said, I offer a sweet centerpiece that is a bit unique. As a designer I am constantly trying new shapes, sizes, and mediums. The dahlias and rose petals look a bit lamp-like with a candy lemon drop filled acrylic post. This would be funky for a cocktail area especially if I decided to light them from within. Enjoy!

Posted in: Inspiration Boards on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at at 8:11 AM 0 comments  

Posted in: Bouquets, In Season on Monday, August 3, 2009 at at 9:23 PM 0 comments  

Posted in: on Sunday, July 26, 2009 at at 8:59 PM 1 comments  

As promised I have a small inspiration board for the golden garden roses in the bouquet of the week. I used the same variety on a metal fashion form and the results are as sweet and feminine as the roses themselves. I wish garden roses were a little more hearty so I could use them in abundance for brides, but their delicate nature is part of the allure and rarity that makes them so very special.

Posted in: Inspiration Boards on at at 12:07 AM 0 comments  

I am not ashamed that roses were on the top of my favorite wedding flower list when I first started planning my own event. And why not? They are available most of the year, have a great fragrance, and are beautiful yet inexpensive. What is most amazing about roses is the huge variety that is in the world today and how every color, texture, and size is unique. Today's bi-weekly feature is made with local golden yellow roses, freesia, stock, and a personal favorite; garden roses. These delicate beauties are packed with petals and when I work with them I wonder, "Is this what heaven smells like?". Enjoy the bouquet that is as fragrant as it it lovely! A matching golden rose inspiration board is in the works for this coming week...

Posted in: Bouquets on Friday, July 24, 2009 at at 10:17 PM 0 comments  

Keiko Okada was a featured florist at this year's AIFD conference and show in Kansas City. She was able to stop by San Francisco and to our humble school auditorium for a Sunday morning demonstration of her work and her style. She is Cheif Designer at the Mami Flower Design School of Japan. My attitude towards floral art will forever be changed by this amazing experience. I am so grateful that my friend Monica was generous enough to give me a ticket to the show.
Keiko uses all natural objects as mechanics, often splitting bamboo and other harder materials to create a natural and minimalist design that still commands a large presence. Here are some photos of the show. I am so inspired! I hope you are too.

Above, a tree is split and placed in a vessel of water with no other mechanic to hold it upright.

Here Keiko is using unopened chopsticks to extend the sides of a glass vase.

This is one of my favorites; a floating island of wildflowers that spins in the water if you touch it.

This is also so simple in its beauty, a vessel that is entirely interlocking parts and reminiscent of a boat.

Posted in: School on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at at 11:38 PM 0 comments  

I could just eat this beautiful and nearly 4 foot fruit and flower topiary that was made this week in my studio. This giant cone is composed of ball and informal dahlias, roses, clementine oranges, ranier cherries, a few alstomeria, palm tree berries, pom pon mums, and some boxwood. The form was handmade "old school" style from chicken wire. If I wanted to be truly traditional I would have simply packed it with moss as well. I love topiaries (especially live plant topiaries) almost as much as wreaths! Enjoy the bounty of summer in the colors of fall. Autumn is not too far away!

Posted in: on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at at 6:52 PM 1 comments  

Posted in: Gifts, In Season on Monday, July 13, 2009 at at 8:55 PM 0 comments  

Lantana is such an interesting plant with an even more fascinating flower. It's all over California in suburban yards but is new to me because I am not a native to the area. The large flowers actually consist of many tiny flowers clustered together in intricate and unique patterns. My son and I are both in love with the Lantana bushes in our backyard and I wanted to share a photo of the vibrant pink, orange, and yellow blooms.

Posted in: The Garden on at at 9:25 AM 0 comments  

Our Bi-weekly feature goes asymmetrical with this pink ginger bouquet. It's different, but I had to try it after being inspired by a Spring wedding magazine photo. For an accent I used a dash of fiddle head fern and a matching chocolate ribbon. Ginger is fragrant, hearty, and unique for the bride that is looking for a stand out bouquet for herself or her bridesmaids. Ginger will also work well in a tropical themed wedding. Enjoy!

Posted in: Bouquets on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at at 4:13 PM 0 comments  

About Wink:

Wink Photography’s distinctive style is fresh and modern with a trace of Nostalgia. Emphasis is put on creating genuine images that tell your unique story. My philosophy is simple…capture moments that matter!

http://www.winkphotography.net

And Linda does just that. She is a Santa Cruz resident with a super chef for a husband and a love for cats that makes me proud. Linda is down to earth and easygoing, but still hyper focused on her work. How does she do it? To find out give her a call for anything from maternity shots to head shots, family portraits, and of course weddings and events.

Thank you Linda for making the world a better place with your work and my website full of fabulous floralscapes!

Posted in: Vendors on Friday, July 10, 2009 at at 10:55 AM 0 comments  

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Posted in: on at at 1:23 AM 0 comments  

It is no secret that I love wreaths. I don't know why, but I feel that they can be used in so many forms to decorate uniquely. This week I arranged a ring of hydrangea, lavender, a few roses, and dahlias to create this lovely table wreath. In the center is a cloche glass dome with a single dahlia bloom on a glass stand. It rises above the wreath and can be used as a table center or multipurpose decoration after the wreaths are taken down from a church door or gate. This economy makes double uses for flower a must and I love coming up with creative ways to do just that. Enjoy the Ring Around the Table inspiration boards!

-Karin

Posted in: on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at at 8:45 AM 0 comments  

This week's feature bouquet is made almost entirely of popcorn hydrangea. I was at the market and couldn't resist the impulse purchase because popcorn hydrangea are extremely seasonal flowers available for a couple of glorious weeks in June. Sprigs of lavender were used to compliment the fun purple popcorn blooms. This was probably the most calming bouquet I have ever made thanks to the lavender. It was a strong fragrance, but could prove very useful for a stressed bride!

Posted in: Bouquets, In Season on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at at 8:02 AM 0 comments  

The other day I had the pleasure of visiting my friends at Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos. Molly and Leigh will take good care of you should you decide to have an event there or just go for a tasting from 11am-5pm. I will soon be posting the professional photos that took place at Testarossa in May. The already lovely and ecstatic bride and groom are enhanced even more by the rustic backgrounds outdoors at TW.

In the meantime I offer a sample of the wine and cheese colored arrangement that was inspired by the winery. The flowers that compliment and flow from the copper urn include: dahlias, pincushion protea, mini callas, super green roses, green celosia, and a few stems of dendrobium orchids.

Cheers!

Posted in: Gifts, Vendors on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at at 5:31 PM 0 comments  

Posted in: Haute Clients and Events, Vendors on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at at 10:11 AM 0 comments  

Above is a small collage from a recent wedding collaboration with San Jose Wedding Consultants. It was inspired by the ocean and very modern compared to our last blue wedding. What amazes me the most is how every event is unique and how every bride's interpretation of her special day translates through the decor. This wedding had over a hundred of gallons of blue water to move around, but in the end the effects were worth the hard work. Thanks are owed to Monica, Sean, Eric, Amy, and Amber for helping. We couldn't have done it without you!

Posted in: Haute Clients and Events on at at 7:49 AM 0 comments  

Or bi-weekly featured bouquet is a rarity in the floral industry. For two weeks out of the year peonies come in an unusual color and size. These beauties start out a bright melon color the size of a balled fist and end up a peachy delight that is the size of a large grapefruit. When making this bouquet I had to use them in their unopened state or the flowers would have been too large to hold. The peonies seem to posses a secret in this unassuming bunch. After it was untied and placed in water the secret was revealed and their size tripled!

Posted in: Bouquets, In Season on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at at 11:27 PM 0 comments  

After Monica and I created a sample for a client, Sean St.Cin (who has photographed numerous HH occasions) and I were able to capture come great images of a single wreath on a shepherd's hook. The concept was that there would be several of these placed on the wedding aisle that would later be used for centerpieces. We also had some leftover rose petals and decided to make the "H" for Haute Horticulture. Despite the wind the "H" stayed intact, but I wouldn't recommend an outdoor grass monogram unless the wind is very light on a wedding day!

Posted in: Wreaths on at at 8:11 AM 0 comments  

Last Monday was my first time visiting the campus of Menlo College. This was the location for this year's Menlo School graduation banquet in honor of all the 140 high school graduates and their families. Haute Horticulture was asked to provide the centerpieces for this large event and I thoroughly enjoyed working in tandem with Cathy Chen (Dean of the Senior Class), the parent volunteers, and the amazing Monica Kau to get this party full of flowers!

The centerpieces were divided into two designs. The first was a composite made up of 5 cobalt glass cubes with golden flowers on top. This reflected the gold and blue Menlo school colors. The second design was the Menlo "M" logo made completely of blue dyed roses and yellow carnations in a circular dish. It looked pretty wild from above!

My favorite design, however, was a bit unusual and adorned the welcome table as students came into the entrance of the gym. I had created a canvas with flowers that read, "09" and a paint can filled with blue rose petals as to appear that the flower canvas was painted with petals. I also made another composite arrangement connected with lily grass and full of movement.

All in all it was both fun, easy, and rewarding to work for Menlo and I look forward to a future relationship with the school. I must also thank Kathy Goodman from Well Rehearsed for suggesting Haute Horticulture for this unusual decor.

Enjoy the photos full of school spirit!
Give me an "M"!

-Karin

Posted in: Haute Clients and Events on Friday, June 12, 2009 at at 8:39 AM 0 comments