These Flowers Last Longer Than Some Marriages

It’s that glorious time of the year when the appearance of real flowers in the garden are the sign that spring is actually here.  This association between the emergence of   beautiful blooms and the reappearance of beautiful weather is certainly a connection that contributes to our love of spring flowers.  When I rode the city bus to work, it was not uncommon to see, at this time of year, fellow commuters taking to work bouquets of peonies or tulips or lilacs that they grew themselves. These are truly beautiful gifts of nature.

It was also not uncommon to visit an office or waiting room and see these bouquets in a clear glass vase of yellowing water, the stems limp and bent, the petals browning and decrepit. Their beauty was short-lived and their condition after three or four days was more of an eyesore than it was a highlight of the room. Still, there they sat, a cherished relic of earlier beauty. Such is our attachment to flowers.

I doubt their fleeting splendor is the main reason we so enjoy a floral display. Mostly, I think, it is because flowers are just beautiful. The combination of subtle coloring, delicate texture and intricate composition make them an incomparable natural object that touches us at an emotional level. We try to replicate these qualities with artificial flowers, but that may be an impossible task. Yet many faux blooms are approaching the threshold of deceiving the senses. When these high quality replicas are artfully arranged, I believe they are able to elicit an appreciative response and, therefore, they can make a meaningful contribution to our environment. 

This has been my goal: develop decorative faux floral elements that contribute beauty to a space, whether a home, private office or public area in a business suite. I’ve deliberately avoided the traditionally commercial spheres of weddings and funerals. However, I have recently developed some compositions that could work for a wedding and, in most cases, would then be adaptable for other uses. I have only one arrangement exclusively suitable for a wedding. It is large and white and would be used to enhance a reception tableau. A venue might keep such an arrangement on hand to offer as a perk or rental. With costs always creeping upwards, it would be cost-effective for reception venues to have an inventory of quality artificial arrangements. These could be made available, at a nominal cost, to contribute to a festive atmosphere at the reception and dance without breaking the bride’s budget and still allowing her to coordinate her bouquets and ceremony flowers.

I want to thank the Blaisdell Manor for making their lovely Georgian mansion available to Flower Design as a setting to showcase some recent compositions and the contribution they can make to a wedding reception. You will also notice I engaged a professional photographer, Noah Wolf. My husband, Bob, did not trust his marginal photographic skills to do this photo op justice.

I have to include this telling anecdote. We delivered the arrangements to the Manor the night before the shoot so time would not be wasted when the photographer showed up the next day. Some venue staff was on hand to help out: setting up tables, providing linens, holding doors open as we brought in the arrangements…in general, being very thoughtful and helpful. They understandably left the handling of the flowers up to us. When we were finished for the evening and preparing to leave, one of the staff suggested that the air conditioning be turned on so the flowers wouldn’t wilt. We explained that wouldn’t be necessary. So, let’s look at the arrangements.

This is the entrance to the Blaisdell Manor. While an arrangement of flowers is always a lovely
embellishment, in a large area, a single arrangement can appear lonely and dominated by the space.
With several arrangements, a warm, welcoming ambience is created.

The wine bar is flanked by compositions of
stock, hydrangeas and irises. We'll see
another use for these arrangements in a
subsequent posting.

The Blaisdell Manor is rife with amenities.
Here is a little wet bar tucked away
on the second floor.

This array of white Casablanca lilies, white callas and
white ranunculus dress up the table where the cake will be served.
An arrangement like this could be kept by the venue and made available for any occasion at a nominal price. Such a strategy benefits everyone.