Tulips via Flickr

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Tulips

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Tulips via Flickr

Tulips via Flickr

 

Popular in home gardens worldwide, the tulip is an essential asset to many floral design recipes. Known for its wide range of colors, bright bulbs and symbolic value, the tulip flower is a fan favorite.  In fact, tulips are the 3rd most popular flower in the world.

There are over 75 species of tulips, such as the Dutch tulip and parrot tulip.  Tulips are available in a variety of shapes, dimensions and colors, making them extremely versatile.

 

 

Tulips were first recorded growing in the Ottoman Empire. The word tulip comes from the Turkish word for turban, due to its tall, round shape. Today, many recognize the tulip as the emblem of Holland. When roaming the streets of the Netherlands, beloved tulips play a significant role in the nation’s cultural traditions and are loved by locals and tourists alike. Tulips were first brought to the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. Flemish botanist Carolus Clusius wrote a book about tulips in 1592 and they suddenly became so popular that his garden was raided and bulbs were stolen regularly! As the years went by, the Dutch became so fanatically obsessed with tulips that bulbs became immensely expensive.  Tulipmania, the name now given for this curious enthusiasm for tulips, peaked in 1637 and is considered the first example of an “economic bubble.”  Buying one tulip bulb at that time would have cost you 10 times the average national income.
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Lavender Flowers via Better Home & Garden

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Lavender

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Lavender Flowers via Gardenia

Lavender Flowers via Gardenia

 

Adored for centuries for their unforgettable color and luminous beauty, the Lavender Flower is easy to recognize and easy to love.  Not only is lavender beautiful, its  also used worldwide for its medicinal properties and calming fragrance. Symbolically, lavender has traditionally been used in weddings to represent love, devotion, and tranquility.

The word lavdnder is believed to come from the Latin term lividus, which implies association with the French word lavande meaning “to wash,” as lavender was often used to bathe and wash clothing.

 

The color of lavender is spiritually symbolic, as purple represents the crown chakra ,  the highest vibration in the spiritual body. It is said that by increasing our body’s vibrations, we can relieve pain, and hasten recovery Lavender is commonly used in aromatherapy and has been known to help heal minor injuries, headaches, cuts, and burns. Placing lavender under your pillow at night has been known to help with stress and insomnia.
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Dahlia at Lalbagh Flower Show via Wikipedia

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Dahlias

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Purple Dahlia Bouquet via Deer Pearl Flowers

Purple Dahlia Bouquet via Deer Pearl Flowers

 

Full-bodied and bright, dahlias are all about the drama. While you may think  you’ve seen one dahlia, you’ve seen them all, the term ‘dahlia’ actually applies to 42 species and over two thousand sub-varieties and hybrids. From the exotic Firework dahlia, whose petals stand strong and stoic, to the Bitsy dahlia, whose inner petals cloak their center and softly extend outward layer after layer, the endless variations in size, color, and texture are mind-blowing.

 

Why so many blooms under one umbrella?  It all began in 1789, when botanical explorers traveled to Mexico and collected dahlias from their native land.  The original Mexican dahlia spread about 2 inches across with a single set of petals and a central disk or head, similar to a sunflower.  The species was transported to Madrid, where horticultural growers discovered dahlias to be natural and eager hybridizers, and soon dahlias were readily adopting many different colors and sizes.
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Anemones / Kristen & Dave / New York Botanical Gardens / Chad David Kraus Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Anemones

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These charming, vibrant blooms with their signature black center derive their name from the same Greek word meaning “the wind’s daughter.”

Anemones / Kristen & Dave / New York Botanical Gardens / Chad David Kraus Photography

Anemones / Kristen & Dave / New York Botanical Garden / Chad David Kraus Photography

 

Anemones open in the day and close up at night, a unique trait that played a symbolic role in the Greek myth of Aphrodite and her lover Adonis, a mortal.  The story goes that the two lovers would go hunting together in the woods, Adonis chasing game on foot and Aphrodite trailing behind him in her swan-driven chariot. Aphrodite’s ex-lover Aries soon grew jealous of their bond, and while Adonis was out hunting alone, his rival disguised himself as a boar and brutally attacked Adonis with his tusks.  While Adonis fought for his life, he was no match for a god and fell to his death on the forest floor.
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Alexandra & Jason / Tribeca Rooftop / Natural Expressions Photography

Planning & Inspiration

The Best Blooms for Winter Weddings

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Alexandra & Jason / Tribeca Rooftop / Natural Expressions Photography

Alexandra & Jason / Tribeca Rooftop / Natural Expressions Photography

 

When we think of winter wedding flowers, we often jump to an all-white color scheme, while in fact there is a wide range of flowers in many colors available in winter to suit any floral design vision.  Amaryllis, Anemones, Orchids, Hydrangeas, and Peonies are some of the most popular winter blooms, as well as many varieties of Roses.

Even if you’re committed to an all-white winter wedding, mixing and matching shades of white can make for a stunning array of tones, textures and shapes, from antique ivories to soft creams to classic white-as-snow.  Silvery accents of Dusty Miller or Silver Brunia make for beautiful finishes for a monochrome winter wonderland look.
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Sweetheart Roses via Deviant Art

Planning & Inspiration

A Rose By Any Other Name

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With their versatility, deep-rooted symbolism and timeless appeal, roses are the perfect emblem of love to grace any wedding décor.  Our obsession with roses dates back to Ancient Rome, when roses were used to symbolize devotion to Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and desire.  The rose is the official flower of the United States, the United Kingdom, and even New York.  Fossil evidence teaches us roses are over 35 million years old, with 150 species naturally growing across the Northern Hemisphere.  It wasn’t until the late eighteenth century that we began to breed roses and create thousands of hybrids in a wide range of colors and shapes.
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