Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2011 Christmas Flowers by Artistry in Bloom Victoria BC

      What are you searching for this Christmas?

                                           
                                         Something cute?

                                                        Something traditional?

 Something yummy?


 Something relaxing?


Something exotic?

Something romantic?

                                                    or


Something natural,local,and eco-friendly like our featured design of local greenery,berries,and roses in a reusable  garden urn.
If you are looking for a Christmas gift for pick up or delivery in greater Victoria you can find these and much more in the Holiday section of our website - http://www.flowerartisan.com/

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas !

                                                                         




                


                    
















Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fabulous Fall Flowers in Victoria BC by Artistry in Bloom

 Viburnum berries, China Berries, Kale,                             Died red sunflowers and orange roses.
and black peppers.




Autumn's bountiful harvest is reflected in flower arrangements as berries, kale, peppers,grasses, sedum, twigs, and coloured leaves become an integral part of the design.
Earth toned chrysanthemums are a well known fall flower but craspedia, pods, celosia, echinacia, and many other unusual flowers provide tecture for fall flower arrangements.


Summer sunlight turns into the crisp light of fall and that brilliance is reflected in the bold orange, yellow,gold, and rust toned flowers that take center stage for the few short months of autumn before winter brings it's own set of unique and wonderful flowers to discover.



Friday, August 5, 2011

A last minute summer wedding in Victoria BC by Artistry in Bloom




Yesterday I did a small last minute wedding.

The bride had decided she wouldn't have
flowers at her wedding and just carry Peacock feathers.

Her mother wanted a more traditional wedding so she decided to buy the wedding flowers as a gift.

Special flowers and colours are usually pre-ordered a month ahead of time so with only a week's notice it was a bit of a challenge to find the right purple and red tones the mother requested.

If you are going to do a last minute wedding summer is the best time.

I was able to use some flowers from the garden center like deep red geraniums, purple verbena, purple heliotrope, and Aloha Lily to complement the more traditional flowers.
When the mother arrived to pick up the flowers she was tickled to see the peacock feather I had attached to the front of the vase for the ceremony flowers.

It was a beautiful day with a beautiful waterfront location for the wedding and I hope the flowers added a special touch above and beyond the peacock feathers.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

2011 Mother's Day Flowers-Victoria BC-Heart of the Home Floral Designs

Mom is the heart of the home so for this year I decided to incorporate a home and garden theme for my Mother's Day Floral Designs.


In many cases I have used household items for containers such as wine goblets,Chintz bowls,teacup sets,teapots, jugs, herb pots or garden urns just to name a few.Mom will have a keepsake she can use again and remember your Mother's Day gift throughout the year.



I will also have a wide range of other vases and containers to appeal to all ages ranging from the popular funky shoes and chemistry beakers for young moms to modern stream lined glass vases to painted baskets for grandmothers.


Mothers do so much for their children no matter what age their children are. Show her how much you appreciate her caring help, guidance, and love with something special just for her.

The Mother's Day selections can be found in the "Holiday and Monthly" section on my website http://www.flowerartisan.com/


Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Fine Art Of Custom Floral Design- Artistry in Bloom-Victoria BC

Custom floral designs are challenging and fun to do. Most often they do involve a fair amount of research and pre-planning and are a little more expensive because of the time involved in creating a floral work of art. However, if you have an important event or occasion most florists will be happy to create that exclusive one of a kind design just for you.

I often do custom designs. They may be for a special event in someone's life, a store opening, home show presentation,magazine layout,or a "just because" gift to surprise someone with something that has meaning only for them.

This design was done for The Bay Department Store's Mother's Day Tea where I was one of five designers asked to create a floral design reflecting the style and ingredients of a specific perfume.
My perfume was J'adore by Dior. The other designers had two months to work on their designs but I was asked to step in at the last minute with only one week to source out the flowers and create the design.

These are a few examples of the many custom designs I have done over the years:




The boyfriend drove three hours to bring me this Betty Boop Jumbo Pez container that he wanted me to use for his girlfriend's Valentine flowers.










This bridal bouquet reflects the size and style of an umbrella symbolizing the union and protection of marriage.


A grand oversized arrangement for the opening of a new business reflecting the styles and colours of the business.



This bridal bouquet was designed for Perfect Wedding Magazine's "Bling" issue and has pearls and crystals throughout with a crystal butterfly in a hand made opalescent pearl covered holder.
Next time you want something truly special and unique just ask your florist. Assuming you have allowed enough time to accommodate a custom order I am sure they will be more than happy to do a one of a kind design just for you. Keep in mind that if you want specific flowers and specific colours they often have to be pre ordered a week or two in advance especially when you live on an island like we do.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Dozen ways to send roses for Valentine's Day or any day-Victoria BC-Artistry in Bloom

With Valentines approaching my thoughts turn to roses which are the most desirable flower for Valentine's Day. Unlike many flowers roses are available year round and are appropriate for any occassion.
Next time you send roses to the one you love why not think outside the box?

The tradition of sending roses either in a ribbon wrapped box or wrapped in floral wrap is giving way to sending a designed arrangement that doesn't require the recipient to do anything other than enjoy the roses.

 It's all done for them- no more searching for a vase and the frustration of trying to make the roses look like they were professionally arranged.

There are interesting designs to suit all ages, styles, and budgets.

I have chosen just a dozen ways to show you the diversity of what is current in the world of floral design but there are countless ways to display beautiful roses ranging from a single rose to a luxuriant lush arrangement.

 Red roses are often sent on Valentines but there are many new colours to choose from including roses with one colour on the front of the petals and another on the back. There are also striped roses and petals that are fringed with different colours.

Natural colours range from white to green to a deep red rose called Black Baccara and almost everything in between. Black Baccara is verging on Black velvet but not quite there yet.

Blue or deep purple roses are so far only available in dyed roses although growers have been trying for years to develop a blue rose and some are getting pretty close.

 If you do want a specific novelty rose you should order it several weeks in advance but if you just want to try something different there is  almost always a few unique roses to choose from other then the standard one coloured rose.

You will notice there is quite a range in price for roses. Many roses are grown in Columbia under unhealthy conditions for the workers caused by the over use of chemicals.Most of these workers are not provided with medical assistance for the illnesses they get on the job and are very poorly paid. Columbian roses are typically the roses you will find in most grocery stores.They do not last long and they are usually inexpensive.


 Like many florists I only purchase my roses from Green Growers. The imported roses come from farms in Ecuador where they treat their workers with respect and provide them with medical coverage.
Rather than douse the roses with chemicals these farms use biological means of controlling insects whenever possible limiting pesticides to the very minimum if they use them at all.

These imported roses do cost more but they are also healthier for you and the environment and they last longer.

 I also purchase good healthy roses from our local grower, Eurosa ,who use environmentally friendly methods of controlling pests .

The local roses do tend to be on the smaller side but they last a long time like the larger imported Ecuadorian roses.

Unfortunately, unlike garden roses, most commercially grown roses have little or no fragrance. This is because the gene that creates scent shortens the life of the rose so it has been bred out of the rose.Some growers are now working on a way to bring back the fragrance without shortening the lifespan of the rose so hopefully "smelling like a rose" will soon apply to commercial roses again.
Whatever the reason or occassion you simply cannot go wrong with the beautiful rose but next time rather than send roses by the bunch choose a beautiful arrangement instead.