How do you describe YOUR valentine?

Our 2013 Valentine Menu asks this question 

& we have created some likely answers for you..

Romantic..

I thought of charming vintage tea cups, dainty embroidered pillowcases hung on a clothesline and 

an overflowing slightly wild cottage garden- complete with picket fence and a comfortable 

whitewashed wicker chair tucked in a quiet corner...

 Sassy

Actually the original name was Short and Sassy 

(it may or may not have reffered to me...)

I love a rose bowl

 Pretty blooms tucked in close, creating a lush landscape of

brilliant colors and textures- very much like a bridal bouquet. 

the roses featured in this particular photo are red Freedom, 

Pink Fiesta (the larger pink and cream variegated rose) 

and a couple different varieties of spray roses.

Zombie Wedding

Every once in a while we work on a project that requires

 every ounce of creativity we have.

Personally I LOVE these extra creative projects.

 They allow me to stretch beyond my own creative boarders and I'm better designer because of it.

Such an opportunity came our way this week when I was contacted by the owner of Junkee Clothing Exchange in Reno about possibly doing the flowers for a Zombie theme wedding. 

The bride's bouquet was made using  painted curly willow and a ghoulish face mask as an armature (support) for the flowers I would be using:  Blood Red roses, red hanging amaranthus, burgundy Dahlias, purple mini Callas and seeded eucalyptus 

The mini skulls you see above were used by Lysa to create the five bridesmaids single rose design.

  

The groomsmen boutonnieres 

 The groom's boutonniere

 And the bridal bouquet.

Don't you love how the flowers and skeleton pieces wrapped in gauze spill out of the mouth?!

Tuesday Tips for Houseplant Success.

Calathea
(kal-uh-THEE-ah)

 

Light-these plants only need a moderate amount of light. 

No direct sunlight needed filtered light is best. Too direct of sunlight will change the leaf color and cause burning of the leaves.

 
Water- Prefers moderately moist soil. Water toughly when 

just the soil surface is dry to the touch. Do not allow plant to stand in water.
Temp- warm 70-75 degrees

Tips for Success- Calatheas have a very high humidity requirement to prevent browning of the leaf tips. Too high light, excess fertilizer and fluoride can also cause browning. Avoid over- or under watering.

Your soil for Calathea should be highly organic and well drained. Use plenty of coarse material in the soil mix to help water flow through. A commercial cactus mix is fine

Never allow roots to be soaked with standing water but they do enjoy continuous availability of water in their soil. Water often to obtain this condition (with perfect drainage) 

You can propagate these plants by separating them into sections and pot the sections. Do this in the spring when you check them for re-potting.

These plants thrive with humidity you may have to create an artificial environment to accommodate this. This is done by putting the pot on a tray filled with rocks or pebbles. Also, you can actually just run a humidifier near them.

Remember, this is a jungle plant 

 

Wedding Design Show!

In  May I had the opportunity to attend a design show hosted by Greenleaf Wholesale in Reno.

The presenter, Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD,CFD, PFCI dedicated this show to weddings and 

specifically.... bridal bouquets!

 The first Design- a hand-tied bouquet in lavender and yellow, all flowers are cleaned and ready to go, then added to form a sheaf shape- it came together QUICK!

and here's the finished bouquet- Yellow mini callas & yarrow together with lavender lisianthus and asters Notice the little bit of yellow in the center of the asters? If you're ever unsure about what color goes with what.. just look to nature for the answer.

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Here are  a few of my favorites..

A vibrant hot pink and purple bouquet featuring iris, gerbera daisies and luscious peonies. 

Look at us in the background.. so SERIOUS!  

 Beautiful tropical feel bouquet featuring big green antherium, orange carnations (yes carnations!)

hypericum berries and ... can you guess what that other orange flowers is?? (I was surprised - as many of us were,  when she told us what she used!)

 Beautiful romantic bouquet with peach roses, pink peony & lavender wax flower. Can you imagine these colors with lavender bridesmaids dresses? 

Classic white rose bouquet with a little extra pearl detail- notice the leaves? they are stenciled. Imagine stenciling a lace pattern, or what about pinstripes? There are as many possibilities as you can think of!

Joyce is demonstrating a hand tied bouquet for over the arm. That big green 'flower' at the base of the bouquet is actually made of tropical leaves.

An asymmetric pink and brown bouquet using orchids, antherium, magnolia leaves (the underside) and fiddle head fern.

Here's the bouquet up-close and personal...

It's always a good time at a design show- re-connecting with fellow florists, learning a few new things, and sometimes.. (ok .. I confess MOST times) picking up some new materials to experiment with!

Grill it Up!

 

 

Gourmet du Village is in the house!
With Father’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to share our new products for the grill!

Fajitas anyone?
We have wonderful seasoning mixes, grinders full of wonderful flavors and a fajita pan that would be an awesome addition to any dad’s grilling collection!

Any Brie lovers out there?
Then check out our Brie baker which is perfect for both the grill and the oven!

Can’t forget dessert!
Check out our tasty Sorbet Mixes for a wonderfully refreshing desert that’s so simple and oh-so refreshing!

So, stop by and pick up that special something for dad, and who knows? You might just find something you decide you can’t live without!

Got Grads?

It’s hard to believe that Graduation time is already upon us!
In fact, some Universities and Colleges have already unleashed their Graduates!
Here at Twigs, both Tracey and I are celebrating the advancement of
 High School Graduates.
How about you? Got Grads?

Your local florist is a great source for finding something for that special Graduate in your life.

Whether it’s a Kindergarten Graduate, Middle School Graduate, High School Graduate or College Graduate; from stuffed animals to balloon bouquets, laptop skins to presentation bouquets, we have something for everyone!

So, stop by or visit us online!
We would love to help you choose something to congratulate that special Graduate in your life!

Lysa

Favorite Things- Second in a series

For many people, when asked what some of their favorite things are, food items are at the top of the list.

Here at Twigs, we’re no different! In fact, our last post was all about chocolate! Make sure to check it out as well.

Today’s first “Favorite Things” feature is “Too Good Gourmet”.

If you’ve ever browsed around Twigs, you’ve seen these delightfully packed goodies which are made from quality ingredients which are carefully selected by this mother/daughter team.

We at Twigs like to feature these goodies in our Gourmet Planter Baskets which are a big hit around Mother’s Day, Valentine's Day and the fall & Christmas season!

We often have a selection of cookies in stock along with some flavored teas.

So, whether it’s cookies, chocolate covered pretzels or wonderfully flavorful tea you’re after, Too Good Gourmet has something for everyone!

Second on our list today is “Gourmet du Village”.

Gourmet du Village is dedicated to bringing truly elegant, gourmet tastes and recipes to home kitchens around the globe.

Gourmet du Village dip mixes have been a staple here at Twigs since our beginning.

Many of you are familiar with this wonderful product and have your favorites which we are happy to supply you with!

We are excited to announce that we have some wonderful grilling products from Gourmet du Village on their way to us right now!

Stainless brie baker for the BBQ!

cast iron skillet set also includes wood tray, seasonings, & mitt

Keep your eye on our Facebook page as we will let you know when they arrive!

In the mean time, stop by or visit our website, Facebook page or Twitter account and say “hi”!

We love hearing from you!

Lysa Humildad