floral design & botanical blog
I am so fortunate to be able to offer these in-home parties for very enthusiastic hosts and their guests. The idea is that you invite your friends over, they bring a pumpkin, and I help you fill it with succulents, flora, and other elements from nature.
Read MoreBig Bend National Park is probably my favorite place to be outside. The contrasts of the Chihuahuan Desert is continually impressive to me. Luckily, my dear friends also share this love for the park and I was fortunate enough to design and construct the florals for their wedding. In October, we explored possible ceremony sites along easily-accessible trails so family and friends of all abilities could attend.
We decided on the open space below the pour-off of Burro Mesa. The walls rise from the desert wash some 60 plus feet into the air, creating a natural, 3-sided room. Even in late April, this area can get quite hot, but we lucked out with overcast skies and even intermittent sprinkles. Because of National Park Service regulations, you can not have organic plant material on the trail. This created a challenge in designing the body wear for the grooms and party. I instead made boutonnieres and bouquets out of paper and copper wire, playing off of the colors of the desert.
Read MoreRiding the Pinterest trend of the season, I had an idea to put together a pumpkin-decorating class using succulents, seasonal flowers, and local foliage. Luckily, my friend was excited about the idea and offered to host the party at her house and invite other ladies that would be eager participants.
Read MoreAt the end of June, I spent the weekend with friends on the western edge of the Llano Uplift in Mason County, deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The James River, a short waterway spanning 36 miles before emptying into the Llano River, cuts through the 20 acre property. Never deeper than 12" or so, the river is fed by rain runoff and numerous springs. The area was home to Native Americans, and then white settlers by 1860. The river is known for its cleanliness as it's very remote and unspoiled by agricultural pollution.
Read MoreA dear friend of mine was having a bridal brunch at a local eatery and I offered to make a couple of centerpieces for the tables. This space is in an old warehouse and the interior is designed in a sort of butcher shop motif with acrylic paintings of quartered farm animals and large hooks and ropes hanging from the ceiling.
Read MoreThe Big Bend area of the Chihuahuan Desert in Texas probably my favorite region to visit given its diverse botany, topography, and ecology. In October 2013 with the assistance of a botanist who is well-versed in the plants of the area, a coworker and I were able to visit the flora-rich Chinati Mountains in Presidio County, Texas.
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