Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets

Search

From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets

August 24, 2012

Not long after florist Gayle Nicoletti designed the wedding flowers for Cupcakes and Cashmere's Emily Schuman last spring, she held a workshop that focused on a more informal theme: how to make bouquets from the things growing in your backyard—or rather, in her backyard.

Ms. Nicoletti invited a group of 20 women to her Mill Valley, CA home the other day for a lesson in creating spontaneous flower arrangements. Here are some of her secrets:

Photographs by Kathleen Harrison.

700 backyard photo 1

Above: "Walk around your garden and snip flowers and herbs, and think of the arrangement you're about to make as a physical representation of that garden—what grows together? What's tall, and what's short?" says Ms. Nicoletti. From her garden: scabiosa pods (R), decorative kale (L), and succulents, including her favorite echeveria 'Metallica' (" I love the shape, like a rose, and that color —a hint of pink").

700 backyard bouquets 5

Above: Ms. Nicoletti with a flat of Sagina subulata (Scotch Moss) that she bought at Green Jeans Garden Supply in Mill Valley; it's widely available at nurseries. Ms. Nicoletti uses it to completely fill the surface of a planter to create a simple arrangement that looks like a tabletop lawn.

 From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets  portrait 5

Above: Succulents generally don't have long stems like the rest of the flowers in a bouquet; Ms. Nicoletti attaches a false stem, wiring a viburnum twig to a succulent using florists' wire.

 From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets  portrait 6

Above: A spool of bind wire, made in France and purchased at the San Francisco Flower Mart. A 70-foot spool of Bark Colored Wire is $8.49 from Afloral. Ms. Nicoletti uses a heavier green wire—such as Paddle Wire ($1.89 per spool from Afloral) to pierce the stem of the succulent; she twists the green wire like a pipe cleaner and attaches it to the viburnum stem.

700 backyard bouquets 4

Above: Dahlias from Ms. Nicoletti's garden. They're 'Jersey's Beauty,' an heirloom dahlia from the 1920s; bulbs are three for $39.50 from Old House Gardens.

 From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets  portrait 8

Above: The finished bouquet, in a wide-mouthed mason jar, also includes roses, miller, and buddleia from Ms. Nicoletti's garden. For beginners, Ms. Nicoletti recommends: "Keep it simple: limit yourself to two or three different flowers and two different foliages."

 From Cupcakes and Cashmere to Backyard Bouquets  portrait 9

Above: Parsley allowed to go to seed and flower (L) is a good addition to simple bouquets. Other favorite herbs: dark purple and black basil, for the distinctive leaves. Ms. Nicoletti also recommends getting a hydrangea bush—a 'Pistachio' Reblooming Hydrangea ($24.99 from Spring Hill) is about to go into the ground at her house—because the blooms are versatile. "You can use them alone in a vase, or mix them, or dry them," she says.

For more DIY bouquet inspiration, find out how to grow your own wedding flowers.

(Visited 79 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Product summary  

backyard bouquets 13
Craft Supplies

Paddle Wire

$1.89 USD from Afloral.com

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0