Unexpected Ways Flowers Brighten Your Space In Winter
Here are ways that flowers brighten your space especially on a dreary day. I want to show you what we learned at a winter floral arranging class, how edible organic flowers can make an ordinary cake special, beautiful new floral tableware designs and more.
It’s Five Faves time with Annie and Cindy!
Making A Winter Flower Arrangement For Your Living Space
Recently, Mercedes, my daughter Alexandra and I attended a flower workshop at our country club.
Here are some things we learned:
- Fill the container with fresh water. Use tape (like clear or green florist tape in a grid on top of your vessel and wrap around the circumference to secure).
- Start with greenery (in our case they were pine branches)
- Remove any leaves that are below the water line to prevent mold and allow the most water to reach the blossoms.
- Next, put in large floral stems like hydrangeas.
- Smaller flowers are next followed by the “showpieces” like the parrot tulips. Remove any of the outer guard petals.
- For longer lasting arrangements, replace the water everyday by tipping the vase on the side over the sink and refill in the center. This proper care tip worked for longevity!
Our daughter thinks a great gift would be a pair of Nawaki floral scissors (Annie’s faves, she gave them to me for my birthday), florist tape and a bouquet of flowers.
I think so too!
Here are our beautiful arrangements at home.
You may also like Blissful Flower Arranging Tips and 7 Winter Flower Arrangements by Architectural Digest.
Edible Flowers In Bold Colors On A Citrus Olive Oil Cake
Alexandra had a birthday while she was here (they are back in Los Angeles now). She said she wanted a “Flower Cake” …left open to interpretation. I know she loves the Citrus Olive Oil Cake I make from Eye Swoon, so her daughter, Louisa and I made one.
We decorated it with mint from the garden and organic edible flowers from Whole Foods. This would be a fun way to decorate any cake with vibrant blooms of chrysanthemums, daisies, snapdragons and other edible florals.
Flowery Kravet Home Designs For Pottery Barn
I’ve always loved the selection and service from Kravet (a to-the-trade fabric and home furnishings company). So I was really excited to see that they have a beautiful tableware and homeware collaboration with Pottery Barn.
This is so fresh with the timeless blooms. It will look great in another 20 years.
Shop Kravet For Pottery Barn
A Small Floral Indulgence Just For You
Alexandra says that fresh cut flowers in your bedroom are special as they are just for you. The same applies for flowers on your desk!
I took a couple of blooms from the grocery store arrangement on our coffee table.
What To Watch: The Six Triple Eight On Netflix
Howard and I both enjoyed this movie. The 6888 Battalion (all women of color) were tasked with sorting a 6 month backlog of soldiers’ mail in WWII in Europe.
I thought of my father and uncles in the war and how important the mail was to the family. My sister still has some of the letters (one I showed that Dad wrote after he survived “D” Day).
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Let’s see what my friends have discovered this week:
We loved 6888 though it cleaned out my tear ducts. We need more of these kinds of movies giving us history and highlighting the many unsung heroes. Flowers are just the thing to brighten up the emptiness when all the holiday décor has been put away. I would love to take a flower arranging class, Thank you for sharing yours.
I loved it!
Mary Ann! I love all your flowers! On the table, on your desk and the cake! So pretty!
Xx
Dear Mary Ann,
Since moving to an retirement community, appetizers are our go to way of entertaining followed by walking with our guests to the dining lodge for dinner. Everytime I use long loved salad plates for serving, I remind myself to renew my search for beautiful appetizer plates. Your introduction to the Kravat/Pottery Barn set fulfills all my criteria: special design, blue and white, and timeless.. Happily on my way to order two sets.
Hugs for the New Year,
Diney on Mercer Island
What a fun post! I took a flower arranging class years ago. It would be fun to take one again! I can be lazy about buying fresh flowers sometimes. You are right they so lift your spirits!
Hi Mary Ann,
The flowers turned out so well, what a great thing to do with Alexandra, Mercedes. A cute pic too. I like that you were able to bring your flower arrangements home to enjoy.
I have made the “Citrus Poppy Olive Oil Loaf before. It turned out beautiful decorated with the organic edible flowers.
I use Trader Joe’s – Trader Giotto’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cold pressed-packed in Italy. Can you recommend one that may be better for me to use instead. I was considering making the same for my husbands birthday next month.
Happy healthy everything in the New Year.
Hi Mary Ann,
Happy New Year! I know how you feel after everyone leaves to go home and the house is too quiet. Luckily you had three weeks together with your loved ones. And those babies, I’m jealous!
Flowers are a part of my life, always have bunches throughout the house. It’s a bit darker in my bedroom and they liven things up in there, love that! Grocery store bought, I toss them together into multiple vases and distribute them wherever a little boost of color is needed.
Enjoy organizing. That’s on my list, too!
Xo Heidi.
Hello Mary Ann,
Happy New Year! I adore flowers and seriously looked into taking flower arrangement classes in London with the idea of becoming a florist, and then l worked in a florist shop and decided not to go any further; the magic had gone, but my passion for flowers remains.Such a great idea to take a course. Happy week:)
Flowers, flowers, flowers make me so happy. Doesn’t need to be something grand, just a small arrangement can brighten my day. I would have loved that class, looked like so much fun. And look how special they made your table scape!
I wish you could have been with us, Gail.