Fallen

Crab Apples, Sunflowers, golden yellow Rudbeckia, Rosemary, sweet smelling Stock.... it's harvest time, and leaves, fruit, and berries are starting to fall to the ground.

My subscribers this week received a little cluster of Crab Apples along with their arrangement. For those wondering what, exactly, is the plan for this cluster of fruit, I hope this next photo will illustrate:

I love placing a few pieces of fruit on the table below an arrangement with fruiting branches in it.... like the fruit has fallen, and landed right there on it's own.

A current favorite...

It would be impossible for me to name an all-time favorite flower... it changes so much with the seasons, the day, my mood... but for today, this is my favorite: the Zinnia 'Queen Red Lime.'

'Course she's not alone... she's at a party with a bunch of other fall favorites: Dahlias, Scabiosa 'Dark Knight,' Vitex, Physocarpus, Dusty Miller, Woodland Oat Grass and Spray Roses, all either grown in the Botanique Cutting Garden or purchased from one of the amazing local flower growers at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market.

Fall really is like a big flower party. So many colors and textures, like everything is dressed up in it's most wild costume.

Zinnias and Burlap

They go well together, no?

This week's subscription arrangements were made with:

• Scabiosa 'Dark Knight' and Zinnias from The Botanique Cutting Garden in Seattle, WA
  
• Zinnias from Dan's Dahlias in Oakville, WA
  
• Zinnias, Artemesia, and Gomphrena from Everyday Flowers in Stanwood, WA
• Scented Geranium Foliage, Sanguisorba, and Celosia Plumosa from Charles Little & Co, in Eugene, OR

For bright, vibrant color, nothing beats the berry tones of late summer. And the fragrance of scented geranium foliage? Just about as cheerful as these colors. I'd say its a good week...

Fall!

I know that summer still officially has a few more weeks to go, but I am really starting to feel fall creeping in. I LOVE FALL. I LOVE IT. I love how life starts to cool and slow down, the anticipation of feeling extremely cozy, and how everything outside starts to drip and drop: fruit, leaves, and yes, rain too. After a stretch going on 46 days and counting with no rain, I am not going to be complaining when the first drops fall.

Today was the first day of the Autumn Flower Subscription, and it is so fun to play with all the riotous colors that are out there this time of year. I love the pairing of really saturated bright colors with softer pastels, and the orange and coral of the dahlias and asclepias with the dusty miller really do it for me.

Despite the fact that the Cutting Garden is going strong, I just can't resist the urge to design with the amazing flowers available from other local growers! These arrangements used Dusty Miller from the Botanique Cutting Garden, but the rest of these treasures came from other local farms:

• Dahlias and Broom Corn from from Jello Mold Farm in Mount Vernon, WA
• Dahlias from Dan's Dahlias in Oakville, WA
  
• Lisianthus and Asters from Everyday Flowers in Stanwood, WA
• Asclepias and Salt Shrub from Charles Little & Co, in Eugene, OR
  

Here's a recent shot from the Cutting Garden: 'Queen Red Lime' and 'Green Envy' Zinnias, Orange Cosmos, and 'Awe Shucks' Dahlias in the background....

It just amazes me the size that flowers reach in just a few short months. They grow from seed into these giant plants so fast! Imagine if we grew that fast...... or maybe don't, that thought is a little bit frightening......

In any case, I'm enjoying this change of seasons, and I hope you are too!

The Autumn Subscription!

It's all local.

It's exciting and new and gorgeous every week.

And it's starting on Thursday.

The Botanique Seasonal Subscription is a weekly design of fresh flowers from local farms (including the Botanique Cutting Garden right here in Seattle, WA!) arranged in Botanique's whimsical, natural style. The Autumn Subscription runs through all of September and October, with 4 and 8-week subscriptions available. Sign up here!

Fall flowers are some of my favorites- berries mixing with zinnias, dahlias, cool seed pods, vibrant foliage...... lovely materials I can't wait to weave into beautiful arrangements for you.

Sign up now- the subscription starts this Thursday!!!!

Geez purple and pink, why you gotta be so pretty?

I know it's super girly. I know you may gripe and say, really purple and pink??? Enough already with the purple and pink!! But hey, I run the show around here, and I like to do what makes me happy. And this week, the purples and pinks were calling my name...

This weeks subscriptions had so many Botanique-grown ingredients! Sweet Pea Vines, Cerinthe, Daucus carota 'Dark Knight,' and Black Cornflowers. The lovely, pink Dahlias are from Jello Mold Farm.

(Oh, and the first little shoots of amaranth may have found their way in there too, but you have to have a very keen eye to spot them.....)

An Ode to Dahlias

Oh dahlias, how I love thee...

You are just so pretty and summery. And you play so well with other flowers.

I think we will be running into each other a lot this summer....

These arrangements were the latest batch of Botanique Subscription Arrangements. On the ingredient list: 

• Salvia, Hops Vine, Bells of Ireland and Bupleurum from The Botanique Cutting Garden in Seattle, WA
  
• Dahlias and Iceland Poppies from Jello Mold Farm in Mount Vernon
• Viburnum Berries from Charles Little & Co. in Eugen, OR

 Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Thursday's News

1) I got a new camera, whoopee!!!!! I love it.

2) The Cutting Garden is blooming like mad! That means that from now through the fall frosts I will be using Botanique-grown flowers in nearly every arrangement I make. That makes me smile... real big.

3) The Summer Subscription has started! This week's palette is a sweet blend of lavender, pale yellow, sapphire, and periwinkle...

 In this week's subscription arrangements: 

• Hydrangea, Sweet Peas and Cornflowers from The Botanique Cutting Garden in Seattle, WA
  
• Clematis and Scabiosa  from J.Foss Garden Flowers in Chehalis, WA
• Veronica from Everyday Flowers in Stanwood, WA
• Spuria Iris and Feverfew  from Jello Mold Farm in Mount Vernon, WA

And the final piece of news (this one is super exciting): My wonderful friend Melissa of Flying Bear Farm has started a weekly farm stand on Saturdays, from 11am-3ish, in front of Makeda Coffee on the corner of N. 78th St. and Greenwood Ave in Phinney Ridge. This week, I will be bringing her small bunches of Botanique-grown flowers to sell along with her organic veggies! Come on by this Saturday to pick up some Seattle-grown goodies from Botanique and Flying Bear Farm. Hope to see you there!

Primary Colors (with a twist)

That twist would have to be Allium 'Hair-' possibly the most incredible flower I have seen at the market this year.

Holy wow, how I love the entangled movement of this flower.

These arrangements mark the final week of The Botanique Spring Subscription! We are taking a week off (and going on vacation!) before starting up the Summer Subscription on June 28th.

This week's subscription arrangements included:

• Clematis, Cerinthe and Cornflowers from The Botanique Cutting Garden in Seattle, WA
  
• Dianthus from J.Foss Garden Flowers in Chehalis, WA
• Peonies from Everyday Flowers in Stanwood, WA
• Sanguisorba from Jello Mold Farm in Mount Vernon, WA
• Allium 'Hair,' Brodiaea 'Ida Maia,' and Brodiaea 'Starlight' from Choice Bulb Farms in Mount Vernon, WA

If you missed out on this season's subscription, don't fret! A whole new round of subscriptions is starting up two weeks from today (June 28th) and I can't wait to share the summer's amazing flowers, fruits and berries, unique textural elements, and colors with you! We have added an option to do a shorter, four-week subscription for those who will be out of town for part of the summer, or would simply prefer a shorter subscription. Both subscriptions can be purchased here.

There are a limited number of subscriptions available, so sign up soon to reserve your spot. If you are giving the subscription to someone as a gift, please let us know and we will provide you with a pretty card to give them describing the service. And feel free to email me with any questions: emailbotanique@gmail.com

Local, seasonally-inspired, weekly floral designs, yes!

Pretty and pretty

Apricot, ivory, blush, bronze, and white, with butter yellow highlights.... my favorite color palette.

 This weeks subscription arrangements included:

• Clematis from J. Foss Garden Flowers in Chehalis, WA
• Peonies and Iceland Poppies from Jello Mold Farm in Mount Vernon, WA
• Peonies, Hosta leaves, Mock Orange and Pieris foliage from The Botanique Cutting Garden in Seattle, WA

I am so thrilled that clematis is back in season! I love how much movement it brings to arrangements.

And those Iceland poppies and peonies aren't so bad on the eyes either...

The Spring Subscription is nearly over- just one more week left! But if you live in Seattle, you can sign up for the Summer Subscription (begins June 28th) here. Eight weeks of lovely, locally-sourced arrangements...