WEDDING FLOWERS

I recently did the flowers for a Fall wedding, the bride's bouquet was made up with white and ivory roses - Palen looked exquisite in her ivory wedding dress, Kevin was in his crisp white Naval uniform. The maid of honor, seven bridesmaids and cute flower girl were dressed in beautiful chocolate brown dresses, their bouquets were all done with shades of burnt orange and soft pink roses, with bright mango calla lilies. All the bouquets had the stems wrapped with an ivory satin ribbon. It is one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to, I was delighted to have played a part in this very special day.

My diningroom table looked beautiful decorated with all the pew arrangements and bouquets.

A close up of the stunning roses and calla lilies.

All delicately packed in tissue and ready for delivery.

The bride-to-be gets her first glimpse of her flowers - she sank to her knees and her sweet smile says it all. Whew.

The pew flowers.

The beautiful couple. Kevin and Palen.

The bridesmaids.

The happy wedding celebration.

THE COLOURS OF THE CINQUE TERRE, ITALY

The Cinque Terre, "The Five Lands", is an area of the rugged Ligurian coastline, on the north west coast of Italy, and consists of five picture perfect coastal villages, perched amongst terraces of vineyards, olive groves, lemon orchards, and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. More about the villages in a future blog. The one thing that I remember most about a recent trip to this area is the explosion of colour wherever you look - the azure sea, magenta bougainvilleas tumbling over buildings and rocky outcrops, shades of black, white, charcoal and grey marble pebbles on the beaches, bright yellow, blue, green, red and orange umbrellas offering shade at pavement cafes, old blue and green painted fishing boats, and every shade of ochre, terracotta, burnt umber, oranges and reds that you can imagine on the buildings - peeling and fading in the hot summer sun and adding to the magnificent character of this less commercial area of the Italian Riviera. Magnifico!

GETTING FRESH IN ITALY

On a recent trip to Italy, I ate my way around the incredible outdoor markets. The selection of locally grown, just-picked fruit and vegetables looked spectacular, and then there was the taste, oh the sun-ripened flavours!!! It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "Getting Fresh in Italy".

Spring glory

Spring is so beautiful - few pics taken in our garden, looking in different directions from the side of the house through to the forest at the back, and then again from the side of the house, looking towards the front and the street. I love the woodland setting and the huge old trees, and use many shades of greens for color in the shade areas. What a treat to be able to get my hands dirty again, after the very long and cold winter.
A pink flowering Dogwood, taken in front of a townhouse in Annapolis.

A white flowering Dogwood, with a red Japanese Maple, taken in front of an old historic house in downtown Annapolis.

APRIL SHOWERS, APRIL FLOWERS

Various spring flowers in my garden, including Azaleas, Dogwoods and Tree Peonies.

PETERSHAM NURSERIES, RICHMOND, U.K.

Petersham Nurseries is not just a place to buy a magnificent selection of plants and containers for the home and garden, but also an experience not to be missed. If you are ever in or around London and have a day to spare, hop on a train to Richmond and spend some time wandering around Petersham Nurseries. They have a Cafe and Teahouse, serving the most delicious selection of food, $$$$, but well worth it. Should you decide to visit for lunch, I would suggest that you call ahead and make a reservation as they do book up weeks, if not months, in advance. They also have a shop, selling a great selection of garden tools, gifts and antiques - you can buy anything from books to antique French wire furniture, rustic tables with zinc tops, frames pictures and chandeliers. The cafe and shop are located in rustic conservatories with earth floors, that add to the ambience. The setting is breathtaking -out in the country, surrounded by fields and meadows. One of my favorite places to visit. You can go to their website and look through their magnificent gallery - http://www.petershamnurseries.com/

BUTTERFLIES

Beautiful butterflies in the Butterfly House at Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre public garden in Silver Spring, Maryland. Surrounding the Butterfly House are bright, colorful gardens planted up to attract the butterflies with nectar filled flowers, and host plants on which to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, this plant then becomes food for the caterpillars. To attract butterflies to your garden, it is necessary to offer both nectar and host plants.

SPRING FLOWERS

Mid April and the daffodils are in full bloom here in Annapolis, Maryland. They pop up on the side of the road, in the woods where the squirrels drop the bulbs - they naturalize and the clumps get bigger and more beautiful each year. These are all flowering in my garden.

The violets are growing up like weeds in the lawn. I pick little bunches and put them into liquor glasses - miniature flower arrangements.