crosspollination

jewel-toned wedding

2009-12-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

Get ready for lots of hot pink, red and purple... What a fun and over-the-top wedding with Baronesse garden roses, purple vanda orchids, Black Magic roses, purple anemones, pomegranates and red pears, angel moss and lots of other vines and accents. Thanks to my great team of assistants, and to Brooke Rogers at Ruby Rogers Studios who put it all together.

what a fun day

2009-11-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in the demonstration today. I met a lot of interesting and friendly folks!

I used found logs (from my parent's wood pile - thanks!) as a base to create an alternative to a traditional Christmas tree. I applied cages of floral foam to them and layered on the plants and flowers. The mosses, bird nests and wasp nests added an extra-naturalistic vibe.

e.a.s.t. 2009 program: wednesday at 1pm

2009-11-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hey! Stop on by my East Austin Studio Tour Program this Wednesday the 18th at 1pm where I will be creating a living sculpture with locally grown succulents and plants, sustainably grown flowers, and hand-gathered mosses and bird nests.

I'll do an hour-long, free demonstration outside Studio 512, an architecture studio at 1902 E. 11th St., which is also showing the pastel work of Christopher Alan Cody Blair during the weekends of the EAST.

Eat lunch at Primizie, grab a coffee at Progress, and then come be inspired!

You can find more details at the EAST website under programs. Click on Using Local Ingredients to Create Floral Art.

hope farmer's market

2009-11-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun today setting up at the HOPE Farmer's Market at E. 5th and Waller. The turnout was good, and I sold a couple of arrangements! I really like all the other vendors, and I'll be buying some yummy fresh ingredients and prepared food next week.

i'm goin' east

2009-11-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

I'll be selling some fun little arrangements at the HOPE Farmer's Market tomorrow. Recycled canning jars filled with locally grown succulents and geranium, sustainably grown tulips, and hand-gathered moss from the Southeast US. Come out and see me from 11-3. There are tons of great vendors with produce, meat, plants and crafty goods. Stop by just to see the smoothies whirred up by human bike-power!

Wonderful poster by Kevin Munoz.

yummy white and butter yellow

2009-11-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

A very lovely white and butter yellow wedding, with pool blue ribbon. Can you tell I loved the cake?

I can't wait to see how the images of this hanging votive and orchid piece turn out after the sun went down. I hope it made the whole room all glowy and romantic.

floratherapie: flower classes

2009-10-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce that Carie Lawrence, Lynne Maphies and I will be teaching a flower class this holiday season! For developing details check out the floratherapie blog, or email me at brooke(at)pollenfloralart.com.

Sunday, November 15th (additional class in December will be announced soon)
1:00 - 4:30 pm
Zilker Botanical Garden
$250, includes all flowers and oodles of tea and scones

This class will focus on creating lush arrangements with seasonal cut flowers and foliage. Students will learn about the history of floral design, color theory, and construction techniques and will create arrangements to take home from beautiful seasonal plants and flowers.

We had a hoot walking through the Zilker Botanical Gardens in our boots, talking about what to include in our class. We can't wait to see you there!

purple and green bouquet

2009-10-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

I put together a sweet little bouquet for a portrait session out of purple hydrangea, dark purple callas, green cymbidiums, curly willow whips, scabiosa pods and galax.

Stay tuned for a post coming soon about flower classes! I was so inspired by Sarah and Nicolette's class in Brooklyn that it seemed impossible to resist doing one in Austin.

brights and whites

2009-10-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

This week I created a fun bouquet with pincushion, ranunculus, freesia, dahlias, scabiosa pods, geranium foliage and leucodendron foliage. Love those ranunculus!

orange dahlias made the day

2009-10-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

As you might have surmised, I love orange, so this wedding was right up my alley. The orange ball dahlias mixed very well with ranunculus, orchids, Bells of Ireland and blue thistle. Unconventional but beautiful! I'll have to post the professional images soon. I can't wait to see the bride with her bouquet of hydrangea, thistle, dahlias and orchids.

all local flowers

2009-10-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

This arrangement was created for a tasting event at Spartan and Bows+Arrows introducing Farmhouse Delivery, a wonderful service that will deliver local meats, produce and other goodies in the Austin area. At first I thought it might be a challenge to make something beautiful out of local materials, but I had so much fun sourcing and putting this together. Look for my arrangements of local flowers added to the things you can order for home delivery through the Farmhouse Delivery website soon!

Antique Haeger vase purchased at Uncommon Objects, aloe plant from Desert to Tropics, flowers from Arnosky and Waller Creek Farms and a friend's backyard, tomatoes and persimmons from local farms purchased at Central Market.

would you believe...

2009-09-28T13:54:00.001-07:00

Another blue and orange wedding? Here's a sneak peek at a modern wedding coming up later in the month.

blue and orange wedding

2009-09-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of providing Paulette and Doug with some beautiful garden-y wedding flowers this past weekend. Luckily the orange ball dahlias were still available, so I mixed them with orange ranunculus, lilies, crocosmia and mokara orchids, and blue delphinium and hydrangea. Bride's bouquet below.

And the bridesmaid bouquets, corsages, and bouts.

The cake turned out fun, with the croscosmia tips really echoing the icing pattern and color. Decorating cakes always makes me hungry, due to the wonderful sugary smell as you lean over them!

Ceremony arrangements with Bird of Paradise, the bride's favorite, mixed with kiwi vine, hydrangea, delphinium, lilies, orchids and crocosmia. I wrapped the container in coconut bark before resting in the glass cylinders.

And finally, simple little centerpieces. Thanks to the bride and groom for giving me such fun colors to work with. Stay tuned for more wedding images this October!

Rosehip Flora

2009-08-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just love all the new pics at Erin's website for Rosehip Flora. Also check out her blog. That's one talented lady.

austin designer: monique capanelli of articulture

2009-07-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm really intrigued by Monique's beautiful work - I recently saw some of her pieces around town and decided I had to know more!

"Articulture Designs provides sustainable landscape design and interior botanical arrangements" as well as innovative wedding and event decor. Originally from Sonoma County, but calling Austin home for 20 years, Monique's environmentally sensitive work has a very fresh and Austiny feel. Check out the Articulture website for more inspiration.

Top photo of succulent bouquet by Jennifer Lindberg. Quote from Articulture Designs website.

inspiring ladies

2009-07-10T13:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Denise at Little Pheasant, pictured below, for introducing me to the great podcast series Hey Brooklyn. I have to admit I was behind the times and didn't really know much about podcasts, but I hugely enjoyed listening to Denise and Lotta talk about their businesses. Check out Denise's interview here. There are plenty more great people profiled (new ones every Friday) at Hey Brooklyn's site.

I've followed Lotta Jansdotter for years, always intrigued with her pattern designs and simple, natural approach to products. I wear one of her linen aprons in my floral studio. So I was so happy to finally get to know her personality and hear about her upcoming projects. Check out her interview here.

In other news, it seems like I've fallen off the blogging wagon. I could blame it on the insane heat wave we've having in Austin, or on the fact that my husband finally arrived from New Zealand a couple weeks ago, but really I'm just having a very meditative summer. Sometimes you just have to sit and be quiet for a while to figure out which way to go.

seaside wedding on amorology

2009-06-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

This beautiful seaside wedding Heather posted on Amorology reminds me a little bit of New Zealand. What sweet flowers and wonderful details! Floral design by Rae Florae, photography by Paloma Images.

rosenow blog

2009-06-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Erin at Rosenow Floral has a wonderful new blog. Also check out her website for some gorgeous floral work and unique boutonnieres. Image from Rosenow Floral website.

pink peonies are the bomb

2009-06-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this beautiful wedding that Bouquets did last weekend.

radish bouquet on ritzy bee blog

2009-05-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that Kathryn at Snippet & Ink posted my radish bouquet on the always wonderful Ritzy Bee Blog. Thanks Kathryn! Funny thing, I just met with a bride who wants radishes in her bouquets.

wedding: vintage mexican theme

2009-05-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

I delivered some bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages today to a beautiful park here in Austin. The tables were being draped with vintage crocheted pieces and I heard that a mariachi band would soon appear and chase off the squawking peacocks. The bride's bouquet is a simple cluster of longstem cream French tulips with a magnolia cuff, the maids' have huge open burgundy peonies, and the bouts include mini callas and willow eucalyptus berries with magnolia.

austin neighborhood: south congress

2009-05-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

On my day off I headed down to South Congress for lunch with a friend. I went early so that I could eat at more than one place! For brunch, I ended up at CrepesMille, a retrofitted Airstream trailer with a small but tasty menu of filled crepes. I had the crab with fresh greens and peanut sauce. Yum. Later I had a fried avocado with coleslaw, wrapped in a tortilla, also served from a retrofitted trailer. Gotta love southern food, especially on South Congress.

The SoCo neighborhood has undergone quite a facelift in the last few years. I love the steel planters and low-water plants that have come to define Austin landscape design.

I also strolled through the San Jose Hotel grounds, for old-time's sake, particularly admiring the burbling waterlily pond.

The 04 Lofts (named after zip code 78704 - not just a zip code, a way of life, as the bumper stiicker says) are a great example of new, green, interesting living spaces.

Hope your week is filled with fun foods and sights.

mother's day arrangements

2009-05-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Some yummy smelling arrangements that Pollen delivered for Mother's Day - top vase holds a king protea, orange pincushions, parrot tulips, purple hyacinth, ti leaves, curly willow, and very fragrant Soloman's Seal. Bottom vase holds a heliconia (cut stem smells like cucumber!), purple allium, parrot tulips, pincushion, ti leaves and willow. These were for some very avant garde moms.

And to my Mom - Happy Mother's Day, and your cards are on the way!

wildflowers

2009-05-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so not all of these are wild flowers, but some of them are - the two Indian Blankets in the little glass vase, and the unknown white puff balls that oozed milky sap. The others are from my mom's garden - red honeysuckle, parsley flowers, hosta and vitex foliage, cottage yarrow and the strangely-shaped yellow flower. All free, all lovely. I might have to start growing that honeysuckle to use in wedding flowers... Thanks Mom for letting me pilfer your blooms.

austin florist: petals, ink.

2009-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love Austin. And I really love the people that live here... like Gretchen O'Neil, the owner of a new floral business called Petals, Ink. I met Gretchen last summer when I was visiting Austin, and she was so fun and nice. She's just started her own business and blog, and I can't wait to see more of her work...she also takes beautiful botanical shots. Thanks Gretchen!

Carrots and loquats with mixed flowers.