So when do you throw the flowers out ?

This is the title of the photographic exhibition which opens next week at the Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne.

My friend Dena Ashbolt was inspired by the way that poppies age:

They begin with those tight, little hairy buds that give away nothing, then as the sunlight unzips them, soft chiffon-like petals come tumbling out. Ballerina-like they stand in their diaphanous gowns, and too soon they start to wither, and to fall into very angular poses.

So when do you throw the flowers out ?

Read about Dena and the exhibition here

Floral Handbags - IWD

I was asked to do some table centres for a favourite client who was celebrating International Women's Day, yesterday, with a cocktail party.

The IWD colours are green, white and purple: white for purity in public as well as private life; purple for justice, dignity, self-reverence and self-respect (and representing the women's vote) ; green for hope and new life. Apparently there is some debate about the use and meaning/concept of the word 'purity' - I would be interested in learning more, if you can help me here.

I wanted to do something a bit different, as the tables which they had to adorn were very large, and unfortunately the flower budget was not to scale. The theme was 'Planning', which in these modern e-times, does not give you much to play with as props ... no more diaries, desk calendars, or paper charts.

I decided to try using handbags as containers. I found a couple at the local Opportunity Shop, lined them and made then waterproof with plastic bags (recycled) and this is how they turned out...




The one on the left is actually made of tin, but was in the shape
of a shopping bag.

(The photos don't really do them justice. I didn't have time to take photos before I delivered them).

It was good fun doing them, and creating something totally different from my usual style.

I originally had the idea that they could be taken home afterwards, but I had to weight them considerably so that they wouldn't topple over.

Might work on the idea though !

Sunflowers 1

This week, barely having recovered from the busy-ness that is Valentine's Day, Calypso Flowers supplied flowers for the celebration of Audrey's 75th birthday.

Who, you might well ask, is Audrey ?

Audrey is the name of the girl featured on the neon sign for the former Skipping Girl vinegar factory in Abbotsford. The sign is one of Melbourne's most popular icons, and it happens to be a hop, skip, and a jump from my studio.

A couple of years ago, she had a facelift, and this year, just to show that she is keeping abreast of technology, she has gone solar.

Go, Audrey !





The flower of choice for the birthday party was... sunflowers - of course !

These are a couple of the little table centres which we did for the cocktail tables.

I didn't manage to get any photos of the arrangements in situ, because, Melbourne being Melbourne, a dreadfully hot (32 deg Centigrade) day was followed by a totally voluptuous thunder lighting and rain storm. The works.

The function was to be held on the rooftop from whence I took the first photo, but it was too wet and windy to put the flowers in place just to take a photo.

Anyway, as often happens when a truly seasonal flower comes around, I was reminded of the beauty, intricacy, and perfection of each bloom. Such beautiful colours, and such a transformation from the tight, green and brown bud, into such a large 'in your face' flower.

They last quite well, although the leaves lose their vitality first.
Hmm, think I might buy a few bunches at market this week....

Pinterest interest.

A few months ago, I was introduced by a fellow florist to Pinterest.

It took a little while to get used to the idea of 'stealing' other people's finds - I know how thrilled it is when you finally find exactly what you are looking for on the net. But then I worked out that if 'people' - read 'me' - didn't want to have their treasures taken, they didn't have to put them up there for all the world to see, and steal.

Now, I think it is just fantastic, and a great tool for my work.

For those who might not know how it works, the principle is the same as cutting out pictures and sorting them into folders or pinning them onto a corkboard. You know - ideas for the garden if only you had one, clothes you'd like to make if only you could sew, houses you'd like to live in if only you lived in (insert favourite city). So, once you have joined up, you can search for all these things and many more, and just 'pin' them onto your board/s. Others can search for them too, and then pin them on to their boards. And they do. Very quickly !

I recently need to show a bride to be some ideas for floral decorations for church pews. I was able to find several examples from other weddings, and when she came in, I could quickly and easily show them to her.

Today I discovered the beautiful work of a Belgian-born florist living in the USA, whose name is Francoise Weeks. Her style of work is one that I am constantly trying to develop myself, and her attention to beautiful detail is outstanding.




I do make sure that I always acknowledge and give the provenance of the photo wherever possible, and hope that others do the same to my photos. These are all from her website (see below).

If you haven't looked at it before, go to Pinterest immediately.
My user name is calyflo.
Find out more about this lovely lady here.



Note to self: learn how to better position the photos, and find out where the cedilla is on the keyboard !