Category: flowers

After our elaborate ombré peony installation last month, we decided to go back to the basics to showcase summer’s floral bounty this month. August is always an odd time of year because it feels like peak summer, but with a hint of the cooler months to come. It’s been too hot here in Seattle to do anything over the top (does anyone else feel like it requires tons of extra effort to do stuff when it’s blazing hot out?), so we kept this DIY pretty simple and straightforward. Using a custom handmade Jill Rosenwald vase, we chose to compliment the bold, blue tones in this vase with whites, greens, and a touch of blush. The combination is a floral arrangement that’s easy to make and quite stunning!

An All-White Floral Centerpiece Inspired by Summer | DIY

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While peony season is over, we didn’t forget about it! We’ve had something special up our sleeves to share with you that is an over-the-top homage to Instagram’s favorite flower. When Joanna first suggested ombré peonies, both of us started brainstorming ideas. We thought of everything from simple tabletop flat lays to piles of peonies on antique ladders, but then Joanna came up with the idea of peonies + a vintage car… or as she called it, “a concept shoot to break the internet.” Genius. I was so excited to tackle the task of how to display the flowers and create a DIY floral arrangement that felt like more of an art installation.

Ombré Peony Floral Installation | DIY

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Is there anything better than lilac season? The scent is absolutely heavenly and the tiny blooms on each stem are just too darling. When Joanna asked me to create a lilac bouquet, I immediately knew the perfect companion flower: popcorn viburnum. Popcorn viburnum is a spring-blooming bush with strongly-veined green leaves and clusters of non-fragrant snowball-like white flowers. I usually strip the leaves from lilac in order to force all hydration into the flowers, so the viburnum brings a lovely source of green into a lilac arrangement. The texture of the leaves is so lovely, as well. The pops of white through the viburnum flowers provide the perfect contrast to the purple lilac and I appreciate that they don’t bring any additional fragrance in allowing the sweet scent of lilac to shine!

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What could possibly be more quintessentially spring than tulips and daffodils? These happy blooms are popping up all around for a much-needed jolt of cheerfulness after a long winter — and just in time for Mother’s Day! Yesterday, Joanna shared an eclectic tablescape for three to celebrate Mother’s Day, but let’s talk about the main star of the event: the nest centerpiece! We decided to embrace spring’s best floral offering for this month’s floral DIY with a giant bird’s nest full of tulips and daffodils — and it’s super-easy to recreate on your own.

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Spring is somewhat of an elusive season here in Seattle. I remember my first March in this city, after moving from North Carolina, and wondering if it would ever warm up. We get days here and there that make you believe it might be happening, where the sun shines bright and the temps rise near 60 degrees for part of the day. And the flowers — the crocuses start pushing their cheery heads out of the ground in late February and trees start budding. My favorite part of PNW spring is that it’s also kumquat season. When I see these little citrus beauties pop up at the flower market, it really feels like spring just might be here. This month, Joanna and I decided that kumquats would be the perfect starting point for our springtime centerpiece. When mixed with flowering quince and three gorgeous pincushion protea, the resulting arrangement feels like a promise that winter is about to end.

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A lot of planning goes into creating these centerpieces and, often, it’s a conversation that starts with a wishlist of pieces Joanna wants to incorporate. For example, for this Valentine’s Day, she’s planned an unexpected tablescape that feels rich, elegant, and moody — almost like a baroque still life oil painting (editor’s note: specifically Jan Davidsz de Heem!). Not gonna lie… when she sent me her color palette ideas, I was interested, but definitely skeptical of the yellow she wanted to add in… but I trusted her always on-point vision and went for it. I found these Dark Landini lilies and immediately knew we had to use them (and they were ready for harvest just in time for us to use). The rich burgundy hue provide the perfect balance for the pop of yellow, especially when enclosed a classic glass cloche. I assembled two of them to serve as the backdrop for the dinner for two and they ended up being so stunning and rich.

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