peonies

I’m always seduced in May by the majestic peonies. Being deeply in love with this flower I decided to give it my full attention with a shoot. First of all I started to look around my studio to find some objects to go with the peonies. I found some romantic little glass vases, some hand-made paper bags by Dutch stylist Ilvy Jacobs, an antique cake dish ... While I was deciding the best place for the shoot I came across the bright emerald lettuces growing in my vegetable patch. I thought it would be an unusual backdrop for some photos.

I selected one of my favourite variety of peony, the Sarah Bernhardt; with its delicate pink hue with some splashes of intense red near the stem. The metamorphosis of this flower always fascinates me. The peony bud starts out like a tightly closed fist, and then slowly becomes a flower rich in petals, a little bit ruffled and with that kind of crumpled look which I love so much. Plunging my face into the petals I feel their softness and freshness brush me. I don’t think you can find anything softer or more delicate. While I was buying them I just happened to find the peony Eventide which I saw for the first time. This peony is a single flowered one with its coral pink colour which fades until it becomes nearly translucent white. Only the single flowered variety opens in the day light and close at night.

The Sarah Bernhardt peony belongs to the herbaceous perennial plant, and was known in ancient Greece for its medicinal properties. It originally came from China where it was called the Queen of flowers. During the past centuries became more and more important and was an iconic flower. In 1903 The Qing dynasty declared it the national flower.

Enough small chat take a look for yourself!

If by any chance you are near Turin at the moment, go and visit the Commande nursery. This place was born out of passion for the peony. They have many different varieties of this magnificent flower.

May blossoming in my garden and terrace

May is an awesome month for my garden and terrace, every day there is surprise awaiting. I’ve been watching the peony bush for some days and just yesterday the first white flower blossomed. There is such a lot of life within it, ants are running up and down its branches and insect are nestling among the petals.

A poppy with its delicate red petal has just blossomed and I really don’t know where the seed came from.

The plants that we chose for the terrace are growing very well.

The green wall that we created is fully blossomed: in April the Osmanthus plants were a perfumed white cloud and now all the roses are opening up. There are different rose plants and each one has its own distinctive colour and perfume. The huses range from pale white to deep purple. The perfume from the white roses is very delicate whereas that of the deep purple ones is so rich and timeless. These roses remind me of the English garden ones which I really love.

The seeds that we planted in early March are growing beautifully. We planted some sweet peas, nigella and cornockles, but we have to wait patiently to see them bloom.

The herbs are coming on splendidly and the first strawberries were delicious.

Yellow, pink and red roses run along the garden fence. Like paint from an artist’s palette splashes of colour brighten every corner of the garden.

On Sunday afternoon I was sitting on the terrace in the shade reading an article about the use of the rose in the cosmetic industry. I discovered that the rose it the most studied flower by biologists and botanists. The only two roses that are used in this sector are the antique cabbage rose and the damask rose. The cabbage rose is cultivated in the South of France and Morocco in the valley of roses and I strongly recommend that you go there! The damask rose comes from Turkey and Bulgaria. Elisabeth de Feydau, professor of the Ecole of Perfumiers of Versailles, describes the scent of the cabbage rose : as herbaceous, poudrè and gourmand. The damask rose however has a fruitier scent with notes of litchi, raspberry, geranium and verbena.

Still on the same topic have a look at the video about the “Rose of Grainville” which was coultivated for the first time in Grainville in Normandy by the Dior. The villa and garden became a museum in 1997.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back next month to tell you how white lavender and seeds are coming along.

tulips

Everything about these flowers fascinates me: their origin, history, legends, meaning and the many varieties and colours.

The tulip comes from the East, from Turkey to be precise, where it’s the national flower. It’s first appearance, in Europe was in Wien in the 16th century imported by the ambassador of the Roman empire. Then popularity spread throughout Europe.

From 1644 till 1647 the Dutch people became obsessed with tulips. During this period the price of the bulbs increased so much that people made a lot of money and others lost their entire fortune. Finally in the 19th century the government decided to regulate the prices making them accessible to everybody.

Nowadays the 16h of January in Holland is the national tulip day. In the biggest square in Amsterdam, Dam Square, an awesome temporary garden is created with more than 200.000 tulips. Ten thousand people visit Dam Square every year and receive a tulip.

A few of my favorites are:

French tulips: the stems are long and very willowy. It’s fascinating to see how these tulips move around and bend while time is passing.

Double tulips: the head has at least 15 petals and when it opens up it reminds me of a peony. A variety which is ideal for brides-to-be in late winter and early spring is the “Fox- trot”. The hues vary from white to pale pink.

Parrots tulips: their petals remind me of colourful feathers of a parrot

I’m always bewitched to see how tulips change during their lifetime. They grow, bend, open up and change the hues of their blossom. They’re a true gift from nature.

Tip: don’t put more than 5 fingers of water in the vase. It’s incredible how much they grow, so keep this in mind when creating your floral arrangement.

Ranunculus

Ranunculus: pure poetry, a very feminine flower with layers upon layers of silky petals.

The latin name is “Ranuncolus Asiaticus”. This flower is also known as spring rose.

Ranunculus begin to appear in the flower markets in December through to the end of May. When you see them all together at the flower market, it’s really impressive and so awesome. It’s one of the few flowers that are still grown in Italy and exported.

There are so many hues and colors: from pure white to wine red, from pale pink to energetic fucsia from orange to soft cream and last but not least bright shades of yellow.

Let’s not forget about the many different types of ranunculus such as the classical, the pom–pom, the cappuccino and the magnificent cloni varieties.

The ranunculus cloni with its bigger than average head started to appear at the flower markets a few years ago. It’s produced in Sanremo where it was created.

The ranunculus is perfect for a bridal bouquet. The ranunculus cloni in particular has all the elegance of an English garden rose and the beauty of peonies.

The older they get the more beautiful they become; the blossom opens up more and more to reveal their silken petals.

This seemingly fragile and delicate flower is surprisingly hardy. The standard variety can last about 7 days while the cloni one up to 14 to 21 days. A tip: don’t put more than 5 fingers of water in the vase otherwise the stem will become rotten. When the blossom becomes very heavy, cut it very short and leave it floating in a glass so you can still enjoy it.

I took some pictures from Floret and Flowerona.

Flower Design Course at the Villa La Valverde #2

After the beautiful experience enjoyed by all at the 1st Flower Design Course at the Villa La Valverde, we have to show you the photos from the 2nd lesson we had at the location, this one dedicated to the Rose, the Queen of all Flowers. We created marvelous bouquets, vibrant with deep, rich colours that allowed the Rose’s elegance to play with the freshness of the viburnum opulus and sparkling branches of lilac. (some pictures of the floral material used: IMG1 – IMG2 – IMG3). Also this visit permitted us to find splendid flowers to use in our creations from those growing on the grounds of the Villa, such as indigo iris and hawthorn, used together with strawberries and radishes for particular and fun, smaller, secondary bouquets.

Another warm thank you to all of the participants, congratulations for the magnificent levels of beauty acquired on this occasion as well. We leave you to take a look at the image gallery of this lesson.

A Great Gatsby Wedding

Taking place at the Villa d’Acquarone, an incredible wedding inspired by the magnificent style of the Great Gatsby. A celebration reminiscent of the extravagant 1920’s style parties, realized in collaboration with Palazzo Eventi, which recreated the sparkling, electric, energy rich atmosphere of the times, with extraordinary attention to the smallest of details.

The chromatic floral compositions we created for this event bring to mind the elegance and vitality of the period, while expressing the visual force of fireworks: roses, dahlias, gladioli and amaranthus are assembled to create this effect, playing with their contrasting and powerful coloring in order to complement their diversity. Adding crystal to the ensemble amplifies the effect of the floral array, increasing the luminosity and intensifying the atmosphere of lavish, vibrant luxury.

The Villa d’Acquarone was adorned externally as well as internally with custom arrangements for each separate space. The dining hall walls and the head table were enriched with floral compositions of alternating heights, bouquets of roses and orchids cascading from the chandelier. Outside, a powerful and emotion inspiring floral arch was created for the bride and groom to celebrate their union: the declaration and promises of love were exchanged under a triumphant display of roses, hydrangeas and hanging crystal. The aviary, the pool, the main and supplementary entrances, the lounge area and the indoor fountain were decorated as well.

We left no detail untouched. We even proposed the preparation of beautiful gift corsages for the ladies present at the ceremony: freesias, pearls, and feathers to enhance the head or wrists of the female attendants. Even the external chairs were adorned with organdy and satin bows centered with Swarovski crystals.

A fairytale wedding at the Byblos Art Hotel

These are our floral arrangements created for a wedding which took place at the beautiful Byblos Art Hotel, Villa Amist, in collaboration with Palazzo Eventi.

Potrete vedere il video dell’evento in onda su Sky Sposa TV, canale 425, sabato 25 gennaio alle ore 22:15 e domenica 26 gennaio alle ore 19:25. Una preview qui: