discovering hellebore

Today I’m going to tell you all about my morning with Laura the owner of “The Unsual Garden” where I had the pleasure of discovering new varieties of hellebore. I met Laura in September in Mantua where she was showing off her recent crop of tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs. I immediately bought some colorful tulips and daffodil and so now I can’t wait to see them bloom. In the last few months I’ve been keeping in touch with her in order to know when the hellebore was ready to blossom. Usually they start blossoming in December but this year it was delayed due to lack of rain and the intense cold. Finally the message arrived and so I jumped into the car and went to see her.

Twenty years ago Laura and two families bought a piece of land where they built their homes. They left the garden unfenced so as to enjoy the countryside at its best. On clear days they have an amazing view over lake Garda and the nearby mountains and it’s a haven of peace and tranquility.

In spite of the greyish day, the garden had a magical atmosphere. I was immediately attracted to an impressive tree boasting tiny red apples and to delicate bunches of Viburnum dawn foresi. Laura was the perfect host accompanying me to explore her garden, pointing out the different varieties of hellebore scattered all over the garden. I even discovered some uncommon ones such as: hellebore picotee with delicate burgundy veining, a polka dot variety, a doubled petal one and even a blue one (I couldn’t resist buying one of the blue ones and I can’t wait to see it bloom).

Having spend a wonderful morning with Laura I’m anxious to return in April when the garden will be in full bloom.

Just a word about caring for your hellebore. It’s a hardy perennial, rustic plant and starts blooming at the beginning of winter until April. This plant likes half shade, and in April when it finishes blossoming it’s essential to keep it in the shade until autumn. In the Uk and northern America it‘s also known as the Christmas rose as it was traditionally used as a Christmas decoration. The most common variety is the Helleborus niger with its pure white flowers.

Hope you’re keeping busy in the garden as spring is on its way!

See you next time!

anemones

In the winter flower gallery let us spare some time to better get acquainted with anemones. You’ll learn to love this graceful flower little by little. Anemones are so unpretentious and shy, always huddled together with their blossoms tightly closed as though they’re hiding a secret.

Once you buy them you need to arm yourself with plenty of patience. They will slowly reveal themselves like dancers doing pirouettes in light voile skirts. As the blossoms open up, they finally show off their dramatic black centre surrounded by bright coloured petals. We are spoilt for choice with all the variety of colours. From pure white, ideal for a winter bouquet to vivid red, perfect for Christmas and St. Valentine’s, right down to timeless elegant burgundy.

Here are some practical tips for caring for your anemones:

• the hollow stems are very delicate so handle them carefully
• they don’t need a lot of water (maximum 5 cm)
• they’ll grow so keep this in mind when creating your floral arrangement
• buy them at least 3 days before making your floral arrangement

I came across these photos of anemones and I was fascinated by them. This shots were taken by Jessica a Californian floral designer, who revealed that anemones are her favourite flowers. I think she managed to capture all their beauty, what do you think?

Which are your favourite winter flower? Let me know!

festive flowers for your Christmas table

To create an elegant Christmas table I was inspired by this blue tableware from the designer store Froh & Sinn in Zurich. I suggest a welcome floral arrangement in a light blue vase if possible, 3 bouquets of white roses for your centrepiece and a small bouquet for each guest placed on a blue napkin. Add a cozy atmosphere lots of snow and candlelight for some true festive spirit.

For the welcome floral arrangement, you will need:

• 1 medium branch of Norway pine
• 1 medium branch of silver pine
• 2 small branches of cypress with pine cones
• 2 berries of silver brunia
• 2 berries of white St. John’s Wort
• 1 stem of blue Sea Holly
  
  Start with 2 slightly overlapping big branches, add some silver cypress at different heights and finish with a bunch of berries on the front. To add some sparkle thread a string of led lights among the branches.

For the rose bouquets, you will need:

• 6 stems of fully blossomed white roses
• spruce (as much as you may need)

First remove all the leaves from each stem and create your bouquet using the criss-cross technique (have a look at the video in the link). Finally cover all the stems with small branches of spruce that you prepared earlier and tie with a ribbon.

If you need some more tips for decorating your Christmas table please send me an e-mail, I’ll be happy to answer you. I look forward to seeing your creations!

If you want to brush up on your flower arranging skills or even give a workshop as a gift, don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember my workshops are open to everyone no matter what your level, just the only essential ingredient is passion!

Don’t forget my next workshop will be just before St. Valentine to help you create a special bouquet (see link for details).

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and see you in January 2017!

a journal on our two-day workshop

During the first week-end in July I organized a floral intensive workshop. Two days fully immersed in the floral world. The main objective was to give the theoretical and practical know how to get started in the art of floral design.

The course was held in the amazing Villa La Valverde a country house set in the nearby Verona countryside.

While I was preparing the course and deciding which flowers to use I realized that the essential element was colour. On Saturday the floral arrangements were: a classical, white bouquet of roses and a floral garden composition. While doing the classical one the group learned the basic criss-cross technique useful for the creation of all kinds of bouquets. For the floral arrangement in sponge I focused on different shades of pink.

On Sunday we started with the creation of a natural, yet romantic bouquet and a floral arrangement with flowers, fruit and vegetables. For the natural bouquet I chose flowers which aren’t often used together with contrasting colours to give it an edge. The floral arrangement in sponge was made using different shapes and materials styled together with the flowers.

It always amazes me how each of us expresses ourselves through flowers. There can be flowers that we love more, colours which don’t resonate with us, materials and shapes with which we are more comfortable. The whole journey is a continuous discovery and also a chance to get out of our comfort zone.

Over the two days while chatting over a coffee we got to know each other better and shared our ideas.

At the end of the course, everyone proudly took home not only their beautiful arrangements but a wealth of information. Throughout this intensive experience, I also learned a lot. It was a pleasure and a privilege to accompany these passionate and motivated people trough this magical and marvelous world.

flowers for an intimate wedding

An intimate wedding on a bright May day. Matanja and Anton, a young German couple decided to get married here in Verona and, asked me to do all the floral arrangements. A blissful carefree wedding in the company of a few close friends and relatives.

Beforehand Matanja and I had a nice chat about style, flowers and colours. The couple wanted a very small and romantic wedding. They also wanted it to be informal but with a special attention to detail. Matanja adored all shades of punk from the most dramtic tone to the most delicate one. A dash of mauve and a touch of light green completed here moodboard. May with its huge variety of flowers was the perfect month to fulfil her wish. Peonies in two shades of pink took pride of place in the arrangement. These were complemented by syringa lills with its elegant hint of mauve, lavender, ligh green viburnum, depp pink alstilbe, light pink eustoma and an outstanding purple scabiosa. It was a striking but well balanced combination.

The flowers had to make every place special and unforgettable:from the romatic villa, Juliet’s tomb whre the ceremony was taking place and the Piazza for the aperitifs.

In keeping with the wedding I created all the arrangements in a natural yet elegant style. The pale pink of Matanja’s short lace dress was the perfect contrast to deep purple of her head wreath and bouquet.

The flowers had to make every place special and unforgettable:from the romatic villa, Juliet’s tomb whre the ceremony was taking place and the Piazza for the aperitifs.

The wedding day.

Upon my arrival at the villa I was immediately immerses in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Everybody was getting ready maidt laughter and music.

At 10 o’colock the couple and their guests strolled down the road to Juliet’s tomb. After a short moving ceremony the couple walked through to the intimate courtyard where tey were greeted with bubbles and joy.

Verona is the perfect backdrop for a dream wedding.
Its locations include stunning Ponte Pietra, lively Piazza delle Erbe and the elegant Giusti’s garden to name but a few.

A special thenks to Sergio Sarnicola for his wonderful pictures.

3 tips for a centre-piece with flowers from your gardens

Looking at the gardens so full of blooming flowers I thought about making a simple centre-piece with what nature offers us. I decided to create the arrangement working with just one colour and its different shades and consistencies.

The hue that I chose was the glorious red of my geraniums. You’re probably asking why I started with the colour and not the flowers. The reason being it narrows down the variety available. It’s essential to stick to one shade or a colour scheme when choosing the flowers you’re going to use. Keeping in mind this rule allows us the freedom to select the flowers and focus on the variety of shades, shapes and texture. I finally decided to match the geraniums with some oleander flowers and roses all with different hues of red.

Yesterday while I was on my way home, a blooming blackberry bush caught my eye. The graceful and tiny flowers seemed to have being drawn by children and are a pleasant reminder that summer is nearly here. I decided to use these to add lightness and frivolity to the centre-piece.

Fruit is also very useful when decorating a table. Shiny red cherries were the perfect choice that echoed the essence of summer. For movement and texture I added a sprig of rosemary, vine with tiny green grapes and some airy fennel bloom.

I use 3 small vases for this floral arrangement. Why 3? As the Latin saying goes “everything that comes in 3 is perfect”; a floral arrangement composed with 3 looks more natural and less forced than an even-numbered collection. Don’t be afraid to play around with the symmetry and asymmetry. Remember to use a simple vase if your composition is of a bold colour. For this centre-piece I used simple glass vases.

In a nutshell

1. Decide on one colour

2. Create a floral arrangement with 3 vases (glass or white ceramic or terracotta for a more rustic setting)

3. Add fruit to give an extra special touch

4. Enjoy and let yourself be transported by the colours

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: