Seasonal Flowers - Bloomin' Blog

Flower Possibilities For A Fall Wedding

February 22, 2010 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: What kind of flowers are popular a fall wedding??

I am starting to plan a wedding and I am getting married in Sept 2011 and I am wondering what kind of flowers are popular for a fall wedding and also what kind of flowers would you recommend for a wedding?? I would really like some advice and suggestions..
Thanks,
Sarah

Flower Expert Reply:

First off congratulations, Fall weddings are wonderful. But, don’t let the fact that you wedding is occurring in fall keep you from having the flowers you desire.

With the globalization of the flower industry, you are not bound by seasonal flowers. What is more important is choosing colors that represent fall – deep reds, harvest golds, burnt oranges and other symbolic fall colors.

However, if you want to keep with the autumn theme and use seasonal flowers, there are several options to choose from. You can see a complete list of flowers available in September here.

My personal (and often the most popular) choice for fall wedding flowers are:

Anthurium
Gerberas (particularly the wonderful orange and red shades available in the fall)
Calla Lily
Sunflowers
Hydrangeas
Slipper Orchids
Gloriosa Lily
Chrysanthemums
Protea
Roses

Any flower or foliage that represents the fall harvest is a candidate for an autumn wedding bouquet.

Don’t be afraid to beat to your own drummer. Your wedding bouquet is an extension of your personality.

I have seen fall brides use flowers not typically associated with autumn in their bouquets. Remember a sense of fall can be achieved through texture and color. So discuss what unusual flowers are an option or will compliment the traditional fall flowers you choose.

I recommend finding a few pictures of flowers that represent fall to you and pictures of bouquet styles you like.

Take the pictures to your local wedding florist and discuss how to incorporate the flowers you want with the bouquet style you want. This way you can achieve the ultimate fall bouquet for your wedding.

What Plants Add March Interest In South Carolina

February 4, 2010 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask The Expert: Im trying to figure out what would be the best plants to plant outside in March to beautify my community. Kimberly Columbia, SC

Plant Expert Reply:

Are you looking for shrubs or flowers? South Carolina is a zone 7-8. So, you would need plants that are zone 7 hardy. The issue is March may not be the best time to plants shrubs in your area. Another issue to consider is the location you are wanting to beautify.

If you simply want to beautify an entrance to your home or an office building, I suggest using decorative pots filled with annual flowers. This option gives you color, as well as an opportunity to change your colors seasonally. For March, I suggest the following flowers: pansies, snapdragons, wave petunia, lisanthus, dianthus, delphinium, diascia, stock, alyssum, bacopa, bellis, primula, violas. My personal preference is a pot with snapdragons and wave petunias. To find your best option drop into your local nursery or garden center and discuss the flowers available in your area.

The same goes for shrubs. To find the right shrubs for your area, you have to consider many factors: space requirements, soil needs, maintenance, whether a commercial or residential application and the need for year-round interest. I personally like a mixture of evergreen, blooming and deciduous plants.

Nandinas are one of my favorite shrubs in early spring. Although, I prefer the dwarf nandinas — either a harbour belle or a gulf stream variety. Nandinas have a reddish foliage in the cold months and a green foliage in the warm months. So, this plant could add a lot of interest to your area in March. I also favor boxwoods and cleyera japonica as foundation plants. If you have room for a tree and you want early spring blooming try a saucer magnolia or a star magnolia.

The best suggestion I can give you on want to plant is to take a photo and measurements of the area and take it to your local garden center and nursery. This way they can help you design your area and show your the plant options available in your area.

Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

Filed Under: Plant Suggestions Tagged With: Flower Suggestions, Seasonal Flowers, Shrubs

Are Hydrangeas Available For Shipment To Arizonia In October?

August 21, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: Can we get hydrangeas shipped to AZ in Oct?
If so, guestimated cost & how can we get the color we want? S

Plant Expert Reply:

Hydrangea are available in October. If you are a florist or an event planner looking for a source of wholeale hydrangeas , FGmarket.com has several hydrangea suppliers who will ship hydrangeas July through December. I would contact one of them for pricing and color availability. Hydrangeas on the wholesale level will run around the $7.50 mark.

I don’t there will be any problem having hydrangeas shipped to Arizona in October. Be sure to properly hydrate the hydrangeas when your receive them.

If you need hydrangeas but don’t qualify to buy them wholesale, contact a local Arizona florist who can sell them to you by the stem. The price will be much higher at the retail level.

Filed Under: Floral Resources Tagged With: Seasonal Flowers, Wholesale Hydrangeas

Orange Flowers Available For December Wedding

August 18, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: Which flowers are available in December?
My best friend is getting married in the end of December in Florida. I am trying to help her as much as I can. So right now I am looking for seasonal flowers that would be available during that time. For her wedding color she wants to go for a deeper orange color. Could you help me with that? Thank you. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Hanna N.

Plant Expert Reply:
The flower world has changed over the years and many flower varieties are now available year round. However, it is always nice to has a list to go by when you are in the early planning stages. The following flowers are available for weddings in December and in a shade of orange:

Alstromeria, Ascelpias, Bird of Paradise, Calla Lily, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Euphorbia, Fressia, Gerbera, Gladiolus, Hypericum, Lily (Asiatic), Narcissus, Protea, Ranunculus, Rose, Safflower, and Tulip.

Orange Gerbera Wedding Bouquet

Many of these flowers are excellent choices for wedding bouquets and reception flowers. My personal favorites are Gerberas, Callas and Tulips. If you need a strong presentation of orange, the Asiatic Lily blooms are large and make a great focal flower. To add a delicate element used the Fressia or Ascelpias. For a unique look used the Safflower.

Of course, there are other wedding flowers available in December and that is where your local Florida florist comes in handy. You can take this list to them and discuss these wedding flowers. The florist can show you what these flowers look like and how they can be used in bouquets. They will be able to suggest other flowers that are available in December and which will complement the flowers already discussed.

If you need a good source for planning a wedding, check out Wedding and Party Network and The Celebration Advisor. In fact the photo above came from the wedding bouquet photo gallery on Wedding and Party Network. Scott Darhower of Apple Blossoms Floral Design in Tampa designed the gorgeous bouquets.

I hope you and your friend have a fun planning her wedding. Keep me posted. I can’t wait to see what wedding flowers you choose.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Florida Florists, Flower Suggestions, Seasonal Flowers, Wedding Flowers

Yellow Wildflower

August 17, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams 7 Comments

Yellow Wildflower

Wildflower Leaf

Ask the Expert: What Flower is this?
4 to 6 foot tall
Multiple blooms up to 3 inches in diameter Paul

Plant Expert Reply:

This one was a little tricky the bloom looks like one kind of plant and the leaf another. However, I believe the wildflower you have is a Rudbeckia laciniata. It is a perennial hardy in zones 3-9. It will bloom from mid-summer ot mid-autumn.

Filed Under: Flower Identification Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Fall Flowers, Flower Identification, Perennials, Seasonal Flowers, Summer Flowers

Hydrangea Availability For Wedding Flowers

July 6, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams 12 Comments

Ask the Expert: November/December flowers
I’d really like a bouquet with blue hydrangea and a couple white cabbage roses mixed in, but I think hydrangea will be out of season in late Nov, early Dec. Is there another blue flower I could substitute?

Thank you!

Amy

Plant Expert Reply:

You’ll be glad to know hydrangeas are available to florists year round. So you won’t need to subsititue another flower for hydrangea blooms in your wedding bouquet.

Although hydrangeas are used mostly in spring (March, April, May) and summer (June, July, August), we are seeing a rise in hydrangeas use in fall weddings (September, October, November). Winter brides (December, January, February) often use hydrangea blooms when they want a large white bloom. This beautiful bloom is a wonderful wedding flower choice.

If you still need ideas for blue wedding flowers let me know.

Filed Under: Wedding Flowers Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Blue Flowers, Hydrangeas, Seasonal Flowers

The Beauty Of White Peonies

May 15, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams 2 Comments

Despite the wind, the rain (the massive rain) and the unseasonably cool temperatures, my peonies have been beautiful.

Since I like to share, here are a couple pictures from my garden.

White Peony Bloom

When you enlarge the picture you can see the water droplets on the peony petals.

White Peonies In Vase

I cut five peonies from my garden and placed them in a ginger jar. I made sure to shake out all of the ants first. I love being able to cut flowers from my garden. Fortunately, when I don’t have anything blooming I can turn to my local florist for flowers. I think I’ll use this vase of peonies as my dinner table centerpiece.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Flower Suggestions, Peony, Seasonal Flowers

What Perennials Can I Use With Lantana To Extend The Blooming Period?

April 29, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: lantana groupings
Last year I created an octagon flower bed with lantanas that looks wonderful when in bloom, but they bloom so late in the season that the bed looks empty now. What can I plant in the bed with them that will come back year after year? I live in Eclectic, AL, close to Montgomery, the bed receives full sun, & the soil is mostly red clay with potting soil in the plant hole. Jennifer

Reply:
If you want something blooming every season, you will need to plant several different kinds of plants.
For winter blooming, I suggest Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose) which grows to about 15″.
For early spring blooming, I suggest Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) which will need to be at the front of your bed since it will only get about 4-6″ in hgt but will spread.
For late spring try Stokesia laevis (Stoke’s Aster) which will grow to about 15″ in height. Kniphofia uvaria (Red Hot poker) with blooms that can be 3′ height.

You can also plant tulips and daffodils in the bed with the lantana for late winter/early spring blooming. Since lantana last well in to the late fall I would bother with a fall blooming perennial unless you want to plant chrysanthemums.

Good luck and keep me posted on your garden’s progress. I would love to see pictures of it as it progresses.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Flower Suggestions, Lantana, Perennials, Seasonal Flowers, Spring Blooming Flowers, Winter Blooming Flowers

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

April 27, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Thought I would share some flower pictures from the 2009 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The Tulip Festival is held each year in Mount Vernon, Washington and features somewhere between 400 to 700 acres of planted Tulip bulbs and other fresh flowers. If you are a Tulip lover, this is a must-attend event – you truly must be there to appreciate the beauty of the flowers.

Use this link to find out more about the Tulip Festival.

Enjoy the gallery.

Pink Tulip Field

Top Perennial Choices For Washington DC By Season

April 22, 2009 by Jamie Jamison Adams Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: What perennials bloom each season.
I live in the Washington, DC area and would like some flowers to blossom for each season, spring, summer, and fall. Can you help me? Cynthia

Reply:

The possibilies are vast. So, I’ll share a few of my favorites that will also work in your area. Our hardiness zones are very similar Paragould Ar is a 6b (6-7)zone and DC is a 7b (7-8)zone. Knowing what zone you are in is important when selecting perennial. The hardiness zone defines how cold the area will get and every plant has a cold hadiness thresshold.

For Winter -Gerberas (if you are lucky) and Hellebores. I also plant tulips and daffodil.

For Spring- Iris, Verbascum, Peonies, Phlox subulata (creeping phlox), Anemone, Bergenia, Clematis and Dianthus.

For Summer – Phlox paniculata, Guara, Echinacea, Ascelepias, Liatris, Gallardia, Veronica, Platycodon, Monarda, Kniphofia and Alcea (hollyhock). I could go on and on but I these are my favorties. I also plant Asiatic lilies, Oriental lilies and Gladiolus.

For Autumn – Anemone, Solidago, Helianthus, Chrysanthemums, Dianthus, Rudebeckia and Geum.

Of course these are just a handful of the many perennial options for the Washington Dc area. There are also an abundance of flowering shrubs for each season that can add color to your yard. The thing to do is to pop into your local nursery & garden center – not a box store. Most nurseries will have a perennial person (someone who is both knowledgeable about and has actually grown many of the perennials themselves). I happen to be the perennial person for our garden center. They will be able to give you the true ins and outs about which perennials perform well in your area. Other factors such as humidity and rain fall can also determine the right perennials for your area and the staff at your local garden center will be able to help you with those issues.

Good Luck and let me know how your perennial garden does.

Filed Under: Plant Suggestions Tagged With: Ask The Plant Expert, Phlox, Plant Suggestions, Seasonal Flowers, Solidago

Follow Us