Meet Brian of HJ Hautau and Sons. I met Brian from HJ Hautau and Sons (or as he put it, Hautau and Grandsons) one morning shopping for flowers. It turns out he is the third generation still growing flowers in our area of the Hudson Valley. All his Ranunculus are beautiful. They are the perfect blousy flowers to use during the winter and early … [Read more...]
Tips for Selecting a Florist
I want to share with you tips for selecting a florist. Why? Well, at some point, you will be celebrating a significant event in your life and considering using floral arrangements from a professional florist to add a decorative touch. I know so many of you love flowers, especially those freshly picked from the garden and I also understand how scary … [Read more...]
Watercolor Painted Invitations
Are you looking for watercolor painted invitations? Welcome and hello! As a slow flower florist, I appreciate the hard work to grow and arrange the fragile beauty of the blooms a bride chooses for her wedding. I’m also an artist that enjoys extending my creative abilities to the invitations sent for such a special occasion. Sketching … [Read more...]
Spread love with FREE printable greeting cards
I have created these FREE Printable Greeting Cards for you to share with those you love. Love is something I am surrounded by in my floristry business. I lovingly grow flowers in my cottage style cutting garden for the brides and grooms who trust me to help make their special day magical, I lovingly tend my garden so that it is at its … [Read more...]
What growing chrysanthemums taught me as an entrepreneur
Growing chrysanthemums this year has taught me a valuable lesson as an entrepreneur. That lesson? Striving for a healthy business/life balance is the ideal but it doesn’t always happen when you own your own business. We have to grow with the flow. Learning to grow with the flow I love chrysanthemums and their beautifully intricate petal … [Read more...]
Aging gracefully and practicing self-care
It seems I've hit my midlife marker rather quickly and am thinking more about aging gracefully and practicing self-care. What makes a woman beautiful at our age? I take great joy at listening to the advice given to me by the many women that I find empowering. And still, I ask myself this question over and over again, almost as if a genie will … [Read more...]
What I learned from floral designer Ariella Chezar of Ariella New York
The Flower School of New York gave me my proper training in floristry, and it was there I first learned about floral designer Ariella Chezar of Ariella New York. My business instinctively lead me to grow flowers myself in my cottage style cutting garden. As my business grows (neither obsession or hobby - although it is a bit of both as … [Read more...]
Best Plants for a Summer Cottage Garden
July and August are a tricky time to hope for a perfectly manicured garden. I take my inspiration for my summer cottage garden from the designer Piet Oudolf and look for how I can incorporate a wild and less cultivated plantings scheme. When starting a wild, carefree cottage garden my advice is to purchase (if the budget permits) at … [Read more...]
How my cottage garden has influenced my floral design style
I find that my cottage garden has influenced my floral design style primarily because of my approach to gardening. My gardening style is loose and sometimes feels by conventional standards that I'm neglecting the garden when in fact I'm more negotiating with nature. The plants that choose to be there, thrive and I'm less rigid and … [Read more...]
Cultivating my cottage garden
Recently, the color of our home changed from a drab yellow to a brilliant bright white and accented with black shutters. I think we've managed to cultivate the perfect backdrop for future pictures of the seasonal flowers from my cottage garden. Cultivating my cottage garden My goal was to use our 1840's farmhouse as a backdrop to weave the … [Read more...]