Getting to that Viburnam

Debra Prinzing, author of many books on the "Slow Flower Movement"
http://www.debraprinzing.com/ and organizer of the Floral Design portion of SFLandscape Garden Show doesn't forget  a thing. I had requested green viburnam when she asked for a wish list of flowers from the designers for the floral demos. She ended up cutting them from a garden of the home she was staying at. That gesture was very touching and indicative of the way she remembers the details for everyone. If I hadn't been so nervous and out of body because of the excitement of having a chance to give a talk, I probably would have burst into tears. And then I promptly forgot to use them during my talk, as well as hitting on a few key elements of my presentation. There's a learning curve to a big stage. I've know from singing performances how effective nerves are for pruning your memory away!




So during clean up today, I played around with them a little, along with the rest of the leftovers.

I think tomorrow I'll just put them in a vase all by themselves. After this past weekend seeing so many arrangements felt like eating a great big visual Thanksgiving dinner. Now it's all over and I want is something simple to look at to cleanse the palette. Thanks again, Debra.

Preservative recipe/ Post Landscape Reflections

Still digging out from the flower debris, boxes, newspaper, emails, etc.from yesterday's talk at the SF Landscape Garden Show. Here's the recipe I promised during my talk for a homemade floral preservative I like to use for all flowers and foliage.

1TB vinegar
1TB white sugar
1/4 tsp. bleach
1/2 gallon water
Mix and stir to dissolve sugar. This is concentrated. It's handy to keep in a squeeze bottle. I use a teaspoon-tablespoon depending on the size vase. It's not a critical measurement like baking a cake- I mean, a little more, a little less is okay.

There's a commercial product called Hydraflor that professional designers use that's very effective for increasing flower uptake and good if you have a major event and need to keep them going in heat or other more extreme conditions.

 

 

When Jon isn't playing the pedal steel, doing energy audits, or getting with Buddy so excited that he bites him, he can  be enlisted in the floral world and makes pretty cool arrangements too.

A lot to digest. 5 days of demos from the some of best Floral Designers the Bay Area has. I saw two days worth and every speaker had something to contribute in this diverse world of floral design. This was the first class I taught that Jon caught on video. So I kind of winced through it (always aiming for a better presentation) but yep, still thrilled to have been there. The video will make a great learning tool.

Taking to the stage this Sunday morning at 10:30 at the SF Landscape Garden Show!

No, this isn't a store bought bouquet. This is straight from my garden. The tender, bronzy olive green of the leaves is as amazing as the flowers.

http://www.sfgardenshow.com/

How to Make Store-Bought Bouquets Look Great
In this 101 Basics-style demonstration, Maryann Nardo will share her secrets for making store-bought floral bunches look better, more composed, yet natural. She will discuss where supermarket bouquets come from and the local vs. imports sourcing question. Learn how to incorporate botanicals and plants from the garden; choose the best container; design composition tips; and how to care for your arrangement.

It's an honor to be on the schedule along with many top floral designers who continue to inspire me. And a big shout out to Debra Prinzing who put this amazing group of people together. Debra is an author, organizer,and spokesperson who is helping to spearhead the "Slow Flower Movement" to bring flower growing back to this country. She seems to know everyone-everyone and has a great, warm spirit. She's raised the bar for this yearly institution because everything she touches turns out first rate and San Francisco deserves an incredible garden show. There is so much talent here and come on- it's San Francsico (now if only they would raise the bar on their food offerings.... ah well, one mountain at a time, I guess).

    www.debraprinzing.com/

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