Silk Vs. Fresh Flowers

Silk versus fresh flowers.  It's an ongoing debate.  Both sides have their die-hard loyalists.  And like most debates, you can probably find equal numbers from both camps.  My opinion?  Well, it depends...on a lot of factors.

• Are the fresh flowers desired available?  
• How long will the flowers need to last?  
• Is there a wedding with reception and open house in two different locations that both need flowers?  
• Does one have access to wholesale, quality silks (or permanent botanicals as they are sometimes called)?  
• How many stems of the desired varieties are needed?  
• Can you find the colors needed?  
• If it's a DIY attempt for an event such as a wedding, is the person arranging them going to have time to be working with fresh flowers the day before or morning of the event?  (I once heard a horror story of the mother of a bride arranging flowers, in tears, at 3 a.m. the morning of her daughter's wedding...so much for looking your best for family pictures!)

I frequently get asked, "What about the cost difference of silk and fresh?"  It's been my experience that silk is often more expensive, if you're using high quality brands of flowers that are usually only available through wholesalers.  But it also depends on how many stems are needed.  If you only need 3 lilies, and the fresh wholesale lilies only come in bunches of 10, well then, fresh might be more costly.  So like I said, there are many factors to consider.

Now here's another issue people are worried about--how will the silk flowers look compared to fresh?  You decide after looking at a few pictures below:

So what's your vote?  Fresh or silk?  They're both silk (trust me, I made them).  Now here's a thought for you...how about combining fresh and silk?  Sometimes that can be necessary depending on availability.  

The photos below are of a combination bouquet I made.  The red roses are real and all other flowers and greenery are silk.  The decision was made to make it that way due to availability issues, and it was less expensive to use real roses rather than quality silk ones.

Lots of options.  I've used special spray paint made for fresh flowers to create the needed color, and I've used craft paint on silks to tweek them into usefulness.  In fact, the white anemone flowers in the above picture came with yellow centers and I needed black...so voila...black paint and a small paint brush.  

I made an arrangement years ago that used silk red roses and fresh greenery.  I happened to see a lady at the event bend over and "smell" the roses.  She was unaware of the fact that I had made the arrangement or that I was watching her.  I looked on with curiosity as to what she would do.  I was quite surprised to hear her say, "Um, they smell so good!"  I knew silk flowers could fool the eye, but I underestimated their ability to fool the nose as well!

So silk versus fresh?  You decide!

Flowering Branches in Spring Bouquets

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she witnessed someone cutting flowering branches from a tree in the yard of my friend's neighbor...without the knowledge or permission of the neighbor.  My friend was rather appalled, and rightfully so!  Though I've been known to cut foliage from some strange places, I don't attack the neighbor's trees and bushes.

But my friend's comments have turned my thoughts towards flowering branches, and spring--which definitely hasn't sprung yet here in the Rocky Mountains of Utah where I live.  Unfortunately!  Here's a couple of thoughts regarding using flowering branches in arrangements.

Often times, a vase filled with just branches is the most effective way to show off the delicate flowers.  It makes a statement and it doesn't require much arranging.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that due to the woody stems, it can be difficult for the branches to take up water. It helps to scrape 2-3 inches of the outer layer of bark off of the branches with a paring knife to allow for improved water circulation in the stem.

Flowering Cherry Blooms

(Photo by Bridorama)

Flowering Cherry Blooms 

(heirloomphilosophy.blogspot.com)

Flowering Forsythia Branches

(newlyweddiaries.blogspot.com)

Flowering Dogwood Branches

(newlyweddiaries.blogspot.com) 

But don't be afraid of incorporating branches into arrangements that include other flowers as well.  They can be a stunning addition.

An arrangement I created that includes flowering California Redbud blossoms, purple lilacs, white daffodils and purple English iris. 

Flowering Pear blooms with a spring mix.  All of these flowers came from my yard in Northern California several years ago.  I had thousands of daffodils...mainly because the gophers didn't like them due to a toxic gas the bulbs emit.  I love the little clay pot filled with fresh flowers in the bottom of the glass vase.  Just something different!

Leftovers again. Yeah!

As a child I hated leftovers.  My mom probably cringed whenever I asked if we were having "scraps" for dinner. For some reason, she tolerated me calling our dinner "scraps"...guess she had bigger battles to fight.  But as a mom, I LOVE leftovers, scraps, day-two foods, whatever you want to call them.

I now have come to appreciate the value of leftovers in flower arranging as well.  I like to save the bits and pieces that are unused at the end of an arranging project with silks.  Sometimes it appears that there isn't anything worth saving...a little flower here, some leaves there.  But you might be surprised what you can do with some little things--and a few big things as well.

I have a room with a few shelves of vases of different shapes and sizes.  The little painted pot above was one of the items in my collection...who know from what, when or why...but it's been sitting there quietly for several years.  After deciding to make a miniature arrangement for a friend's birthday, I chose this cute but lonely little pot and noted the colors painted on it.  I then explored my "extras" bins, which are all organized by color--a bin for the pinks, a bin for the blues, a bin for the yellows.  You get the idea.  I found a few little pieces here and there that matched the pot's colors, and within a few minutes, I had a little flower arrangement that consisted of things that were too small for a big project but just right for a 4" pot.

Here's another leftovers project.  I had used this container for some fresh flowers and was in the process of putting it away when I decided it would be nice to have a red arrangement in my living room for the month of February.  So I went to my red bin, checked out my options, and voila--a red arrangement.  A few stems of this, three of that, some random grass and leftover sticks.  Some of the items had been previously cut, so I inserted them into spots that worked well with their pre-determined height.  

You just never know how useful those "scraps" are going to be someday, so quit complaining and be grateful!

Is it still Winter?

A few brides struggle with ideas for winter wedding decor.  Most want red, which can be a little...well, ordinary.  However, red does make a great wedding color for the cold, snowy days of winter.  Red offers great contrast and boldness against a sometimes dreary backdrop.  One way to handle the issue is to embrace the elements already present in the season and incorporate them rather than fight them.  Use the winter gifts from nature...pine boughs, pine cones, berries, sticks, tree branches (I'm surprised I haven't been hauled away for "pruning" wild trees in various groves) and even some snow (well, okay--fake snow).

Here's an example of a winter wedding centerpiece using many of the elements listed above.  The bride really wanted to incorporate red roses, but wanted to have it look wintery at the same time.  The bottom of the vases contained rocks, then water and cranberries were added with a floating candle on top. 

 

This is a similar version of the same arrangement, but made for smaller tables for the reception.

 Another winter centerpiece--again the bride wanted red roses, but some berries were added to acknowledge the winter element.

It's not the greatest picture ever taken, but here is a simple arrangement of gold spray-painted oak tree branches set in a tall clear, crystal vase with gold Christmas ball-ornaments to fill in the empty space.  It is then set up on a plant stand with a spot light under it and covered with a gold fabric overlay.  

A similar oak tree branch arrangement (hey, the branches are free) from a different Christmas event.  Silk ivory poinsettias were added to the rim of the vase for a different effect.  Due to the extremely tall ceiling in this room, this type of arrangement can be quite tall to create a dramatic effect. I love the glow created by the spot light under the plant stand! 

Seeing Red!

This urn was chosen by the client for her son's wedding food table centerpiece.  Though hard to believe, the roses are silk...but a lot of people at the wedding had to touch them to believe that they weren't fresh!

The food table placed under a labor-intensive lit "tent" created by the groom's family.  Gorgeous effect!

Boutonnieres and wrist corsages...17 of them...for the groomsmen, bridesmaids, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren.