Overflowing fall arrangements

Last night Bert Ford of The Ford Flower Company in Salem, NH was the guest speaker at the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield. He is a new favorite of ours ... he shows up with buckets full of flowers, foliage, stalks and more then proceeds to whip up a half dozen or so over-the-top arrangements while entertaining us with his musings on the art of floral design. He always provides us with new ideas on how to put together stunning arrangements using the latest trends in
color combinations and container styles.

For this autumn cornucopia, Bert used floral foam both inside and at the top of the midpoint of the woven container. He cut the pink roses down to about a couple of inches and added them in clusters for more impact. Ornamental kale, sheaths of wheat grass and miniature white pumpkins keeps this non-traditional color palette looking autumn appropriate.

A wide wicker basket (it was around 2 1/2 feet across) is filled with PeeGee hydrangeas, pine cones, green apples, pears, hypernicum berries, ornamental kale, and grasses along with fresh lilies and “permanent” Gerbera daisies. I can picture this at the back of a buffet or in front of a fireplace. An arrangement like this is likely to last a few weeks or more.

A trick that is a treat: Bert used a floral foam “hat” on top of this uncarved muted colored pumpkin. The foam has a hole in the center, it goes on top of the pumpkin like a beret, and the stem secures it in place. Next, fake moss is glued to the foam. All floral added to this foam piece – from the Chinese lanterns to the Gerbera daisies to the red berry clusters – are fake so it will last from season to season. Simply remove the floral hat and store it till next year. No carving and no water required! The pumpkin sits within a wreath of red berries for additional color and visual balance.

Square containers are still very popular in floral design, however, utilizing horizontal branches placed radially in the arrangement adds movement to the design while creating a wider display. The curious creatures seen here were fashioned out of apples and pears that were spray painted black. Hypernicum berries were used for the eyes (use a pin to attach to the fruit) and thick grasses (also spray painted)
were used for legs. They are inserted into the
arrangement using black floral pics.

A carved pumpkin can hold a tall vase of flowers as this one does (a Village Garden Club member brought this decorative centerpiece to our meeting).

A footed dish with a display of oranges was a nice

autumn-colored touch on the refreshment table.

The Ford Flower Company
is holding their annual

Holiday Open House

Saturday, November 20, 2010
from 8am to 5pm
Sunday, November 21, 2010
from 11am to 4pm

Refreshments will be served and a 25% discount
on holiday merchandise will be offered.

Call 603-893-9955 for more information

An evening in the garden ...

A bold container garden by Tracy Drislane

Last week the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield held its year-end dinner event at the home of Tracy and Chris Drislane. Tracy, who is a garden club member, and Chris, who is a professional landscape designer and certified horticulturist {DesignScapes, Inc.} have a beautiful property that I have always admired for its rustic charm, great use of scale and creative touches. Here are some images taken during the
garden stroll portion of our evening ...

A variety of large leaf hosta plants fill the gravel
covered alley between the barn and the house.

A hurricane lamp decorated with hosta and coleus leaves still stands tall even after the skies opened up and rained during the early part of the evening.

S’mores were on the menu, but we had our
desserts inside. Isn’t this fireplace amazing???

I love how Tracy filled a number of wine glasses with moss and succulent blossoms and then accompanied them with candles in bell jars as table centerpieces.

Even the tomato plants looked great when
partnered with tall landscape grasses
standing like a living screen behind them.

It would not be a Village Garden Club party without a beautifully presented and equally delicious menu (courtesy of President Bootie Stevens, Tracy Drislane and other club member contributions).

Fresh rosemary is a pretty and fragrant
accent when added to a dish of hummus
or in a container garden like below.

With garden club member and friend, Laura Thomson

A lot of members commented on the gray floral pin I wore attached to a string of pearls. It is by stella & dot and is available by clicking here (type in my name as the hostess to order one for yourself, or any of the other lovely stella & dot jewelry items).


My rock garden this morning


A garden path by DesignScapes, Inc.
for Club President Bootie Stevens

This week I will be focusing on cleaning up my own gardens now that I have been completely inspired by the combined effort of the Drislane’s, plus a year of attending garden club lectures and events. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield (and live in this area ; ) please contact me by email at yblacker@verizon.net.



Annual dues are just $25 per person which entitles each member to discounts at local nurseries, free admission to monthly events (we meet from September to June) and lots of information-sharing from the dedicated garden enthusiasts that make up the group. We always have a lot of fun at our monthly Monday night meetings, and have done a lot of community service gardening for the town of
Lynnfield as well. To see some mentions of events from this past year, visit the following links:

Arranging dramatic centerpieces with Bert Ford

Art in Bloom at the Lynnfield Library

Holiday party decorating: Laura Thomson

Field trip to The Stevens Estate, No. Andover

Kim Smith and autumn gardening



Thank you for opening your
home to us, Tracy and Chris!

Design tips from Ford Flowers

A vision of lovely created by Bert Ford.
His tip: group flowers of the same color
together (Hydrangeas, Alstromeria,
Roses, Cymbidium Orchids)

While I was getting ready to leave the house last night to attend the monthly meeting of the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield, my oldest son asked me “what do you actually do at a garden club?” I set my huge crystal punch bowl down (I was on refreshment committee for the night) and tried to explain why talking about flowers was so interesting to me.

Add a slight curve to a Calla Lily by gently running your thumb and forefinger down the stem. Create a stunning bowl of blossoms by adding one flower at a time, all going in the same direction.
Keep a couple of them outside of the bowl.

As I have mentioned, I do love my clubs (Book Club, Garden Club, Tennis Club, ... ). The Garden Club, however, has a special place in my heart. Both of my parents love to garden (Mom creates cottage gardens, Dad does formal plantings plus vegetables). Gardening for me connects me to that favorite childhood memory of watching my parents tend the earth. I actually got my mom to join the club with me, even though she lives a couple of towns away. It is always a pleasant evening for us, spent with a bunch of “ladies” who enjoy committing a couple of hours a month to “ooh” and “ahh” over all things floral, while catching up with each other over fancy refreshments. Sometimes the fact that I don’t have to do the night-time routine with the boys before they go to bed is reason enough to look forward to this girl’s night out!



This month we enjoyed the company of guest speaker, Bert Ford, owner of Ford Flower Company of Salem, NH. He shared some great tips on how to arrange flowers with a professional touch. He also shared some “I did not know that” stories including how flower decorating as an art form started in America around 1961 with none other than Jackie Kennedy (she loved carnations and babies breath). Many years later Martha Stewart, with her over the top brand of do-it-my-way-because-it-is-a-good-thing creations, set high standards for everyday consumers looking to “say it with flowers.” Today, in our flattened economy, we are seeing a lot more arrangements with a minimalist approach. All of a sudden, less can be more! But with my garden club friends, more flowers are always appreciated! And that is what we got last night from Bert. Here are some highlights ...

Simple glass containers and fresh flowers are all you need to get started. Scissors, floral foam (oasis), wire, and floral pics make the job easier. Ribbon will add that designer touch.


This gift basket arrangement combined a variety of flowering plants (still in their containers) with loose stems of roses, hydrangea, Gerbera daisies, babies breath and twigs to create a long lasting arrangement that keeps on giving.

A black lacquered tray serves as a base of this engaging miniature garden thoughtfully designed with flowering pear branches, pink roses, green apples, votives and moss.

Up close it is even prettier. Set your table with this
and then call some friends over to enjoy it!

Stunning in person (this picture is a little dark) ... a large orchid plant was tucked into a square glass vase lined with large scale leaves then topped with moss. A few votive candles and rosebuds add drama.

Try wrapping an extra tall cylinder with a “corset” of grosgrain ribbon for a stylish effect. Add a large bouquet of brightly hued hand-tied flowers (hold them in your hand, add one at a time to achieve a balance of color and texture, then wrap the bunch with floral wire) and you’re done!

This relaxed, yet elegant, arrangement shows off a variety of colorful blossoms, each tied in a mini bouquet with floral wire, then set in a large square vase. Be sure to check water level daily.

Most unique arrangement of the night (lots of “oohs” and “ahhs!”)

Horizontal shape, assymetrical design, drippy green flowers on one end, balanced by a huge branch of pink orchids on the other end, with bent grasses creating a handle in the center ... very designer-y! This looks like something I would see in one of my favorite shelter magazines in a modern or zen-like space. The ladies loved this one! While I was watching the night’s presentation, I realized another reason why I love decorating with flowers. It doesn’t matter what type of home you live in, or what type of table you dine at ... a simple vase filled with cut flowers from your backyard (or the supermarket) will always get attention.



And with a little how-to information as a guide, elaborate creations can be within anyone’s reach (whether you make it yourself, or pick up the phone to place your order!) Thank you, Bert, for sharing your love of flowers and design with us. We learned a lot of great ideas on how to make boldly beautiful arrangements with confidence.

Ford Flower Company
Salem, NH

Designing with Flowers Event, Mon. April 12

The Village Garden Club of Lynnfield presents

“Setting a Spring Table”

Monday, April 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm
at The Lynnfield Meeting House

Floral designer Bert Ford, owner of the Ford Flower Company in Salem, NH, will present professional techniques on how to set a table for spring using fresh flowers and plants. All arrangements will be raffled off to take home at the end of the evening. Refreshments will be served. Please join us and bring a friend!

Open to the public
General admission $5.00
Email yblacker@verizon.net
for more information.