Bringing the outside in ...

watercolor landscape by Anne Rogers of Lynnfield Art Guild

Each spring I look forward to participating in “Art in Bloom,” the annual collaboration between the Village Home and Garden Club of Lynnfield and local artists. This year, I was inspired by the watercolor above painted by Anne Rogers. To me, the simple landscape was beautiful. With its expansive green lawn, it reminds me of one of the golf courses in town that whenever I drive past it, I vow to take up the sport just to enjoy a close up view of the immaculately landscaped grounds. 

I chose to combine a trio of orchid plants adorned with yellow twigs to represent the small patch of trees in the center of the painting. A small arrangement of green chrysanthemums in a silver vase placed in the foreground stand in for the evergreen bushes that dot the open field.

It seems as if my arranging style has become quite minimalist over the years, favoring groupings of same flowers and repetition of color. This is probably a result of my work schedule taken up more of my free time, but it is still a good example of how a simple flower can add beauty and drama without the fuss. Anyone can do this!

Along with bringing an arrangement for inside the library, I also had the job of decorating the front display window at the entrance of the building. Since our garden club is now a Home and Garden Club (membership has doubled!) I focused on showing ways to “bring the outside in” when decorating interiors. I brought one of my favorite prints from home and paired it with fresh lillies in a black vintage teapot. Wallcoverings, paint chips, fabric swatches and garden inspired objects filled the case. 

It was kind of a hodge-podge of design ideas, but in person I believe it looked a little more inspiring. I especially enjoyed being able to include origami birds folded in spring colored papers by my son Owen. Had to pay him $5, but it was worth it! Below are some of my nature inspired decorating ideas ...

Arts + Crafts style wall covering

from Victoria + Albert Museum

Paradise Flower Bluebird pillow

from Bassett Furniture

Woodlawn Stone linen designed by Sarah Richardson for Kravet

A recent window treatment project I designed with this fabric for a client

– see more on my Houzz profile page –

flower inspired paint colors from Sherwin Williams

White Dogwood, Azalea Flower, Coming up Roses

Lily by Sherwin Williams

Daffodil by Sherwin Williams

Daisy by Sherwin Williams

a bouquet of purples from Sherwin Williams

Obi Lilac, Radiant Lilac, Valiant Violet

origami art by Owen

grasscloth

How do you bring the outside in?

First day of spring ...

A snow garden by Heimlichs Nursery at the

2013 Boston Flower and Garden Show.

Who else is in denial that winter is not leaving New England without a fight? I think we are all getting a bit tired of posting pretty pictures of snow covered landscapes. Let’s just pretend that spring will actually start on March 20th as scheduled ...  

It felt like spring last week at the Lynnfield Library during the annual Art in Bloom exhibit. As a member of the Village Home and Garden Club, I was asked to interpret a work of art with fresh flowers. My particular inspiration piece was a vibrant cut paper collage titled “Nicaraguan Volcano” by Lynnfield high school student Alisha Fodera. I loved her mix of colors: lemon yellow, ocean blue, and emerald green.

The arrangements that I created for the show appeared (by complete chance) to be both submerged and rising out of the library provided cube-stacked pedestal that I draped with a delicate light blue wrap. Yellow tulips and green Bells of Ireland burst boldly from cylinder shaped glass vessels. The centerpiece of the arrangement was a plant form called “kokedama.” We were taught how to make these at our last club meeting. 

Plant root systems are wrapped in a clay-based bonsai soil (akadama) then wrapped in moss and bound with twine to create a living container. Typically the “moss ball” is more rounded, but mine ended up looking more like a triangle, which actually made it an ideal stand-in for the image of the volcano. Thank you, Laura Thomson, for introducing us to this unusual technique which we were told is all over Pinterest these days.

On Sunday I attended the Boston Flower and Garden Show and saw kokedamas on display. They were nice and round (although they looked a bit dry – they are watered by either submerging the ball in a dish of water or misting them daily) and inside of each of these was a paperwhite bulb. Kind of a cool idea to create a surprise garden starting with bulbs as opposed to a grown plant like we did (mine is home to traditional ivy).

paperwhite bulbs at the Boston Flower and Garden Show

boxwood, daffodils, Jacob’s ladder, ferns, azaleas

There were lots of bulb and woodland gardens at the flower show. These first-up favorites say spring to me. 

vignette by The Captured Garden, Milton, MA

I will be borrowing this idea for my backyard this summer for sure! Vertical containers made out of aluminum air ducts hold twig gardens and sphagnum moss. Finally a way to make my husband’s HVAC supplies look fabulous! Love it!  

large leaf hostas, curly willow, fern, vinca // Crystal Brinson

Gardens are more than just plants ... stepping stones and rocks add interest to a predominantly green shade garden at the show.

forsythia, gerbera daisy, Italian ryegrass, birch, ivy, billy balls 

The show had plenty of garden club variety arrangements, too. This was one of my favorite constructions titled “For the Love of the Game – Tennis” by Andrea Graveline of the Hopkington Garden Club. It won a blue and red ribbon for creativity and design. Playful!

This birthday party theme table top arrangement was designed by members of the Wareham Garden Club. I could appreciate their explanation: “Life for a six-year old boy can be a piece of cake, but often looks like a circus!” Yeah, I can attest to that.

New England Land Artisan and Goshen Stone Company

Serenity! If you have trouble growing gardens, why not try starting a collection of moss covered rocks? They are basicaly maintenance-free and verdantly gorgeous, too. And you won’t find a quicker growing plant to go with them then bamboo. This minimal landscape, artfully arranged, makes gardening look like a simple task.

Japanese garden by members of the Newport Flower Show

If you don’t have a lot of room or time, you could start your garden out really small like this Japanese rock garden which was just a few feet across. Sweet. I think I will make one of these in my patio area. I have plenty of moss, ferns, and pea stone. I love a cost-free plan that isn’t labor-intensive.

design by Hiroko Matsuyama and Keiko Thayer // Ohara School

I am totally into vertical gardens lately. White mitsumata branches are striking in this Ikebana display (Japanese art of flower arranging) when combined with camellia leaves, yellow oncidium orchids and dripping amaranthus caudatus ‘Rosary.’ Thankfully names of plants and materials used are posted beside each arrangement! 

  

Angela Rose and La Vita Bella Garden Design and Company

More vertical fabulousness. Electrical pipe curls and grows out of a white rocked stream surrounded by dwarf mugo pine and spritely English daisies. This flowing sculpture garden is titled “Beneath” and is inspired by the forms and textures found on the ocean floor. Delightful!

This year I vow to give my garden the attention it deserves. I have been completely inspired! How about you?

Winter’s last breath ...

The snapshot above was taken last Sunday. I was so excited to see these crocuses making their way out of their frozen slumber! Today we are buried under a foot of the white stuff again. 

While a monochromatic canvas exists outside my window, my thoughts drift to colorful bouquets and flower shows ... 

Spring on my mind ...

On Monday night, the annual Art in Bloom exhibit at the Lynnfield Library will be opening. I am hoping to find some pretty spring-like blossoms this weekend to use in my floral interpretation of a local high school student’s artwork. Last year was the first time our garden club opened up the show to student artists. The collaboration was really inspiring and brought a youthful energy to the exhibit. This year we have even more students participating. I promise to share some favorite photos after the event.

“Pastorale” by Beth Aaronson // floral arrangement by Bootie Stevens
View Art in Bloom 2012 here

If you are in town, stop by the library between 7:30 – 9 pm to join us for the opening night reception with the artists and members of the Village Home and Garden Club. Refreshments will be served and there will be some raffle prizes. Last year someone took home a gorgeous tree from Northeast Nursery to plant in their yard. Art in Bloom is open to the public through Friday, March 15th.

Boston Flower and Garden Show 2011
Stone gate and garden by New England Land Artisan of Stratham, NH 

featured in New England Finery, April 2011 

The ultimate interior landscape ...

I just realized that the Boston Flower and Garden Show opens next week and runs Wednesday through Sunday at the Seaport World Trade Center. I hope I can make it over there before it ends. Like many of my New England neighbors, I am in serious need of brightly-hued flowers, warm sunshine, and the smell of fragrant blossoms to beckon me back outdoors.

Boston Flower and Garden Show 2011

New England Arts and Flowers of Walpole, MA

featured in New England Finery, April 2011

Suzani Design Rug, Hand-Knotted in Pakistan

available at Landry and Arcari

Fabulous florals in silk and wool ...

The final seminar in the Boston Home Magazine Passport to Design series was rescheduled to Thursday, March 14th (canceled from its original night on the 7th because of you guessed it, another snowstorm). I will be at the Landry and Arcari showroom in Salem, MA from 6 to 8pm with my peeps from Designer Bath and the rest of the Passport to Design team members. Registered guests will learn how to select fine carpets to decorate their homes. If you would like to attend, please email contact@landryandarcari.com to get your name on the list. This will be the final opportunity to enter to win the $20,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes, which could easily outfit any home with a fresh new look for spring.

How to build a holiday centerpiece

You will need: boxwood greens, floral foam, a dish to hold everything in, plus a good sense of proportion.

Prepare your ornaments using ribbons, baubles, wooden floral pics and wire, cutting shears, a good holiday play list.

If these directions seem too complicated, stop by the 

Old Meeting House in Lynnfield on December 1st

Holiday Centerpieces-To-Go

$30 each at the Country Store

– while supplies last –

Brought to you by The Village Home and Garden Club of Lynnfield