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Portland International Rose Test Garden

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Last week as we meandered our way from Washington back to Northern California we decided to stop at the International Rose Test Garden located in Portland, Oregon. Located in Washington Park in Portland’s West Hills, this garden includes more than 10,000 plantings of over 500 varieties of roses. (what can I say? some people stop at rest stops, I find rose gardens..) We had a lovely time walking along the pathways, ohhing & ahhing over the beautiful roses. Sure enough it was raining, but that didn’t stop us!

“There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. New rose cultivars are continually sent to the garden from many parts of the world and are tested for color, fragrance, disease resistance and other attributes. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland’s nickname of the City of Roses.” – Wikipedia

portland international rose test garden

portland international rose test garden

rose garden

clematis

peach garden rose

“Carding Mill” English Garden Rose

peach garden rose

“Carding Mill” English Garden Rose

portland international rose test garden

portland international rose test garden

pink garden roses

“New Zealand” Hybrid Tea

pink garden roses

“New Zealand” Hybrid Tea

trellis covered in roses

pink roses

pink roses growing on a trellis

pink fuchsia

yellow roses

portland international rose test garden

rose garden

rose garden

rose garden

rose garden

rose garden

apricot orange garden roses

rose garden

red roses

Johann the Pekingese

Johann quite enjoyed his walk through the rose garden!

Read more about the history here
Contact Information:
Portland International Rose Test Garden
400 SW Kingston Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 227-7033
http://rosegardenstore.org/


Ariella Chezar at Work!

Happy 4thof July!!!

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Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design

Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design

 

Have a wonderful holiday!

Fleur Friday

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My Own Florist, Sydney AU

My Own Florist, Sydney AU

 

Have a great weekend!

Eye Candy; Holly Chapple’s Bridal Bouquets

Visiting Green Valley Growers Farm, Sebastopol, CA

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Last week we had quite the treat as my mom, niece and I visited a Hydrangea Farm in Sebastopol, California!! It was a particularly hot day here in Northern California, definitely hit over 100 degrees that day – thank goodness we were walking the grounds of a farm where hydrangeas grow under a large grove of trees, quite refreshing.
Green Valley Growers, located in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, grows an abundance of flora available to designers throughout the country. If you live near San Francisco you can visit their booth at the San Francisco Flower Mart. If not, then check out their page here to read about their delivery options. Also, this page has a list of all flora they offer, although they are known mostly for their gorgeous and abundant Hydrangeas.
Jerry Bolduan started this farm in 1986 with Peter Cerda. Originally it was an apple orchard which they switched over to a flower farm, in the past 27 years he and his staff have planted 18,000 hydrangea bushes on this property! There are 380 known varieties of Hydrangeas, Jerry has a 180 varieties planted right here on this farm.

A few interesting bits of information about Hydrangeas:
- Most hydrangea plants prefer morning sun only
- Flower Heads, leaves and roots all drink water, hence why our cut flowers do so well to perk up when they are soaked in a tub of water
- Throw old apples under the hydrangea bush and the blooms will turn blue and indigo
- Oak Leaf Hydrangeas contain a lot of pollen & their leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall
- Hydrangeas are Decidious
- They like fertilizer with high nitrogen

Green Valley Growers

Oak Leaf Hydrangea, brilliant red leaves in the fall. These hydrangeas can take a lot of sunshine.

pink and blue hydrangeas

hydrangea farm

pink and purple hydrangeas

Fuchsias

Fuchsias in large urns decorate the lounging area above the hydrangea garden.

Green Valley Growers

Beautiful space to relax while surrounded by beautiful hydrangeas and fuchsias and under towering trees, the koi pond just below the deck.

Hydrangeas growing under the grove of trees.

Hydrangeas growing under the grove of trees.

Sebastopol California Hydrangea Grower

Lacecap Hydrangeas

hydrangeas sebastopol

blue hydrangeas

blue hydrangeas

purple and pink hydrangeas

Green Valley Growers Hydrangea

Oak Leaf Hydrangeas

Owner and Hydrangea expert, Jerry, gives us a tour of the farm.

Owner and Hydrangea expert, Jerry, gives us a tour of the farm.

Even though it was about 100 degrees this day, standing under the trees and amongst the hydrangeas was quite refreshing.

Even though it was about 100 degrees this day, standing under the trees and amongst the hydrangeas was quite refreshing.

Red Geraniums placed in urns alongside the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas added a nice contrast to the garden.

Red Geraniums placed in urns alongside the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas added a nice contrast to the garden.

Green Valley Growers Hydrangea

Annabelle Hydrangeas. If these are fertilized they can grown to 24″ in diameter! Jerry doesn’t feed them, prefers they stay an easier size for floral designers to work into arrangements.

Nigra, the black stem hydrangea. The cleaned stems look great in a glass vase, can add drama to a design.

Nigra, the black stem hydrangea. The cleaned stems look great in a glass vase, can add drama to a design.

Garden Stairs leading up to the lounging deck, engulfed in Hydrangeas.

Garden Stairs leading up to the lounging deck, engulfed in Hydrangeas.

One of Jerry's beautiful art pieces from China, lovely amongst the hydrangeas.

One of Jerry’s beautiful art pieces from China, lovely amongst the hydrangeas.

Green Valley Growers

Lacecap Hydrangea

fuchsia in urn

purple hydrangeas sebastopol

Popcorn Hydrangeas

Popcorn Hydrangeas

Green Valley Growers Sebastopol California

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Contact Information:
Green Valley Growers
Website: http://www.greenvalleygrower.com/

Found on Facebook; Beautiful Gardens

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400680_2664160797098_1068566133_n

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970244_501310436613363_351134085_n

1000709_476837042398044_1922674027_n

 

 

 I found this video on youtube, If you have the time, it is a real treat! Classic first generation infomerical!

Mosaïcultures internationales®

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I have just added this event to my bucket list!!!

Mosaïcultures internationales®

166699_297388_detail_eplv

The International Mosaiculture event is back in Montréal after a ten-year absence. Around 50 stunning works created by horticulturist-artists from 25 countries will be displayed at the Botanical Garden from June 22 to September 29, 2013.

These striking plant sculptures will line a spectacular2.2 kmpath through the heart of the Botanical Garden. TheMontréalBotanical Gardenhas been offering its millions of visitors an unforgettable experience for over 80 years. The mosaiculture sculptures will complement its vast collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, some thirty thematic outdoor gardens, cultural gardens, Tree House and 10 exhibition greenhouses.

Mosaïcultures Internationales® 2013: the event of summer 2013. Don’t miss it!

166699_297389_detail_eplv

166699_detail_eplv

montreal-1

montreal-3

montreal-4

montreal-5

montreal-6

montreal-7

For more information on this amazing event and to purchase tickets visit their website here!


Fleur Friday

We Love Cathy Walsh + Sprout Flowers

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Hi Flower Friends!
Have you met Cathy Walsh of Sprout Flowers, Worcester, MA? She’s one of my favorite flower people and a dear friend. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting Cathy a few times, once she took me to the beautiful Spring Bulb Show at Smith College.
If you are active in Social Media you may have had the opportunity to connect with Cathy, as she is quite lovely at sharing her flower knowledge.
Cathy and her shop are currently on temporary medical leave while she recovers from surgery for esophageal cancer. You can read more here and on her Caring Bridge page.

We are shouting out loud – Cathy, We love you and wish you a speedy recovery!! Your flower family is keeping you close to the heart, and in our thoughts & prayers.

Cathy Walsh Sprout Flowers

blush bridal bouquet

blush dahlia bouquet

gold orchid arrangement

pink and white flower arrangement

pink peonies

winter wedding flowers

blue hydrangea arrangement

Eye Candy; Planet Flowers’ Instagram

Keeping up with The Lonely Bouquet

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Today we have a guest post written by Shea Kucenski of DVFlora. She’s been keeping a close watch on The Lonely Bouquet and has a lovely follow up story for us!

Keeping Up with The Lonely Bouquet!

lonely bouquet in photobooth

It has been just over 2 weeks since the 1st Annual (inter)National Lonely Bouquet Day, and the activity is still blossoming! DVFlora is excited to see Lonely Bouquet activity continue to grow here in the U.S, and we hope all you flower-lovers out there will keep the trend going! June 30th was a huge success, and our pal Emily at Fleuropean has already scheduled next year’s event for June 29th, 2014! In just one month, The Lonely Bouquet’s Facebook page has increased to 5,000 fans and has reached almost 100 cities in the U.S alone! It’s always nice to make someone else’s day with a simple act of kindness, so why not take that act of kindness, and wrap it up in flowers? We encourage anyone and everyone to take part in the heartwarming movement, and continue to pay it forward! If you have any questions or would like more information on The Lonely Bouquet, please e-mail me or check out our Facebook page! As always, share your adventures by tagging #thelonelybouquet or #dvflora on your favorite social website!

Take a look a few amazing photos and stories from friends of DVFlora:
lonely bouuqet stories

This set is full of smiling faces from the 1st Annual (inter)National Lonely Bouquet Day, which took place June 30th. Don’t forget to sign up for next year’s Day and start preparing yourself by practicing leaving Lonely Bouquets now and then

lonely bouquet on the east coast

Buckle your seatbelts, ’cause this one is going to be a long haul. Hop on board the non-stop flight straight from New Jersey to Oveido, Spain! Marina put together two beautiful bouquets that were found by two equally beautiful young ladies! The two nature lovers, Viktoria and Mara, were walking their dogs when they spotted the lonely flowers.

the lonely bouquet in Spain

Now we’ll hop, skip, and jump a bit all over the place… from Daley’s Florist & Country Expressions in Connecticut to Sisters In Bloom Kukka- & Juhlapalvelu in Finland… from Kingsthorpe with Helen from Tim Hill Photography and Brighton with the fabulous ladies of Florian.

lonely bouquet connecticut

UK The Lonely Bouquet

The list of cities goes on, and on, and on! If you have been kind enough to leave a bouquet, but have not heard back from its new owner, don’t get discouraged. Not all recipients are tech-savvy enough to post their findings, but it does not mean they did not appreciate your kindness!

“Dear Karen, I didn’t have a chance to take a picture but I wanted to let you know that my grandmother loved the bouquet that I brought her over the weekend! She used to have a garden but is now in assisted living and can no longer enjoy her flowers! You brought a smile to her face and a tear to her eyes! Thank you so much for being such a giving person!” Sincerely, Tom

I’ll leave you with my personal favorite Lonely Bouquet adventure thus far. Just goes to show you that even the tiniest of hearts can do huge things:

Lonely Bouquet

“For Erin’s 7th birthday, her big birthday wish was to make a Lonely Bouquet for a stranger to find in Lower Earley… and that she did! Along came Jason, literally a stranger in a new neighborhood, who had felt a bit displaced in his new community. His heart warmed by the kind gesture, Erin’s flowers immediately cheered him up!
So thank you, Erin, for so sweetly welcoming a new-comer to your neighborhood. And thank you, Jason, for letting Erin now that her birthday bouquet has found a loving home!”

Check out the “Adopted :) ” album on Facebook to see some more adorable stories!

Follow DVFlora on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Follow The Lonely Bouquet on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Flower Farm Focus :: Destiny Hill Farm, Washington, Pennsylvania

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Summer Flower Mixture

When did you start your business and where are you located?
Destiny Hill Farm was created in 2011. The farm was originally my
Grandparent’s farm. My husband, Jim and I purchased the 137 acres from
my family and then enrolled in Penn State Extension’s Classes on
farming since we had no farm experience.
Destiny Hill is located 30 miles south of Pittsburgh in Washington, PA.

Nigella Pods, Love In The Mist

Red dahlias summer flowers

Why did you begin flower farming?
My Grandmothers and Mother adored flowers and that passion was
passed on to my sisters and me. My wonderful husband trusted my desire
for us to become successful flower farmers.

Sunflowers

Sweet Williams

What flowers and foliages do you grow? Are there particular flowers/foliages you specialize in?
We grow annuals, perennials, bulbs, tubers and shrubs for cuts. I
love all of our flowers but I really admire our hydrangea, lisianthus,
dahlias, sunflowers, roses, calla and of course our lavender. I’m
willing to try anything looking for beauty or funky fun and a good
vase life.
We specialize in lavender, fresh cut flowers and berries. We grow
over two miles of lavender and have seventeen varieties.

wearing Lavender

Lavender in a Basket

What are your current pest management/growing practices?
We use sustainable practices and desire to be good stewards of the
land that we are temporarily in trusted with. My sister is a cancer
survivor and my Mother died from cancer so I’m passionate about a
healthy environment.

bridal bouquet

white rose boutonnieres

Where do you sell your flowers? Do you ship your flowers?
We sell flowers at our town’s weekly Farmers’ Market May-October.
$200 orders may be purchased directly from the farm. Most of our
flowers are used in our weekly on-site Farm weddings and corporate
events and designed by the Destiny Hill Farm Floral and Design Team.
We currently do not ship flowers or sell to wholesalers.

-If you have the opportunity to compare fresh cut local flowers vs.
cut flowers that are grown in Central America, boxed and shipped to
the USA you will be blown away by the long vase life and clarity of
U.S. home grown local flowers.

Destiny Hill Farm

Lavender Cake

What are your plans for 2013? How do you find out what your wholesalers and/or designers want for the next season?
Our plans for 2013 are to communicate well with our Brides and
create each Bride’s dream. Pinterest and Ipads are fabulous tools for
consultations. I share photos of our flowers and floral work as well
as pin hundreds of floral ideas for our customers.
-Each year we want to learn, share, teach and become better farmers.

chair decorations for wedding ceremony

snapdragons

Contact Information:
Destiny Hill Farm
1069 South Main St.
Washington, PA 15301
http://www.destinyhill.com/

Destiny Hill Farm

Destiny Hill Farm

Eye Candy; Holly Chapple’s Bridal Bouquets

Visiting Green Valley Growers Farm, Sebastopol, CA

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Last week we had quite the treat as my mom, niece and I visited a Hydrangea Farm in Sebastopol, California!! It was a particularly hot day here in Northern California, definitely hit over 100 degrees that day – thank goodness we were walking the grounds of a farm where hydrangeas grow under a large grove of trees, quite refreshing.
Green Valley Growers, located in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, grows an abundance of flora available to designers throughout the country. If you live near San Francisco you can visit their booth at the San Francisco Flower Mart. If not, then check out their page here to read about their delivery options. Also, this page has a list of all flora they offer, although they are known mostly for their gorgeous and abundant Hydrangeas.
Jerry Bolduan started this farm in 1986 with Peter Cerda. Originally it was an apple orchard which they switched over to a flower farm, in the past 27 years he and his staff have planted 18,000 hydrangea bushes on this property! There are 380 known varieties of Hydrangeas, Jerry has a 180 varieties planted right here on this farm.

A few interesting bits of information about Hydrangeas:
- Most hydrangea plants prefer morning sun only
- Flower Heads, leaves and roots all drink water, hence why our cut flowers do so well to perk up when they are soaked in a tub of water
- Throw old apples under the hydrangea bush and the blooms will turn blue and indigo
- Oak Leaf Hydrangeas contain a lot of pollen & their leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall
- Hydrangeas are Decidious
- They like fertilizer with high nitrogen

Green Valley Growers

Oak Leaf Hydrangea, brilliant red leaves in the fall. These hydrangeas can take a lot of sunshine.

pink and blue hydrangeas

hydrangea farm

pink and purple hydrangeas

Fuchsias

Fuchsias in large urns decorate the lounging area above the hydrangea garden.

Green Valley Growers

Beautiful space to relax while surrounded by beautiful hydrangeas and fuchsias and under towering trees, the koi pond just below the deck.

Hydrangeas growing under the grove of trees.

Hydrangeas growing under the grove of trees.

Sebastopol California Hydrangea Grower

Lacecap Hydrangeas

hydrangeas sebastopol

blue hydrangeas

blue hydrangeas

purple and pink hydrangeas

Green Valley Growers Hydrangea

Oak Leaf Hydrangeas

Owner and Hydrangea expert, Jerry, gives us a tour of the farm.

Owner and Hydrangea expert, Jerry, gives us a tour of the farm.

Even though it was about 100 degrees this day, standing under the trees and amongst the hydrangeas was quite refreshing.

Even though it was about 100 degrees this day, standing under the trees and amongst the hydrangeas was quite refreshing.

Red Geraniums placed in urns alongside the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas added a nice contrast to the garden.

Red Geraniums placed in urns alongside the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas added a nice contrast to the garden.

Green Valley Growers Hydrangea

Annabelle Hydrangeas. If these are fertilized they can grown to 24″ in diameter! Jerry doesn’t feed them, prefers they stay an easier size for floral designers to work into arrangements.

Nigra, the black stem hydrangea. The cleaned stems look great in a glass vase, can add drama to a design.

Nigra, the black stem hydrangea. The cleaned stems look great in a glass vase, can add drama to a design.

Garden Stairs leading up to the lounging deck, engulfed in Hydrangeas.

Garden Stairs leading up to the lounging deck, engulfed in Hydrangeas.

One of Jerry's beautiful art pieces from China, lovely amongst the hydrangeas.

One of Jerry’s beautiful art pieces from China, lovely amongst the hydrangeas.

Green Valley Growers

Lacecap Hydrangea

fuchsia in urn

purple hydrangeas sebastopol

Popcorn Hydrangeas

Popcorn Hydrangeas

Green Valley Growers Sebastopol California

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Contact Information:
Green Valley Growers
Website: http://www.greenvalleygrower.com/


Found on Facebook; Beautiful Gardens

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0

 259813_10151680120636112_1205379353_n

400680_2664160797098_1068566133_n

945395_585853464798846_1237608618_n

970244_501310436613363_351134085_n

1000709_476837042398044_1922674027_n

 

 

 I found this video on youtube, If you have the time, it is a real treat! Classic first generation infomerical!

Mosaïcultures internationales®

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0
0

I have just added this event to my bucket list!!!

Mosaïcultures internationales®

166699_297388_detail_eplv

The International Mosaiculture event is back in Montréal after a ten-year absence. Around 50 stunning works created by horticulturist-artists from 25 countries will be displayed at the Botanical Garden from June 22 to September 29, 2013.

These striking plant sculptures will line a spectacular2.2 kmpath through the heart of the Botanical Garden. TheMontréalBotanical Gardenhas been offering its millions of visitors an unforgettable experience for over 80 years. The mosaiculture sculptures will complement its vast collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, some thirty thematic outdoor gardens, cultural gardens, Tree House and 10 exhibition greenhouses.

Mosaïcultures Internationales® 2013: the event of summer 2013. Don’t miss it!

166699_297389_detail_eplv

166699_detail_eplv

montreal-1

montreal-3

montreal-4

montreal-5

montreal-6

montreal-7

For more information on this amazing event and to purchase tickets visit their website here!

Fleur Friday

We Love Cathy Walsh + Sprout Flowers

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0
0

Hi Flower Friends!
Have you met Cathy Walsh of Sprout Flowers, Worcester, MA? She’s one of my favorite flower people and a dear friend. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting Cathy a few times, once she took me to the beautiful Spring Bulb Show at Smith College.
If you are active in Social Media you may have had the opportunity to connect with Cathy, as she is quite lovely at sharing her flower knowledge.
Cathy and her shop are currently on temporary medical leave while she recovers from surgery for esophageal cancer. You can read more here and on her Caring Bridge page.

We are shouting out loud – Cathy, We love you and wish you a speedy recovery!! Your flower family is keeping you close to the heart, and in our thoughts & prayers.

Cathy Walsh Sprout Flowers

blush bridal bouquet

blush dahlia bouquet

gold orchid arrangement

pink and white flower arrangement

pink peonies

winter wedding flowers

blue hydrangea arrangement

Eye Candy; Planet Flowers’ Instagram

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