Prom!!! Which Flower(s) will you wear?

Its PROM season and here at Rose of Sharon and we couldn't be more excited!!! Prom is not only the biggest dance of the year, it is a chance to dress up, strut your stuff and make memories :).

With that being said, what accessory could be more important than your boutonniere and/or corsage?

Why not come and get your custom made, design specific floral piece from the pros?

We are here to make sure that YOU get that perfect piece to match any outfit and have all your favorite flowers and styles to choose from.

Feel free to browse our prom gallery here and pick your favorite or work with one of our designers to create that custom elegant look that you deserve. Its not too late, order yours today!!!

Check out these matching sets, wouldn't you and your date be stunning in a pair...



White roses with purple deco wire and ribbon accents

Classy, elegant and modern all at the same time 

 .

White Cymbidium orchids with blue accents

 

Fuchsia Dendrobium orchids with silver and purple accents

Red Gerbera daisy with black ribbon accents and just a touch of BLING

Purple and blue Dendrobium orchids with purple accents

Traditional prom flowers with a modern and updated twist

White Calla lilies with bling and blue accents

True Love Tuesday: Haley & Thomas - The Reception

Haley and Thomas' reception was held at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs on September 22. Haley came to us wanting a Shabby Chic wedding using a mixture of Mason Jars, antique lace, and her collection of tea tins, kettles, and urns that she found in various flea markets. For flowers we stayed in the cream color palate using a mixture of Hydrangeas, Roses, Spider Mums, Stocks, Scabiosa Pods, and Dahlias. 

The combination of her Shabby Chic containers, and the cream color palate of her flowers made for a one-of-a-kind look in the gorgeous ballroom.

Enjoy!!!

Make Your Own Holiday Wreath

Have you ever seen that wreath that looks just too good to be homemade, and wondered how you could make one just as good? Then come join us on Saturday, December 1 from 10 am to 12 pm at Botanical Gardens for a wreath tutorial!

Our very own lead crafter and expert in all things floral, Althea Wiles, will be leading a class on how to make your own wreath. The best part? She will be with you as you make your very own! All of the materials will be provided for you. We encourage you to bring your own ornaments or special touches to make it all yours!

There are limited spots available, so be sure and register soon at the link below! We look forward to seeing you!

http://www.bgozarks.org/events/#330

Happy National Boss Day, Althea!!

Happy National Boss Day, Althea!!!

Here at the studio, we are pretty sure that we not only have the coolest jobs, but also, the best boss around! We are very happy to introduce you to who our boss is for us!

A

is for her Artistic flair

L

 is for how her Laughter can fill the room

T

is for her Tenacious Teaching skills

H

is for her ability to be Honest & Helpful at the same time

E

is for her Effervescent attitude & her Expert Eye

A

is for Althea, in all ways Amazingly Awesome!

We hope that you also have a great boss, and that you've stopped to remember how much they do for you. So, with our boss in our minds, we present you with a few of her favorite inspirations. :) Now, go find your boss and say "Thanks!"

Enjoy Althea's favorites!!!

PINKspirations!

As a business that is owned by a woman and has an almost all woman staff, breast cancer awareness is high on our list of priorities. Each October we find ourselves thinking of family and friends who have battled this disease, and being grateful for all of the survivors. As the days turn cooler around us and the crisp fall colors arrive, we gladly fill our spaces with the color PINK!

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to let the survivors in your life know they are special, and what better way is there than with flowers? Enjoy our PINKspirations!!!

Wedding Day Flowers for Your Pet

We are proud to announce an addition to our team; Tank, our new little guard dog here at the studio! Of course, we had to make him his own floral collar on picture day. In honor of Sir Tank, we decided to showcase a few ideas for wedding flowers for your pet.

Incorporating your special pet in your wedding is not a new idea. With more and more couples living together before marriage, it's common to have gotten a pet during that time that you want to be a part of your special day.  We sat down and collected a few tips for you to keep in mind while planning on your flowers.

Most importantly, you want to keep it simple. Pets can sometimes be distracted with something new, and especially if they are wearing it. The best way to prevent this is to keep your design simple and comfortable. Our favorite designs are floral collars or special boutonnieres that clip onto the existing collar. This way it's easy to take off and will keep Fido comfortable.

A close up of Tank's collar; Purple Dahlia's and Wax Flower were
the perfect combination on a Green Satin Ribbon. 

Something that goes along with keeping it simple is the choice of flower you use. You want to be sure to use a flower that is durable and can withstand the possible beating it may get by Fido's paw.  Don't forget that some plants and flowers can be harmful to your pet if eaten.

We have included some of our past favorite designs, and a couple of our design inspirations for future work. We even included a picture of topiary's made to look like the couple's favorite pets!

Enjoy!!

Top left and bottom right designs by Rose of Sharon.
Top right image via onewed.
Bottom right image via The Knot

National Boss Day is October 16

In case you didn't already know, next week is National Boss Day. It's a day where employee's stop and say thanks to their boss. What better way to show your appreciation than with flowers?? Flowers have always been a favorite of employee's because it's something you can order ahead of time and not have to worry about after that! Plus, then your boss can take their flowers home or leave them at the office and be reminded of how much you appreciate them.

We, of course, felt the need to provide you with a few floral ideas that are boss appropriate. Hopefully, with our help your boss will know how much you appreciate them. Enjoy!!

Happy October!

Even though the first day of Fall was technically in September, it's common for most people to view October as the real beginning to Fall. Already, we are seeing shorter days, the leaves changing colors around us, and the crisp frost in the early morning. So, in honor of this amazing season, we have pulled together some of our favorite inspirations for centerpieces and bouquets alike!

It's common to get stuck in the "theme" for fall, but it's not necessary. Any florist can help you come up with flowers for your Fall event that can still bring in the rich tones of this season without resorting to pumpkins and gourds. (Not that there is anything is wrong with pumpkins in a centerpiece, but isn't it fun when you surprise people by avoiding them!) Our most important tip and advice that we give to people when they are planning something during the season: go with what makes you think of Fall and pull in those textures and colors. And remember, just because you see an idea in the form of a bouquet doesn't mean you can't turn it into an amazing centerpiece!

**This collage is a collection of designs that we find inspires us.**

United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas Event

Most of our "true-life" blogs are about our fabulous brides. However, today we wanted to show you the amazing details from the non-profit UCP Event: Once Upon A Time, that was held at the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock. When we were approached by Inspired Grace Events, who was handling the event design, to create something for the event using earthy and whimsical touches with a modern twist, we went straight to the design board!

We started the design with the earth, so we brought in custom wreaths that we added to using Bear Grass and white Dendrobium Orchid blooms. We knew that Inspired Grace had centerpieces being brought in that were to be used as anchors in the room, and that those centerpieces would be very clean and modern. Because we wanted to continue the same clean look, we created floral accents that could be attached to the centerpieces that would add a whimsical flair. These accents combined the Bear Grass and Dendrobium Orchids from the wreaths in an asymmetrical design to compliment the modern centerpieces. 

Considering we never saw the centerpieces that the floral accents would be added to, we were ecstatic to see how well the accents worked. This event will definitely go into our book of design favorites, and serves as a great example of how when given the right direction two worlds can be combined perfectly.

Enjoy!

True Love Tuesday: Mary & Adam

Mary and Adam were married on a gorgeous day in May. And her color choices couldn't have been more perfect! The blues and purples were a perfect compliment to the perfectly blue sky that day! We used Hydrangea, Gladiolas, Iris, Eryngium, Seafoam Statice, and deep purple Carnations. For an added bit of softness, we wrapped all of her vases is ribbons of lace. Her bridal bouquet was a fabulous natural cascade with Lily Grass and Curly Willow accents mixed with the different blooms used throughout her floral design.

Enjoy!!!

"What's in a name? That which we call a Rose..."

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose..."

-- Shakespeare; Romeo & Juliet

When Shakespeare used this quote in Romeo & Juliet, he was referring to the fact that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention. How right was he when it comes to using the name "Rose"?! In our world of flowers, we get requests for Roses everyday. However, as many clients soon learn, to us a rose is just a name, with over 100 species (and thousands of varieties) of roses we find ourselves breaking out the design books and going into full-on teacher mode! 

The common misunderstanding is the difference between the traditional Standard (or Hybrid Tea) Rose and the Garden (or English) Rose.  The use of one over the other can change the entire style and feeling of an arrangement. Keep in mind that we're covering only the bare minimum about roses as cut flowers here, and not going into the intricate history, varieties, classifications, care and handling, or growing of roses.  

Standard Roses are the most common type of rose. These roses are have a large head supported by a long, straight stem.  If you've ever received or ordered a 'dozen long stemmed roses,' it's most likely been a standard rose variety.  The wide variety of color options, traditional shape, year-round availability and reasonable price makes this rose very popular for weddings. 

Standard roses used in bouquets, centerpieces, and cake decor.

Garden Roses are known for their high petal count, lush appearance, and wonderful fragrance. As cut flowers, they have a shorter vase life than the standard rose.  However, their fragrance and appearance is often a fair trade.  Garden roses are often mistaken for Peonies because of their similar appearances. If you are looking for a flower that will give you a soft look, and you can't get Peonies then this would be flower. 

In recent years, David Austin, a well-known rose breeder, has developed many varieties of English Garden Roses, which have become increasingly popular.  These roses are known for deep cups, high petal counts, and absolutely amazing fragrance.  We often use the David Austin varieties in our wedding designs.  As you can see, they bring a soft, romantic feeling to any bouquet.

David Austin Garden roses featured in bridal bouquets.
Varieties include 'Juliette' and 'Pink Piano', two of our favorites.

More images of garden roses can be seen on our Pinterest Board: Flower: Garden Roses

Enjoy!!

Information sources: Wikipedia-garden roses and David Austin Roses 

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!!

Here are a few inspirations for your Labor Day decor! Enjoy!

These low centerpieces are great as hostess gifts or for your own event! 

True Love Tuesday: Valerie & Matthew

Valerie and Matthew's mixture of vibrant yellow and soft grey they chose for their end-of-May wedding was a perfect nod to the beginning of a very warm summer. This fabulous couple was married at Pratt Place Barn, and the whole event was delightfully fresh! Valerie chose to use lemons in her reception decor, and they were the perfect touch to add more of the sunshine yellow color throughout her arrangements. Take a peak at a few of the floral details from their very sunny day!!

Enjoy!

Ranunculus, Gladiolas, Daisies, Baby's Breath, Lemons, and Dusty Miller were all used in Valerie's yellow and grey design.

Inspiration vs. Reproduction

The hot word in event & wedding planning right now is inspiration, and with the never-ending amounts of information on the web it's easy to find something that fits your style and ideas. However, what so many people are now getting caught up in is finding something they like and trying to recreate it. Very few people realize there is a difference in reproduction and inspiration.

As florists, we appreciate when our clients bring us pictures of things they like, but want to make it their own by using different flowers, colors or even a different style using the same flowers. Unfortunately, we find that more and more of our clients come to us wanting us to reproduce someone else's work. Though we may be able to reproduce a picture, it will never be exactly the same because we aren't the same person. Floral work is an art and the designs or textures used in an arrangement come from the florist's own inspiration. Another reason the work may not be the same is because flowers are never the same twice. It's like a snowflake, no two are flowers are exactly the same.

All of this information is not to discourage you from searching for inspiration, it's quite the opposite actually. We want you to do research before we meet with you, the more you know about what you like and don't like, the better we can create something for your event that is unique to you. Even as florists, we have our own inspirations that we use to draw new ideas from.

The inspiration photo

The bouquet we created

Be sure to stay tuned for other posts we have planned that will hopefully help you navigate the web in search of the perfect inspiration for your event!

True Love Tuesday: Eileen & Steele

Eileen was one of the sweetest brides we have worked with, and for her perfect day there was no doubt we would be showcasing her sweet personality in soft shades of pinks, corals, and white. To keep everything soft and Southern, we used Mason Jars with Rafia bows for her reception flowers. The mixture of Hydrangea, Stock, and Carnations was the perfect blend to make guests feel that the garden had been made just for them. 

For Eileen, we kept her bouquet elegant and sweet with Garden Roses in the same shades of pinks, corals, and white. Her attendants had simple cream bouquets of Stock tied in Rafia. Her cake was the crowning glory of her theme with butter cream icing and Roses scattered over the cake.

We hope you enjoy this sweet wedding as much as we did!

True Love Tuesday: Jordan & Chance - The Reception

You might remember Jordan & Chance from a previous blog "Jordan & Chance - June 30," and as promised here are the shots from her reception. We carried her style over into her Ceremony and Reception space. We went with the same white theme as her bridesmaids flowers by using Hydrangea and Seeded Eucalyptus. To tie in the hemp cord from her bouquet we wrapped her vases in burlap bags.

Another huge thanks to Meredith Melody for sharing her great pictures with us!

Enjoy!!

True Love Tuesday: Jordan & Chance - June 30

Jordan and Chance were married on June 30th at Pratt Place Barn. Jordan came to us with a picture of her perfect bouquet (we'll cover inspirations in a later blog) with one request: change the white flowers. She knew she wanted something a little rustic but with a flair of elegance. So...we bring to you: Naturally Chic. 

Thanks to Meredith Melody for all of the fabulous detail shots. And we look forward to bringing you more about this wedding!!!

Enjoy!!

Purple Hydrangea, White Dahlias, Green Carnations, Scabiosa Pods, Bramble Vine, and Heuchera foliage all combine to create the bridal party's look. 

Flower of the Month: August - Gladiolus

Happy August! As we all know, the heat has been bearing down on us the past few months and with August arriving that means our hottest month is finally here! So, take a break and enjoy the refreshing blooms that Gladiolus (Glads) provide.

Glads are a favorite flower among florists because they are a hearty cut flower and can withstand the extreme heat that we get here in the South when properly used in an arrangement. They are a great flower to use when you are needing to add height to an arrangement, and the best part is they come in a HUGE range of colors and variegations.

Glads mixed with Birds of Paradise provide height, depth, and a softness to the tropical arrangement. 

Gladiola blooms add a delicate texture to this modern centerpiece.

Since, the blooms grow individually on a stalk they can easily be removed from the stalk without affecting the other blooms. This provides florists with the great ability of using the individual blooms in bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages.

Enjoy!!

Modern red Gladiola boutonniere

This boutonniere is made from a Glad bloom that was taken apart and put back together around a Calla Lily.

This lovely bouquet has Gladiola blooms mixed with Roses and Dusty Miller.

True Love Tuesday: Kayla & Will - Revisited

Kayla and Will were married on May 12 in a delightfully sweet garden wedding! Last week, we found out that our lovely bride was featured on The Wedding Post of Arkansas!!!

We are so excited for Kayla and Will and wanted to share a few more of her floral details from that day!

Thanks to Kathryn McGill Photography for being so great and sharing all of her detail shots with us!

Enjoy!

The groom's boutonniere.

Is the simplicity of this bouquet not amazing? The touch of lace around the stems was the perfect finishing touch.

We can't get enough of this bouquet!

We love creating hairpieces, and this one was especially sweet.

Flower of the Month Monday

Flower of the Month: July – Larkspur

A field full of Larkspur.

It’s birthday month here at the shop! We are celebrating two birthday’s this month, Althea’s on the 12th and Farron’s on the 13th, which makes this month’s flower even more special!

This month we are celebrating everything Larkspur! The Larkspur (or Delphinium) is a gorgeous flower that is one of the more popular “cut flowers” in the event world. It can create height and dimension in a centerpiece and give depth to a bouquet.

Colors of the flower vary and can include purple, blue, red, yellow and white. The petals grow together forming a spur at the end and giving the flower its name, Larkspur. The Larkspur starts blooming in the spring and into late summer making this a great flower for any spring/summer event!

As always, we have picked through our masses of pictures to bring you a sampling of how to use this gorgeous flower! We hope you enjoy looking and take inspiration from what beauty a simple flower can make. 

Larkspur makes this traditional bouquet come to life with added height taking traditional to custom.

Larkspur mixed in to add dimension.

Larkspur (Delphinium) with Curly Willow can make a great bouquet full of texture.