Weekly Wonder | Ornithogalum

Well, here is the second post to our Weekly Wonder segment on our blog.  This week we are going to showcase the gorgeous and ever popular Ornithogalum (or Star of Bethlehem).


This flower is amazing for wedding bouquets.  It adds so much texture and just explodes with blooms.   It's wonderful to see such a small flower bud (well several small flower buds in one small area), turn into such a mass of flowers.

Name:  Ornithogalum (in order from top to bottom O. thyrsoides, O. nutans, O. dubium, O. saunderasiae) - commonly known as Star of Bethlehem or Wonder-Flower


History:  Ornithogalum is of the family Hyacinthacea - yup related to hyacinths - and is a perennial plant native to Southern Europe and Southern Africa.  Because of it's star shaped flowers it is named for the biblical Star of Bethlehem.  Although there are 150 species, the best known are O. arabicum, O. saunderasiae, O. dubium, and O. umbellatum.


Availability: Ornithogalum is becoming an increasingly popular flower in design work.  The species is available throughout the year with O. dubium being available only from Dec - May.


Longevity:  This flower, in our experience, has the potential to last several weeks, while continuously blooming.


Our take:  We LOVE to work with ornithogalum; especially the variety of saunderasiae.  It adds so much texture to any piece and just explodes in blooms.  The price point is perfect to add some volume to a bouquet and give a bride a similar look to stephanotis without the associated price tag.  A tight unopened sample is great in corsage and boutonniere work, while the more opened flower is perfect for bouquets.  What's even more special is that blooms can be individually separated from the mass to create some couture designs.


We hope you consider using ornithogalum in your wedding work, if it fits into your 'look'.  You will not be disappointed with the final product.


Photo credits from top to bottom:
O. thyrsoides: bidorbuy.co.za
O. nutans:  missouriplants.com
O. dubium:  bulbsociety.org
O. saunderasiae:  visiflora.com
Bouquet:  Akiko Floral Artistry (photo taken by Capture It! Photography)

Inspiration Boards | A Great Way to Help Plan Your Look

Lately, when meeting with our brides, we've listened to what they have had to say about what is they want for their weddings.  Colours, themes, accents - these all come into play when we start to come up with ideas in our studio.  And for ideas, what better resource than the internet.

We look on great sites like Pinterest and Google to find Inspiration for creating our own ideas and suggestions for our brides.  From the images found on associated sites through search queries, we create an inspiration board, or several, to show our brides and see if what we are thinking of is in alignment with what they have told us they want.

Here is a sample Inspiration Board we created for a "Secret Garden/Enchanted Garden" themed wedding.  Such an exciting concept!

Although these creations are not ours, in several cases we use pictures from our inventory of previously made bouquets.  In this case, we had the idea to use antique keys as accents to the wedding florals.  A key as the base of a boutonniere over which the flowers have 'overgrown', a key as an accent to the bouquet handles, etc.  The best part...we found an image online of a key based boutonniere.  What a coincidence!!!

When planning your wedding, why not find inspiration on the internet, magazines and feature stories in local papers.  If you don't have or know how to use photoshop - then cut and paste onto a larger board.  Inspiration is everywhere around you.

Image Sources:

Antique Keys:  kaboodle.com

Boutonniere & Bird Bath:  studio-white.blogspot.com

Purple Bouquets (3):  heraplanners.blogspot.com

Bottom Bouquet:  thefrenchbouquettulsa.com

Attention all Brides | Have We got a Discount for You!

Here's a great opportunity for all of you brides & grooms getting married in 2012/2013 to earn 15% off your wedding flowers created by Akiko Floral Artistry.

Unique handheld cascading bouquet by Akiko Floral Artistry

Here are the details:


1.  Like Akiko Floral Artistry on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AkikoFloral) - then share this contest with all of your friends linking back to this blog - make sure you spell out our Profile name exactly in order that we can see your mention.


2.  Follow Akiko Floral (@akikofloral) on Twitter - then tweet this contest with all of your fellow tweeters linking back to this blog.


3.  Email us at info@akikofloral.com informing us that you've liked and followed us on Facebook and Twitter and that you've mentioned our contest both on Facebook and Twitter.  Also, send us information about your wedding (ie. your name, date, contact information for you).  You will receive a confirmation email with further information about how to set up a consultation, etc.


Please keep in mind that this is a discount for EVERY bride getting married in either 2012 or 2013 that ends up following the instructions above!  What a great way to get an amazing discount for your wedding flowers...and it won't even take 5 minutes of your time!


Here is the not-so-fine print:  Wedding must take place in either 2012 or 2013.  This discount has no cash value and cannot be combined with any other offer.  Discount will be taken off of final pre-tax quote.  Discount is non-transferrable.  Wedding must take place in Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding area (i.e. St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, Stoney Plain, Sherwood Park, Leduc, Beaumont, Nisku).  Ability for Akiko Floral Artistry to create your wedding flowers is dependant on availability (hint: if you book early, you will secure your spot).  This offer expires 08/31/2011.


Happy posting guys!

Weekly Wonder | Mokara Orchid

Hello all!  We are starting a new weekly feature to be posted each and every Monday!  The goal is to introduce you to a floral "wonder" every week.  An amazing flower that contributes its own flair to every arrangement it is a part of.  Each post will include photos of the flower; the benefits, and in some cases the "cons" of its use in wedding work, and a bit of history on the species itself.  Happy reading!
For the premiere post, we will be showcasing the beautiful Mokara orchid.

Name:  Mokara Orchid (hybrid of Arachnis X Ascocentrum X Vanda orchids)


History:  Created in Singapore in 1969


Colours:  Red, tangerine (orange/yellow), pink, burgundy, and purple.  Available in solid colours as well as with fashionable spotted petals.


Availability:  As most colours are available throughout the year, some varieties are seasonal.


Longevity:  This flower has a potential vase life of two to three weeks if taken proper care of.


Our take:  For us, what makes this a desirable flower to work with is its femininity.  Not only do they look fantastic on their won, but can be the focal point in a bouquet, or used as a filler flower among other tropicals or used with more 'domestic' flowers such as garden roses, ranunculus and mini hydrangea.  What we especially love them for is their longevity in wedding florals and their fashionable look as boutonniere flowers.  They look so modern and couture on the lapel of the groom and his attendants - they make for a simplistic but stunning look.


We like to use Mokaras in boutonnieres and corsages as they not only tend to handle better than thirsty roses and gerbera in the unrelentless heat of the sun; but they have a lower profile, so they are less likely to be damaged by catching on to anything that the wearer may bump into.  Once 'sealed' with a floral freshness 'enhancer' they stay stiffer and last longer than their more traditionally used counterparts.  Cons:  any bit of cold will cause these flowers to brown quickly; therefore, proper care in advance by your florist is required - these flowers are unforgiving when exposed to colder temperatures.


This orchid symbolizes all things that are sought after at a wedding - love, beauty, & refinement.


Here are some samples of Mokara's used with other flowers and on their own:

We hope you've enjoyed our first Weekly Wonder post!  If you feel that we've left anything out, or have any questions, please feel free to post a comment below!

Catherine's Royal Bouquet

Well, it was tradition with a twist!  Catherine's bouquet to me, at first, was a little bland.  But the more I looked at it the more I LOVED it.  It had class, it was the perfect size, and it followed the 'Language of Flowers' as origined by Queen Victoria.


Here's a formal Royal press release about the bouquet:  "The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the valley, sweet william, and hyacinth.  The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers."


You will never believe how much this bouquet actually ties into the Royal Family and their traditions...the bouquet featured myrtle extracted from a bush planted on the British Isle of Wight by Queen Victoria in 1845, as well as a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in Queen Elizabeth II's wedding bouquet!


The lily-of-the-valley was featured in all ceremony flowers of the bride and attendants - a flower that was used in Carol Middleton's bridal bouquet.


In keeping with tradition, the Duchess of Cambridge will be placing her bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a practice started by the Queen Mother in 1923.


Now, I mentioned the 'Language of Flowers'...so what do all the flowers in her bouquet 'say'?  Well here's a breakdown:


Hyacinth (white) - loveliness
Lily-of-the-Valley - sweetness; return to happiness; humility
Myrtle - Love
Sweet William - Gallantry; Finess and Perfection (and I think a tribute to Wills himself)


What I loved about this bouquet was it's reflection of Kate herself.  This bouquet was demure, suttle, and well thought out - a true representation of the new Duchess.  It was perfectly proportioned to her tiny physique and followed the simple rule that it should NOT outshine a bride's dress and NEVER be larger than the bride's head.  It was definitely a modern twist on tradition.  It stepped away from the heavy, and overdone bouquets that we have seen royals carrying in the past.  Rumour has it, Princess Diana's cascading bouquet weighed 6 lbs.  That's a heavy bouquet to be lugging around, along with the weight of one's dress!


This bouquet was a perfect fit with the 50's style that Kate wore - mimicing the look of Grace Kelly's dress in '56.  Everything about Kate was perfect today.  A true beauty.


I don't doubt that future brides will be requesting bouquets similar to that donned by Kate today.  I don't doubt that she has just set a trend!

The Sights & Scents of Spring

Spring is definitely showing signs of it's arrival. But, before we can enjoy the ability to flit around in flirty shoes and wear amazing white bottoms, we have to endure what remains of the white blanket that once covered our streets - BROWN COLOURLESS GRIT!

Yet, while I look at all the colorless surroundings of Edmonton, I think of all the amazing scents and sights of Spring blooms that we will soon be in the midst of. The fluorescence of the new buds and grass has to be one of my most favourite parts of the season.

With the onset of Spring, we see such amazing blooms, most of which I do not see often in our local gardens. But, fear not, they are accessible to brighten up your home and bring in the fresh light scent of the season. As we know, our neighboring province to the west, luckily, has a milder climate than us and can supply locally grown fresh product to remind us of springs' arrival - as early as December. Yup you heard it....tulips are available the same time we're draping cedar garland outside our homes.

So, if you are in the need of brightening up your surroundings....if you need something more than BROWN in your life....talk to us, or if not in the Edmonton area, your local florist. We can get you all the spring blooms to brighten up your home and office.

Here are some ideas for great scents and sights of Spring:

Peonies
Tulips
Freesia - very sweet scent
Anemone
Ranunculus
Daffodils
Iris - did you know you can get these in yellow?

Ask for an assortment in a nice European twist for your table, or throw a mono-floral loose bouquet in a vase. Whatever you choose, these delicate blooms of the season are a great and inexpensive way to bring you out of the sunless winter funk!

Happy Spring!

WIN $500 in Fresh Couture Towards the Wedding Flowers of Your Dreams

Are you planning your wedding, or are you helping a friend with hers?  Are you a trendsetter coming up with your own unique touches to make your day stand out from the rest?  If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Akiko Floral Artistry Inc. is holding a contest for the most AMAZING and unique wedding ideas for 2011 and 2012.  Send us your ideas and you could win $500 in wedding floral couture, compliments of Akiko Floral Artistry.  You can email us at info@akikofloral.com.

The fine print:  The contest is open until March 31st, after which the winner will be picked and notified via email by April 15th.  Contest is open to Edmonton & Area residents (Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Westlock, Barrhead, Onoway, Leduc).  Entries will not be accepted by those clients who have already consulted Akiko Floral Artistry for their upcoming wedding.  The winner will agree to have their entry featured on our blog with no renumeration for this feature other than the prize as awarded ($500 in wedding arrangements).  The prize will be awarded as wedding bouquets and or arrangements created by Akiko Floral Artistry for at total value of $500 excluding all applicable taxes.  The prizes will be awarded between July 1st, 2011 and December 31st 2012, dependant on the wedding date.  The prize cannot be surrendered for cash.