Oh My, Bonsai

August 25, 2016 admin Leave a comment

bonsai

1. the art of growing ornamental, artificially dwarfed varieties of trees and shrubs in pots.

2. an ornamental tree or shrub grown using the art of bonsai.

They say good things come in small packages right? And in this case, it is certainly true. Bonsai plants, are uniquely grown and make a fabulous addition to any gardener’s collection, or a gift for people with a special interest in plants willing to take the time to care for them.

BUT Bonsai are not for everyone. They have been slowly and carefully grown to a point and once established, are planted in a display pot before sale. But unlike your average indoor plant, Bonsai are a tree, and the implications of that is that the Bonsai require careful consideration, care and upkeep.

bonsai 2

Bonsai are often thought to be simply a dwarfed plant, however dwarfing generally refers to plant cultivars that are permanent, genetic miniatures of an existing species. Bonsai does not require genetically dwarfed trees, but rather is grown from regular stock and seeds and uses cultivation techniques such as pruning, root reduction and potting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-size trees. Bonsai meaning “plantings in tray”, is often used as a blanket term for all miniature trees in pots. The ancient Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years.

Bonsai is grown for different reasons than many ordinary plants, that may be grown say for medicinal uses, or for food. They are grown both for the viewers contemplation and the pleasure in the effort in shaping and growing the plant. It is a long term commitment.

A Bonsai may be started from a cutting, seedling or a small tree of a species appropriate for development. They can be created from nearly any shrub species that produces true branches or perennial woody stemmed tree that can be kept small by way of pot confinement, and crown and root pruning. Some species are more popular for Bonsai cultivation as they are more visually appropriate, having small leaves or needles. The species needs to be shaped and kept small to meet the aesthetic standards of Bonsai.

The practice of bonsai development incorporates a number of techniques including;

Leaf trimming- removal of selected leaves/needles
Pruning- branches/roots or trunk
Clamping- using devices to artificially shape the tree’s trunks and branches
Wiring- artificially designing the formation of the tree’s general form, branches and leaf formation using wire
Grafting
Defoliation- removal of foliage

© 2005 -- Ron Reznick http://www.digital-images.net [#Beginning of Shooting Data Section] Nikon D2X Focal Length: 60mm Optimize Image: Color Mode: Mode II (Adobe RGB) Long Exposure NR: Off High ISO NR: Off 2005/03/06 00:36:35.4 Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority White Balance: Color Temp. (5600 K) Tone Comp.: Less Contrast RAW (12-bit) Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern AF Mode: Manual Hue Adjustment: 0° Image Size: Large (4288 x 2848) 1/15 sec - F/8 Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached Saturation: Normal Exposure Comp.: 0 EV Sharpening: Normal Lens: 60mm F/2.8 D Sensitivity: ISO 100 Auto Flash Comp: 0 EV Image Comment: [#End of Shooting Data Section]

Pot confinement is an effective cultivation technique in keeping the Bonsai small, as a typical bonsai container is under 25 centimeters in its largest dimension and only 2 to 10 liters in volume, this restricts root growth. Similarly, the largest bonsai rarely exceed 1 meter and most specimens are significantly smaller, due largely to the cultivation technique of pruning. These major differences in the plants growth affect maturation, transpiration, nutrition, pest resistance, and other aspects of tree biology, therefore to maintain the long-term health of a tree requires specialised care.

Bonsai must be regularly watered.
Bonsai must be repotted at intervals appropriate for the age of the tree/species
Bonsai must be in an appropriate soil composition (usually loose and fast draining)
Bonsai may be kept indoors generally but many species will require periods of time outdoors to fulfil the species light requirements. This is species dependant.

If you like a challenge, then the Bonsai could be for you but remember, this is no ordinary houseplant. The Bonsai requires alot of work to get it to the point of sale, so is not a ‘cheap’ plant, and it will also require a long term commitment of care once you get it home. Happy pruning!

Fwf x

Wedding Inspirations- Using Blue as your Primary Hue

August 18, 2016 admin Leave a comment

As florists, the most challenging colour to work with is undoubtedly blue. Whilst blue is a primary colour, and what could be classed as a fairly conservative colour perhaps when thinking about Navy Blue, when it comes to flowers, it proves quite difficult. Despite this, varying shades of blue remain popular. One major factor that I believe contributes to blues popularity is the fact that in one of its varying shades, it seems to be able to complement most complexions. Aside from that, blue is a fairly conservative colour and therefore should stand the test of time, and when it comes to weddings, timeless is key.

blue 12 — Image via The French Tangerine

But Blue in nature, doesn’t tend to be an easy task…..Blue, from soft powdery baby blues to strong navy blue in fabrics, no worries, but as soon as a client wants to ‘match’ that fabric…..well, that opens a whole world of trouble. The difficulty with blue when working with flowers is that very few flowers exist in straight clean colour tones, making it near impossible to ‘match’ them. As a florist, I do not see this as a major issue as it is not essential to match every element, but rather use complementary colour tones to create a harmonious colour palette. Some blue blooms are more silvery or dusty, with an almost grey over tone, others tend to look more purple in some lights. There are several blooms available in more powdery baby blue tones, so if you do prefer to match colours, then this may be the best choice for you!

In order to incorporate true primary blue tones you may need to look beyond flowers. Think about ways you can add your chosen feature colour in unique touches throughout your day. Why not use coloured glassware on your tables, or bottles as your pew ends, ribbon details on plain dresses, or choose strong primary blue bridesmaids gowns.

If you favour softer, more powdery baby blues you can sprinkle touches of this colour thoughout most elements as it is not as strong or contrasting as a primary blue. Gorgeous flowergirl outfits can incorporate baby blues easily, soft blue semi precious stones in jewellry, soft blue toned flowers are easier to come by, men’s ties or handkerchief details, even powder blue suits, cake icing, or check out these gorgeous doors that you could hire as your ceremony backdrop!

Navy blue is the most conservative of all the blue hues. It is a strong, sleek tone that can easily be incorporated into bridal party outfits, with navy suits, bridesmaids gowns and navy detailing on flowergirls dresses.

I love the way this cake utilises some softer blue flowers on top, and then used blueberries at the base. Pieces of navy lace can feature on invitations, bouquet handles, and even as a trim on the cake.

By no means am I trying to deter any beautiful brides-to-be from using blue, but rather trying to show alternative ways the colour can be used throughout your day with some gorgeous results!

Can we give you a helping hand with any other colours you may be considering using for your upcoming wedding? Drop us a line and let us inspire you!

Fwf x

Victorian Posies- The Method and the Meaning

August 12, 2016 admin Leave a comment

The Victorian posy is a traditional hand-tied or wired bunch where the flowers are placed in ascending rings around a central bloom, usually a rose. This design was very popular for weddings back in the mid 19th century, but lost favour to the cascading shower bouquet in the late 20th century.

vic posies — Image: Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right

Like all things in fashion, trends come and go, and the Victorian posy can sometimes be requested from time to time, especially for those who like to run their own race, uninterested by what is popular or on trend at the time.

The Victorians did not have the variety of material available to them as we do today, so their posies tended to use an assortment of pale pink, lilac and blue toned flowers, in what we would consider to be quite traditional flowers such as roses, hyacinths, and cornflowers. The stunning central rose, I am told is pretty much integral to the design, but these days you could choose to make a Victorian posy out of just about any flowers or foliage you can get your hands on.

The Victorians used to back their posies with starched lace, which then became coloured netting or raffia, or twisted wire frames with foliage or even doilies, but theses days many of these elements have been replaced, or modernised.

This style of posy contained secret messages to and from lovers; each flower had its own unique meaning, and the bride chose her flowers based on their significance. As a result of this, unfortunately many beautiful flowers were assigned rather undeserved, sometimes negative meanings, for example, lavender=distrust, or anemones= sickness.

These days, brides tend to choose their flowers based on their preferences or flowers with special significance to them personally rather than these somewhat outdated meanings.

Gorgeous bridal bouquet design for the fall bride.: — Image: The Knot, Flowers by Festive Couture Floral

The Victorian style of posy fell out of favour during the early 20th century, but the posy has slowly gained popularity again, whether it be hand-tied and natural stemmed, or wired. A natural stemmed posy, as the name suggests, uses flowers on their stem, simply cleaned off so that the handle of the bouquet does not become contaminated from breaking down debris, or too bulky. This style of bouquet can be formal or informal, structured or unstructured depending on what flowers are chosen and its composition. Generally though, this look is more natural and relaxed.

Alternatively a wired bouquet can be created; which is where the flower is cut from it’s natural stem and then attached to an artificial stem made from wire. The result is usually more lightweight and as it is more structured, tends to look more formal.

The formality of the Victorian rings has been dropped, in favour of either evenly dispersed placements, where the flowers are evenly placed throughout the arrangement to achieve balance, or alternatively the floral elements can be grouped together for a ‘chunkier’, clustered and modern look.

At the end of the day, if you are considering a Victorian posy, or posy of any kind for your wedding, talk to you designer about the colours, textures and the overall look and feel you wish to achieve. Wedding professionals have a wealth of knowledge and will be able to make appropriate suggestions to help you achieve what you are after.

I cannot stress enough the importance of aligning yourself with suppliers who have a body of work that emulates the look and feel you are after. Trusting your supplier is the single most important thing you can do to lower your individual stress as well as allowing them the freedom to ‘create’ and do exactly what you employed them to do…

Fwf x

Trentham Cosmopolitan Hotel wedding | Photography by Pierre Curry

Pretty but Poisonous- Flowers To Avoid in D.I.Y Cake making

August 4, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Yesterday I had a customer ring and enquire on the availability of a couple of flowers for an upcoming party she has in a few weeks. One was lavender, which is readily available at the moment, but the other was Frangipani. Given that we are in the throes of winter, Frangipani are not commercially available. Having said that, there may indeed be a random tree in your street with a few token blooms, and interstate or international suppliers may indeed also have them available- but at what cost and what quality?

After further discussion, and having suggested other scented flowers or even the possibility of using artificial Frangipani, I discovered the actually the lady had intended to use the Frangipani as decoration on and around the cake. Wowzers! What worries me most about this situation is that had she been able to get them from a neighbour down the street, she may well have used them, had my price not been comparable (to free!)

But this is where industry professionals are an invaluable resource. Frangipani (or Plumeria) are related to the Oleander Plant, both of which possess a poisonous milky sap, similar to that of the Euphorbia family. A cut on any part of the Frangipani tree will exude a milky, sticky sap, which is poisonous to both humans and animals. That said, Frangipani are not an appropriate choice for decoration of food products unless they are prepared appropriately. Simply placing the blooms on the cake with no barrier would be insufficient in terms of protecting the food from possible contamination from the sap.

A trained florist can wire and parafilm (tape) each bloom for you so that you are able to use the Frangipani effectively on food products. This is fiddly, and will cost you a little, but it is certainly worth the investment I think.

Other poisonous blooms include, but are not limited to:

Daffodils
Pointsettia
Johnquils
Azaleas
Calla Lily
Hyacinth
Lantana
Oleander
Wisteria
Rhododendron
Mistletoe
Holly
Foxglove
Hydrangea
Lily of the Valley

Now fear not, eating a small quantity of most of these blooms will not likely result in death, but larger quantities might. Most of these flowers if ingested will give a severe case of diahorrea, vomiting, headaches and cramps. It is just something that you should be mindful of if you are considering D.I.Y-ing for your next party or soirée.

As a general rule, it is not recommended that flowers that are grown for florists are used directly on a cake in any case, poisonous or not. This is simply because they may have been sprayed with chemical, fumigated or dipped in products like ‘Round Up’ so that they cannot be struck and grown from a cutting (in the case of imported products that may be harmful to Australia’s unique environment).

Flowers that have been grown for a florists commercial use, should firstly be cut, then wired to create an artificial stem, then taped using a plastic tape film to prevent any transfer of plant material to the cake.

Cake pieces do tend to be fiddly as a result of all this time consuming work, and therefore can be costly but really, it is a small price to pay to ensure you keep all your guests safe.

After all your hard work party planning, you don’t want one of your guests, or yourself to fall ill….that would really be the icing on the cake!

Fwf x

Month: August 2016

Oh My, Bonsai

Wedding Inspirations- Using Blue as your Primary Hue

Victorian Posies- The Method and the Meaning

Pretty but Poisonous- Flowers To Avoid in D.I.Y Cake making

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