Save Money on Valentine's Day

screen shot from Yahoo Personal Finance video.

A new video from Yahoo Personal Finance tells viewers that one of the best ways to save money on Valentine's Day gifts is to buy good quality, fresh flowers from a local,  professional florist instead of an on-line service (or buying them from a road-side vendor, duh...).

Last time I went to the Kitayama Brothers Watsonville greenhouse, Robert gave me an armful of freshly harvested lilies and hot pink Gerbera daisies, and they lasted for almost a month (using cut flower food).

Taste - Microsoft Party

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These large arrangements of magnolia, greens, berries and roses were created at Taste Catering and Event Planning for a Microsoft holiday party at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. The finished arrangements were placed on top of large glass vases filled with clear water and floating branches of holiday greens.  These were incorporated into the food stations in the main ballroom.  The event had an overall 1940's theme.

Structures for Holiday Arrangements

Yesterday, my CCSF floral design class prepared some arrangements for the annual Environmental Horticulture/Floristry Department sale, benefiting the department's scholarship fund. They sell poinsettias, holiday wreaths, centerpieces, all kinds of arrangements, and indoor and outdoor plants. This year the sale is on December 8th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Horticulture building (Judson at Gennessee) on the CCSF Ocean campus (415-239-3236 or 415-239-3140 for more info).

The photos below show the "mechanics" of these designs, to be finished with fresh flowers right before the sale. Many of these designs have many uses outside of the holidays.

The framework for a topiary arrangement. Moss and greens are wired to a bent coathanger, then flowers will be added to the bottom.

Jenny Tabarracci's finished sample. I've used this design myself for Easter, new baby gifts, and other occasions.

A "tree" made of a foam cone and cut holly leaves. All it needs is an ornament on top.

Cubes of foam covered with holly leaves have a modern, streamlined appearance. These will be topped off with moss and one beautiful flower.

Garlands of moss and holiday greens coil around votive candles. The tray will be filled with water, with fresh flowers arranged in and around the coils.

This simple, modern design is perfect for a desk or cocktail table, consisting of two water tubes affixed with decorative wire and uglu to a small square vase. There's a votive candle in the vase.

This arrangement is meant to hang, I'm going to finish the bottom with ribbon and pine cones.

This grid of ribbon will support an arrangement of holiday greens and fresh flowers.

Thanksgiving arrangements

The centerpiece for dinner, accented
with silver candlesticks, and an ocean sunset.

Fall leaves on the front door welcome guests.

Green & purple arrangement in the living room, in a
long, thin glass container. All photos by Marc Greenberg.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

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I just found a few photos of some Thanksgiving centerpieces I did for the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, CA while working for Ornamento last year. We used rustic, twiggy containers, and filled them with fall leaves, gourds, seasonal fruits, mums, and berries.

pink & green column centerpiece

Yesterday's project was a large column design with pink cockscomb and hydrangea. This versatile arrangement has many uses for all types of events, such as a centerpiece, buffet, entry design, or almost anywhere.

While I've filled the top here, it could be much more open, or have flowers hanging down instead of "growing" up.