November 8, 2010

Flower Power

Even though we've been fortunate with great weather, I was feeling low last week hearing news about the not-so-great diagnosis and health of a dear friend's mother who is also a client of mine. To help cheer myself, I went to the wholesale flower market which is a quick, 15-minute walk from the house. With a little commentary, I'll share what I found. As you can see... Nature always sustains. Val was on my mind the entire time.

The photo turned out a little watermelon, but this Fresia was actually orange and yellow. Stunning and the perfect plant for Thanksgiving.

Christmas is around the corner which is usually where you see these lime-colored cyprus trees, but the rosemary topiary can be enjoyed all year round. In a terra-cotta pot, I could see this on any bountiful Thanksgiving table.

These are terrific by themselves in a huge bunch or as accents.

Commonly known as pincushion plant, these come in several colors... they also had gold.

Peonies are available here year round. These probably need black ants to open the blossoms (or so my grandmother would say)

I bought several of these creatures. Found in their natural form in either light pink or a natural color, these have been dyed. Quite large, it took only eight to fill a large iron container and I added some fill. I bought one in every color. Although one of the common names is a banana flower, it actually looks nothing like any banana flowers at all.

At the holidays, I love citrus fruit. These meyer lemon trees are fantastic in pots on either side of a fireplace, a single one in a bay window, or even in a kitchen. The lemons can be used; I personally would slice them and dry them for holiday decoration along with some orange slices.

This is just one of the greenhouses on floral row. Filled to the brim, this is a fraction of what was available. This shot doesn't reflect the huge selection just in this one area. Poinsettias are already available as Christmas is only 50 days away with me starting to decorate houses for the holiday starting the 20th of November.