My top 3 choices for giving this year are as follows (drum-roll please!!!!):

The Imagine Bus Project 

This organization got its start by filling an old school bus with art supplies and teachers and driving around to schools that had lost their funding for art programs.  Building from there, it’s now grown to serve over 2,000 children and youth in San Francisco and Sonoma Counties at 11 community sites, public schools and juvenile halls.  The Imagine Bus Project invites us all to continue to invest in the lives of underserved Bay Area children and youth, and make certain that they have the opportunity to access the joy and pride of creative experiences. 

The Princess Project

The Princess Project is a 100% volunteer-run effort that provides free prom dresses and accessories to San Francisco Bay Area & San Diego high school girls who could not otherwise afford them.  The Princess Project collects new and nearly new formal dresses and accessories from women, girls and companies, and distributes them free of charge to the girls at fun-filled spring events in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and San Diego.  The Princess Project began in 2002 and since then has served over 15,000 girls, and this year hopes to serve roughly 2,500 in San Francisco alone.

Oasis for Girls

Oasis For Girls is a safe space where girls and young women are inspired and empowered to become strong and creative leaders in their communities. It provides culturally relevant and gender specific Arts and Arts Education, Leadership Development, and Life Skills Education programs that support the growth of low-income and immigrant girls and young women of color in urban communities. Through these programs, girls and young women have access to a community of adults who support them in creating change and integrating their skills to address issues they face in their lives and in their communities.

The merchants at the San Francisco Flower Market –

These people are the backbone of the industry – they are the growers, importers and wholesalers who provide the incredible variety and quality of product that we take for granted, day in and day out, dealing with the fickleness of Mother Nature, the craziness of shipping and the insanity of brides. Special thanks to Don and Carolyn Garibaldi of Ano Nuevo Flowers, Darrell and Sean at Torchio Nursery, Jose Venegas and Ramon Ponce at Brannan Streeet Floral, Lou Figone, Dave Repetto, Nick and Pak at Nuckton, and all the staff at Floral Supply Syndicate. You are my weekly heros and I could not do my job without your support.

My wonderful venues –

I’m lucky to work at the most beautiful places in the Bay Area, and to have top-notch professionals there to make my job easier.  Shout outs to Robin Lewis and Allison Berkowitz at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Jamie Furman at the City Club, Leslie Blakely at the St. Francis Yacht Club, Amie Kraft at Great American Music Hall – you rock!

My amazing fellow vendors –

No one works in a vacuum, and event work is truly about being part of a team.  I’m blessed to be surrounded by top-flight professionals in every aspect of event work, who make my clients happy, make me look good, and make my part of the job go smoothly.  Maralyn of Have Your Cake for gorgeous cakes, Misti Layne and Richard Mayer for incredible photography, Maxine Andrew and Amy Nichols for seamless event planning, Denon and Doyle and Peter Rudolfi for great music and Lydia Gourvitz at Classic Party Rentals – you are all great team players and also a lot of fun to work with!

My family and friends –

I’m most grateful for the support and understanding of my beautiful family and wonderful friends.  You’ve all had to work around my crazy schedule and listen with a sympathetic ear to my troubles, and without your support none of what I do would be possible.

Thank you!!!!

“Vivid colors and textures for fall arrangements”

That snap in the air means it’s time for leaves to turn, pumpkins to ripen and mums to come into full flower – there’s no mistaking that fall is here!

“Some of the many types of pumpkins and gourds to choose from”

This is my personal favorite of the seasons, since I love the rich colors and the varied textures available in the autumn.  It’s so much fun to wander the flower market checking out all the unique foliage, berries, pods and gourds that we have to play with this time of year.

“A cart piled with liquid amber leaves, bay laurel and pepper berries”

Adding fruits and vegetables, such as artichokes, pears and small lady apples gives a seasonal twist – we even use chili peppers!

Rustic containers such as wood, bark or rusted iron complement the textures and colors of the season and add a richness of character to arrangements.

“A rusted iron garden urn is the perfect foil for rich colors and textures”

Chrysanthemums were cultivated as an herb as early as 1500 BC in China, and were brought to Japan in the 8^th century AD where the bloom was adopted as the official crest of the Japanese emperor. The chrysanthemum is widely seen in Chinese, Korean and Japanese paintings, textiles, metalwork and lacquer, and is very important in garden and floral design.

 “A frequent element in Asian art”

The plant was introduced to Europe in the 17^th century and given the name chyrsanthemum from the Greek words chrysous (“golden”) and anthemom(“flower”).  As a hardy garden perennial it was quickly adopted by European gardeners, and the white variety was given the meaning of “Truth” in the Victorian language of flowers.

 “A harbinger of fall in many gardens”

Florists use mums that are grown year-round in hothouses, but they are especially appropriate when used in the fall, when they are naturally blooming. The wonderful tones of rust, orange, gold and yellow harmonize with fall leaves and berries and create a true autumn look. 

“The variety referred to as “football mum”

There is even a variety known to florists as the “football mum”, due to its popularity in the 20^th century as a corsage worn to autumn football games. This natural flower has evolved into a football “team spirit” tradition in Texas, where they are made from artificial flowers and elaborate ribbons, streamers and team logos.

“The artificial Texas creation known as the “football mum”

In addition to its decorative uses, chrysanthemum is dried and used as a medicinal tea, and is added to flavor a type of Korean rice wine.

This lovely perennial is a Bay Area favorite and is happy with our warm summer days and cool evenings. Grown from tubers, dahlias have been hybridized into a dazzling array of shapes, sizes and colors that grace local gardens. 

Despite its unsettling meaning in the Language of Flowers (“instability”), the dahlia is a huge favorite for weddings, providing seasonal color impact at a reasonable price. Because many of the farmers in Half Moon Bay produce a great local crop, they have the added benefit of being locally-sourced and more eco friendly than imported flowers. 

The Dahlia Society creates a garden every year in a planting area to the north of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.There you can experience some of the many hundreds of varieties – with new ones being added each year. Dahlia growers are passionate about their favorites, and the competition to hybridize new and interesting varieties is fierce! The garden is at its peak in August and September, so now is a good time to experience the wonderful world of dahlias. 

“The Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park”

This cheerful bloom practically shouts “Summertime!”. Whatever the size or color variation, the sunflower is exactly what its name implies: a burst of sunshine. 

Though often associated with Europe, the sunflower in fact originated in Central America and was domesticated by 2600 BC. It is widely found in the Western United States and Mexico and was sacred to some tribes as a symbol of the sun. 

Seeds were taken back to Spain early in the 16^th Century by the conquistadors, and the plant was quickly adopted in Europe for its seeds and the oil that could be produced from them. Sunflower oil was used especially in Russia, and the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. 

Meet Platón.  He’s an old friend of mine — in fact, I don’t remember a time when his happy little face wasn’t on the kitchen shelf. Acquired at some point from my grandmother (who was a treasure trove of interesting and often obscure items she received from her clients), he was the first vase I remember being permitted to fill with flowers.

When I was in the First Grade, my school staged a flower show. It was probably my mom’s idea to use Platón, thinking that his two little barrels would be easy to fill with flowers from our garden, and that his smile was sure to soften up the judges. I went out into the yard and picked nasturtium blossoms in orange and yellow, along with a few of their leaves, and carefully filled those two little barrels in Platón’s cart. He then came with me to the school auditorium, where he was set on a long table with the other entries from the First Grade.

The next day was the judging, and imagine my thrill when I came back to the table and saw that Platón and I had been awarded First Place!!! I still remember the feeling of accomplishment that gave me, the sense of being recognized for my talents and of having my creativity acknowledged.   It was certainly an auspicious beginning for my floral career!

I come from a family of serious gardeners, and have been around plants and flowers my entire life.  I was lucky to be exposed early on to the joy of growing flowers and vegetables, to see the beauty of nature and learn its rhythms. It’s always been second nature to cut from the garden and fill whatever vase is handy to create my own arrangements, but I never envisioned that I’d build a career as a florist. To this day, my favorite style of arrangement is one that looks like it was just gathered from nature – what we florists call “garden style”.

I took a roundabout path to becoming Flaurel Laurel, but it all began in my childhood – in the garden, picking and choosing just the right blooms to fill Platón…..

“bright color works with this flamenco-style gown”

Bright color is definitely something brides are more open to than in years past. A pop of color against a white dress is dramatic and lively — and photographs so well!   

“chocolate is a rich counterpoint for bridesmaids’ dresses”

Colors like champagne, mocha and sage green continue to be in fashion for the bridesmaids because they flatter so many figure types and skin tones. Chocolate is a fun accent, and the use of exotic materials like orchids and the crazy fern fronds adds a contemporary twist. 

“classic white flowers but with an organic feel are very chic”

As with the bouquet chosen by Kate Middleton, white-on-white is a wonderful timeless option – especially when updated with more garden-style and organic elements. Roses are lovely, but the addition of texture and depth with more unusual blooms like ranunculus, helibore and hyacinth blooms gives even more character to the finished bouquet. 

“Another take on white, with the Art Deco feel of calla lilies accented with feathers”

Embellishment is the thing with modern bouquets: pearls, crystal sprays, cameos and costume jewelry are turning up on the handle and worked into the bouquet itself. Feathers are a wonderful accent, adding texture and movement, and white ostrich feathers are making a comeback to add a very 1930′s feeling to bouquets and centerpieces. 

“tropical materials add an unexpected twist”

The Bay Area has always had a great love for tropical flowers and exotic styling, due to our proximity to Hawaii and Asia. Working with exotics in a bridal setting gives a fresh, contemporary feeling which appeals to the sophisticated taste of today’s bride.

What is there to say about roses? The universal symbol of love, they are so well-known that we often overlook how amazing they are. They come in an incredible variety of colors and types, from multi-petalled beauties to their ancient, original 5-petal form, from mini spray roses the size of your fingernail up to the giant South American hothouse types the size of a softball.   

In the garden they can be climbers or hedges as well as stand-alone plantings, and as cut flowers they work as well in tandem with other blooms as they do massed on their own. 

Roses are thought to have originated in Asia Minor, but are now cultivated all over the world. They appear in art and heraldry, for example as the “Tudor Rose” symbol of King Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth I of England. Rose petals and essence are among the most ancient of ingredients in cooking and perfumes, and rose hips (the fruit left when the bloom has faded) are made into jelly and tea.