A month of learning, living, and a time to honour some very special people

2010-06-18

As they say, time flies when you’re having fun.  May was such a flurry, it seems most of it never had a chance to sink in.  It was a month of learning, great projects, and of course, was the kick off of wedding season.  In fact, its seemed as if the world awoke from a dreary winter and decided all at once to engage, celebrate and participate.

I had the opportunity to spend a day with some old friends and peers  at a workshop directed by former World Champion floral designer,  Per Benjamin. Per, a designer from Sweden, gave us some new perspectives on colour, which will be  helpful when helping brides chose their flowers.  Our projects involved very intricate details, and  provided us with some very fresh approaches to both bridal and interior floral design.

My project , featuring a few of my favourite things;

The day was a welcome break from a hectic schedule of weddings and events, and a chance to share ideas and challenges with some fantastic designers.

But the highlight of this post is a very special group of people who are honoured each May.  Flourish has been making  the corsages and boutonnieres for the honourees for several years.  175 corsages isn’t a project most florists would care to take on, in fact, most would turn it  away.  However, having a special connection to the recipients of the corsages,  it is a project I take on very mindful of the special contribution they make in our community.

Every May, St Mary’s Hospital (Kitchener)  hosts a special dinner for its volunteers.  Being a former volunteer on the Festival of Trees committee, I have attended the dinner on several occasions.  Over a 5 year period, I co-ordinated the decorations for hundreds of Christmas trees, staged Kitchener City Hall with large theme displays,and  oversaw wreath-making bees, all with the help of several other volunteers.  My first invitation to the dinner came as a surprise as I didn’t really consider myself to be  part of the Volunteer Association.

Looking around at my fellow dinner guests, 2 things stood out.  1st, they were mostly women, 2nd, most of them were aged 60 -80. Yes, 80, with a few in the 90 range.  Any sense of smug accomplishment I had with my Festival of  Trees experience was put in it’s place with the dedication I saw in these individuals, many who on the front-lines of services crucial to our health care system.     These are the folks who greet you as you come into the hospital, who give you direction and a comforting smile as you await surgery, or news of a loved one’s condition.  They tirelessly raise funds for equipment and improvements to the hospital.

Awards are given out starting at 5 years of service.  This year, 31 individuals were honoured for a total of 420 years!!

For example, there’s Theresa, who is a greeter, who was recently honoured for 50 years of service, and Barb, a volunteer for 45 years, who helps staff the gift shop.  Then there’s Madeline, the founder of the gift shop, who has dedicated 41 years of  tireless commitment.  Other regular faces include Rose, another greeter, and also Harold, who shows up for 6am,  Bernice,  who distributes mail, a volunteer of 35 years and Vi, who at 93, still helps out at  fund raising events, and was always a fixture in the Angel Shop at the Festival of Trees.  Then there’s Jessie, who was present when the cornerstone of the original St. Mary’s Hospital was laid, and who was there to see the opening of the new addition in 2008.  She has been honoured with 50 years of dedication to the hospital. The Tim Horton’s is managed by 2 retirees, Martha and Fran.  Not a position usually taken up as a retirement pastime!

So, even though I whine about tired fingers, and the monotony of making 175 of the same little things, I make them as pretty and as special as possible.  My short span of discomfort is easily blown away by the scope of the commitment and contributions of each one of these volunteers.  Yes, May is always a month of learning.

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Why I became an eco-florist

2010-04-07

So I was cleaning out the studio.  I mean CLEANING OUT THE STUDIO!  All the precious I’ll-use-it sometime–can’t-bear-to part-with-stuff.  A box of treasures for the thrift shop, a pail of dried materials for yard waste collection, additions to the Blue Box, and garbage.  Too much garbage.

Hating all of the waste is what prompted me to choose an eco-friendly direction for Flourish.  I was already using Fair trade/eco-conscious flowers, but that doesn’t mean that my business was green.  Flowers that have some sort of certification are readily available, as are several locally grown varieties, and I have promoted the use of both types for several years.  But there’s more to the flower business than the flowers themselves, and one day I realized that I could not follow the status quo of the flower industry.

That green sponge that flowers are arranged in?  Floral foam, commonly called oasis, is laced with formaldehyde, and doesn’t bio-degrade.  Those super shiny leaves?  Sprayed with Leafshine, an aerosol concoction of kerosene and alcohol.  These were the first things on the enemy list.  While most florists would consider my measures unthinkable for their business, in my case, it has led to some creative, cost-effective measures.  Yes, I’ve had the luxury of being able to spend time perfecting new design mechanics, but the challenges have helped to define my style.  Oh, and the garbage, there’s less of it.  After an event, not having to dispose of 20 – 30 pounds of wet floral foam is a blessing.  As for the  leaves, I have a simple way of shining them that doesn’t involve an aerosol, is quick, and usually gives a nicer result.

So what about all the garbage from the studio?   It was a wonderful mix of discards from my pre-eco days. There were the bases of some wild and wacky arrangements for floral magazines and design shows, meant to show the latest in trends and new ideas.  Structures made of sisal, wax, chicken wire, then spray painted (yes, spray paint), then cast aside into oblivion.  Now headed to some sort of half-life at the land fill.  Then there were all of the left-over artificial flowers and painted branches from various projects.  Most were donated to a local thrift shop, but, let’s face it, they too will some day end up in the dump.

That pile of trash has caused me to revisit my green business model, and re-affirm my commitment.  I don’t want another pile of pointless, needless stuff.  As I shop at my suppliers, eying all of the new “toys” they come up for designers to use, it’s with a very critical eye.  What’s it made of, where was it made, where will it end up?  Flourish isn’t perfect yet, but this is a journey, and as the business grows, the green aspect will continue to grow with it.

What can you, as a consumer, do?  Please continue to buy flowers, but think about each purchase.  Skip the cute add-ons.  Skip the special Valentine or Christmas container. Trust me, it won’t be very special a year from now.  Ask how your arrangement will be constructed being sure to choose a design that doesn’t require floral foam.  Go for a classic vase, one that will be useful for years to come.  Insist that your flowers haven’t been dyed or spray painted, and that the greens haven’t be shined.  Flowers themselves are beautiful.  They don’t need our help.  Let’s remember that.

Pam

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Organic inspirations for summer brides

2010-03-03

Thinking of summer while blanketed in snow?  Here is some locally grown, organic  inspiration!

Jenn and Jay’s wedding from late August was on of my faves!  Jenn’s bouquet featured dreamy white cosmos and dahlias, zinnias, and asters, with touches of  scented herbs.  The bridesmaids posies were in playful, bright colours, starring the fun-loving zinnias.

Zinnias are becoming a summer favourite of mine.  Their playfulness and range of colours adds a charming touch to summer bouquets.  Throughout the summer, I mixed them dahlias, sunflowers, celosias, calendulas, herbs,  and the many types of amaranth that grow so well in our area. An old-fashioned garden flower, zinnias are a wonderful addition to a vintage theme,  or they make a splash of fun at an outdoor event.

After a fresh fall of snow, hot weather  seems so far off, but looking at these bouquets, we are reminded of the warmth and colour that summer in Ontario brings.  My growers will soon be sending their planting lists, and they’re not afraid to experiment with new varieties, so it’s always exciting to see new possibilities for summer and fall weddings.  And  the anticipation begins!

Pam

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