Last Sunday we went to Pennock’s “Spring Fling” flower show. We arrived right at 9 a.m. when it started, and immediately went to the area where their suppliers’ farm representatives were showing off the varieties they carry. It was great to compare varieties from grower to grower–even if it is the same flower, the growing conditions and other factors influence how it ultimately looks and performs. A certain pink rose from one grower can end up looking somewhat different from the same type grown on a different farm. We were quite taken with the pale yellow spray roses, pink peonies and several ranunculus that we saw. Since I’m a huge fan of garden-style floral arrangements, these were just the sort of flowers I was hoping for. The ranunculus were enormous! And the spray roses had so many buds on each stem, it’s ridiculous.
Bill Schaffer, a designer from Philadelphia, did a demonstration. One of the best pieces he did was a fresh-cut terrarium in a large glass container. When you are working with all or mostly green things, it brings out a design sensibility that is more about form than color, although I am always impressed by the great range of greens from leaf to leaf. Since Sunday, I’ve been making terrariums and other form-based arrangements and so far they are a hit. We’ve even added them to our eCommerce store so our customers can order them online or over the phone.
