Accentuating Your Home...Indoors & Out

Everyone gets bursts of creativity from time to time, but we often don't find...or make...the time to bring our ideas to fruition.  If you're so inclined, here are a few time-friendly ideas for making pretty accents to your home and garden:

Outside:

*Illuminate a twig ball - Buy some wire or sisal (natural twig may show too much cord) balls, pry open the bottom carefully and then stuff the insides with some balled-up strings of mini-lights so that they fill evenly (choose white/light-coloured cords), pile up the balls in a planter, connect the lights to an extension cord & then conceal the plug within the globe; run the cord discreetly to an outlet. This arrangement looks pretty any time of year.

*Build an Inukshuk - The next time you find yourself in the ravine (so conveniently nearby in almost any part of Toronto) or countryside, pick up & take home some (minimum 4) large-ish flat rocks, and put them together as an Inukshuk (a traditional Inuit sculpture marking one's way home) on your porch, patio or garden ledge.

*Gazing balls - Purchase a good quality (mercury, usually) gazing ball (available at some garden centres, florists, home decor boutiques) and place it in any urn you already have sitting empty; the ball should be a little larger than the opening of the urn...any size planter will do.  This is a particularly effective accent in the winter, when your backyard urns tend to be empty. 

Inside:

*Make a mini green screen - Buy 3 (approximately 4") miniature evergreens, plant them in three identical planters (silver julep cups are pretty, but anything will do), place them on a matching tray if you'd like, and then use them as a table centrepiece in the kitchen/dining room/family room/powder room...wherever pleases you most.

*Ornamental bowl - Christmas ornaments can be used as a decoration at any time of the year.  I keep a selection of ornaments of various colours, textures, sizes in a large silver bowl year-round on my dining room table.  It always attracts attention and compliments, and as an added bonus, it makes for one less box of things to store in the basement.

*Rose/Carnation orbs - At a flower store, buy a bunch of roses or carnations that are fully open (and, therefore, often on sale); fill a planter (I like to use 2 matching ones) with moist florist foam, cut the stems of the flowers very short and push them into the foam so that they become one dense round mass...this looks much prettier than it sounds :)

Let me know what you think if you decide to try any (or all!) of these small projects; I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Comments (...thank you for them!)

It's been a busy couple of weeks; here are some of the kind emails I've received as a result of my work:

"For my mother's birthday dinner, she and my sisters noticed [your flowers] immediately when they arrived...My mother liked the mums in particular and said she had never seen live ones in such a pretty colour. She was quite pleased when I told her that the arrangement had been designed by a friend of mine especially for her based on her favourite colour.  When I spoke to my dad this morning, he said that as soon as they got home, she unwrapped the flowers and placed them on their kitchen table. Thank you."

"You did a great job! Thank you so much."

"The urns look great. We are really happy with them.  Thanks so much."

"Sooooo pretty!!! Thanks Hilary!"

"When we got home last night, we were admiring the beautiful arrangement in our urn..."

"Thank you so much; they look great." 

"Looks fantastic!"

"Honestly, your arrangements are gorgeous and once you've printed [your business cards & postcards), please send me a few..."


"The flowers are so pretty!!!  Thanks so much!!!"


"You made my day...I love the flowers!"


"They look so pretty!"

Autumn is here! (outdoor)

Toronto is such a great city to live in...made even nicer by the reliable change of seasons. With the constant variation of nature's colours comes the opportunity to alter our personal environments with the most subtle of touches.

Coming home to be greeted by a simple yet pretty floral arrangement, whether indoors or out, brings an effortless smile and sense of pleasure.

If you are looking for an outdoor floral arrangement for your home or someone else's, I'd love to help you bring your idea to fruition.  My arrangements can be suited to fit any preferences and budget.  Email me at: hilarious@rogers.com.

Thanks,
Hilary

aster /kale/heather/ivy 

boxwood/heather/lamium 

fountain grass/mums/kale

coneflower planter with decorative bulbs

autumn front entrance

mums/icicle pansies/kale/ivy/moss

fountain grass/peppers/kale/ivy/pumpkins

boxwood/ivy/mini pumpkins

                                                  

                                                       

Low Impact Arrangements (environmentally speaking, that is)

With environmental issues a reality, the consequences of our actions are a constant concern.  This is why I try to minimize my impact on nature as much as possible when it comes to my floral designs and their execution.

*I purchase plants in biodegradable containers when possible

*I pull any weeds I encounter by their roots (ie, I don't use commercial weed suppressants)

*I encourage the use of perennials when practical (eg, using 'asters' instead of 'mums,' using hardy ivy instead of the more susceptible variegated variety, using icicle pansies - which can survive the winter)

*I reuse biodegradable plastic sheets to protect & keep clean the area where I'm working with the plants

*I take my Vespa (instead of my car) for pick up & deliveries whenever I can

It is easy to find small ways to help protect the environment; every little gesture has a domino effect. As you can see, flower arrangements with a high impact wow factor can simultaneously have a low impact factor on nature.  This way, it's win-win no matter how you look at it.

                       

Autumn is here! (indoor)

We are inundated with information and tasks, as technology and people's expectations grow rapidly.  It is often difficult to find the time to just sit down and relax in our homes: often our minds are racing, our eyes are wandering, and we are continually composing ongoing "to do" lists.

Thus, making the time to pick up some flowers isn't a priority for most people; rather, it is something many of us think of doing, but only seem to get around to when needing a gift for others.

Whether it's an invitation to an acquaintance's, a gathering in your own home, a welcoming decoration in your office, or a gift for a special occasion, flowers make an impression.  I'd be happy to help you accent an indoor space; email me at hilarious@rogers.com to discuss your ideas...as always, designs are made to fit your specifications and budget. Orders can be one-time or on a regularly scheduled basis.

Have Vespa, will travel!!

Thanks,                   

Hilary

                         

calla lilies/mums

mums/stemmed kale

mums/calla lilies

multi-sized mums/proteas          

multi-sized dahlias/hydrangea

roses/stemmed kale/river rocks

mums/stemmed kale/euonymus

dahlias/freesia/stemmed kale

mums/freesia