It was last September, Labor Day weekend, and my neighbor was diligently working in her front yard to create a new garden space. Well, as most gardeners know, in September we still have plenty of time to get things in the ground, but to tackle a brand new installation, maybe a little ambitious!?! I was sitting on my front steps, watching Rita work. She was planting an area that butted up to a front garden bed of mine when the light bulb went off! I walked over to her and in a quiet sort of way I said, "Rita, I've been thinking....."
I told her my thoughts of merging our gardens together, she was always teaching me knew lessons in gardening and one of them was, "Anne, we must walk THROUGH the garden, not just look at it! THROUGH the garden!!" So she listened patiently, I shared my ideas, she interjected with hers, and in no time at all she looked at me and said, "This is not the time for something this big, I have all this work to be done here, to start something this big, it's September!" ....I knew I had her! She continued with, "But now I as I sit and look at the space, I agree, it has to be done and doing anything else will simple not be good enough. And thank you very much missy!" ...or something to that effect. She would be able to tell you verbatim the conversation as her memory is sharp and mine is more "fuzzy" around the edges. But we now had a Garden to get to!
We (mostly Rita) worked to prep the area last fall and lay out the pathways. We knew we wanted a garden arch with benches on both sides that we could sit on and walk through- "Through the garden Anne! Through the garden!" is the mantra that repeats over and over in my head. We dug up perennials, added a few, moved around urns and laid stepping stones. We thought we had an arch, but everyone we found was not quite right. Then Rita spoke with Ted over at The Cottage House and viola! he found us the perfect centerpiece to our front garden! It is gorgeous!
Now we have 90% of the garden done (but it will always be evolving as it blooms and thrives!). We can sit in our archway, admire the plants and enjoy the view!
Wishing you a day surrounded in beautiful!
-Anne
(Our "Selfie" taken about halfway through the work. We are grimy, full of dirt, mulch and everything else: But we are having a ball!)
I am fortunate to meet many Brides along the way. Upon our first meeting, I tell them how important it is that you not only pick a talented Vendor, but also that you like your Vendor. There is nothing worse than dreading someone showing up on your Wedding Day who causes you anxiety! You will know in the first few minutes of meeting a Vendor if they are a good fit for you. I knew immediately upon meeting Jane and her mother Sue, that they were a beautiful family and that I wanted to help create a gorgeous Wedding Day for them!
Jane has exquisite taste but didn't know much about flowers. Sue added her thoughts and upon talking through different ideas and family memories, we decided that we needed to incorporate Gardenias into the wedding elements. Gardenias had been in both Sue's and her Mother's wedding bouquet. The guests wouldn't realize how important they were; but to Jane's Grandma and Mom they were one little detail that would mean so much.
Jane wanted to capture the vibrant summer colors. She loved the bright celadon green and how that plays off a vibrant red and orange. I grouped the flowers by color, as her preference was for a more A-Symmetrical look, nothing evenly distributed and forced. I paired exotic orange Mokara Orchids with red garden Dahlias and green Minnesota grown Hydrangeas.
I used only a creamy white in Jane's bouquet. Her Bridesmaids were dressed in vibrant A-symmetrical green T-length cocktail dresses which were a perfect backdrop for the orange, red and celadon green flowers. They complimented the Bride's Bouquet perfectly while telling their own story.
Inside and out, Jane was a beautiful Bride. Since her wedding, I have been blessed to help her and her family celebrate many more milestones. My wish is for all Brides to have a beautiful Wedding Day that exceeds their expectations! If you are the next Bride-to-Be, take a moment to think about the unique, personal touches that we can incorporate into your Wedding Day details. They make all the difference!
Wishing you a day surrounded in Beautiful,
Anne
Summer weddings are in full swing! Take a look at this summer wedding held at the Guthrie Theater!
Linden Hills Florist collaborated with the fabulous Kim Yeager of Lark Nest Design.
Read Kim's BLOG to see what happens behind-the-scenes to create an inspirational wedding day result!
Wishing you a day surrounded in Beauty,
Anne
Welcome! I love walking into a WEDDING or a PARTY and being warmly greeted! First impressions set the stage for everything that is to come. I think one of the best ways to welcome your guests is with a fresh wreath. A Welcome Wreath is an unexpected element that tells your guest, "tonight is special!" "Come, Enjoy, Celebrate with us!"
When thinking about Personalizing a Special Welcome to your guests, how about adding your initial, or your WEDDING INVITATION, to let each Guest know they are right where they should be: Celebrating with you!
Hooray for the Red White and Blue!
Show your patriotic spirit this week!
Fly the Flag and show your Thanks for this great country we call home! We have a special place in our HEARTS for the US military.
Their bravery makes it possible for us to live in the land of the FREE!
We salute you!
