This is a very busy time of year for me. A lot of companies seem to all have their Christmas parties the middle of December. And a lot of people are looking for gifts as well.
As promised, here are a few things we have been working on.
These are Goldcrest Cypress.
A mix of amaryllis, paperwhites and cypress.
Helleborus are starting to be sold as a blooming potted plant at Christmas for the first time this year. Here it is planted with the cypress.
Here they are planted by themselves. I hope that my Secret Santa gives me one of these.
Paperwhites, cypress, stephanotis hoops and frosty ferns have pinecones nestled in a bed of moss.
A vase arrangement of cymbidium orchids, magnolia, bc cedar, pine cones and oregonia.
Now some flower arrangements. Amaryllis and leucadendron with a few paperwhites, commercial mums and gold pinecones.
The same flowers as the arrangement above, but with roses instead of mums.
An arrangement to go with the centerpieces above. This is for the bar.
A centerpiece.
A very tall arrangement needed for a Christmas party. We used cello in the base to raise the flowers up. Add water, and it looks like ice.
We will often use a large leaf to line a vase, this hides the water (if it gets murky) and is a different look from just a clear vase.
Another party waits to be delivered. One more week to go…..
I am a floral designer living in a tiny condo in downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city. But on the weekend, I am a gardener/frustrated architect trying to keep up with a 3/4 acre garden in Owen Sound, Ontario, a warm (to Canadians, Zone 5b, and a cold (to Americans, Zone 4b) garden.
Green Theatre 
Joy said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:04 AM
Deborah … these are such gorgeous plantings as gifts .. I would love the hellebore arrangements but I am such a sucker for white roses .. I absolutely love them (but they also have to have fragrance !!) .. I hope you get what you really want from Santa !! LOL
Joy
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:01 PM
Joy, I wish more commercially grown roses had a fragrance, there is only one that I find noticeable, luckily enough it is a white. I do hope I was a good girl this year, I might find out the hard way, lol.
fairegarden said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:05 AM
All lovely, Deborah! You are such an artist! We love that cypress. We bought some last year and planted them outside in the ground. They have done well, so far. Fingers crossed they will be unscathed after this winter. If so, there will be more added, for they are inexpensive and gorgeous! They do make those planters so elegant. 🙂
Frances
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:02 PM
Thank you Frances, I love the cypress as well. We has some last year that I planted in my garden, but they are not winter hardy here, sigh…
heather @ what's blooming this week said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:42 AM
Hellebores, ahhh, how beautiful in a potted planter. Great idea. Also love the tip to use cello as “ice” in a tall vase. Gorgeous as always. Hang in there, it’s almost over and then you can put your feet up in the snowy north.
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:03 PM
Looking forward to the feet up Heather. Hopefully, I will be looking at a helleborus while I am doing so.
miss m said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:47 AM
Does this girl have a dream job or what !
Lovely, lovely, lovely !
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:03 PM
Miss M, it is a dream job (at least most of the time).
Nell Jean said,
December 17, 2009 @ 9:03 AM
Mouth-watering delicious. Amaryllis plays well with others.
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:04 PM
Nell, I know you love your amaryllis!
Kiki said,
December 17, 2009 @ 10:31 AM
Gorgeous work as always!! You are super talented..awesome!I always enjoy your posts!
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:04 PM
Thanks Kiki, you are always so very kind.
teza said,
December 17, 2009 @ 10:38 AM
Deb:
Oooh, I love the Helleborus used in the arrangement, and on its own, and think that perhaps this will be the companion to my yearly Cyclamen plant. Cannot stand the Poinsettia, regardless of its colour!
Absolutely fabulous designs, and the cello or the large leaf, what brilliant ideas,. must remember that. Oh, the geek comes out now…… is it only Helleborus Walhelivor (Ivory Prince) that you use? Methinks that is what is pictured. It is the most floriferous by far!
Must run…. glad you liked the Happy vs Gay post… wait til you see the Post Office one…..
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:06 PM
Teza, interesting to know what variety you think the helleborus is, I will check tomorrow with the grower to see if they know, it is very floriferous! Looking forward to reading about your adventures with the Post.
Rebecca @ In The Garden said,
December 17, 2009 @ 12:57 PM
What a great post, love those moss pictures. I’ve been giving out little cypress trees as Chrismas presents, I think they are charming. I love the helleborus arrangements, and the white arrangement with amaryllis and paperwhites. Beautiful tour of the flower shop. 🙂
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:07 PM
Rebecca, they are charming and actually a good price as well.
Joanne said,
December 17, 2009 @ 5:45 PM
You have such a talent with plants and flowers it is nice of you to share these photos with us.
kilbournegrove said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:08 PM
Joanne, thank you for the compliments. I am glad that you enjoyed it.
Barbara H. said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:20 PM
Very lovely….and creative. Looks like you all work well under pressure!
kilbournegrove said,
December 18, 2009 @ 7:58 AM
Thanks Barbara, you certainly work faster anyway! lol
Angela Davis said,
December 17, 2009 @ 8:22 PM
Wow! These are all amazing!
kilbournegrove said,
December 18, 2009 @ 7:59 AM
Thank you Angela, that is very sweet of you.
Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope I see you again soon.
Deborah Elliott said,
December 18, 2009 @ 1:27 AM
Hi Deborah, I think the helleborus/ cypress combination is fabulous. What a fun job you have! All of these arrangements are lovely. Thanks for sharing.
kilbournegrove said,
December 18, 2009 @ 7:59 AM
It is fun (most of the time). I am glad you enjoyed the tour.
The Garden Ms. S said,
December 18, 2009 @ 1:33 AM
I have to join the fan club and say the Helleborus arangements are fabulous! I also love anything with lots of white against the winter greenery.
Personally, I would be thrilled to have any one of these arrangements in my home 🙂
kilbournegrove said,
December 18, 2009 @ 8:00 AM
White is sooo my favourite. I am always trying to talk clients into all white, most times they will want red as well. boo….
Tatyana said,
December 18, 2009 @ 10:27 AM
So many great ideas! You are very creative, artistic people over there!
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:45 PM
Thanks Tatyana, we try to be. Sometimes it is hard to be creative on demand, but we try our best.
Elephant's Eye said,
December 18, 2009 @ 4:23 PM
And I love how you have made those deep burgundy Leucadendrons glow like gems. In South Africa we are used to treating them as filler foliage. They do look breathtaking growing wild on the mountain, but our garden down here is too hot (It died …)
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:47 PM
Diana, I do love leucadendrons, we also get the green and the yellow. This time of year we are also selling a lot of different varities of protea.
Noelle (azplantlady) said,
December 18, 2009 @ 11:05 PM
You know, I have always secretly wanted to work in a florist shop. I love all of the arrangements. Especially the ones with paperwhites. I need to remember your trick of lining the vase with a large leaf…it is beautiful and practical 🙂
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:48 PM
Noelle, it is a lot of fun. The lined vase is very practical for our corporate reception pieces, they do not always change the water, the leaf hides the “murky” water.
Jen said,
December 19, 2009 @ 11:46 AM
Now, I don’t know why I never saw your blog before. But I am glad to find it. What amazingly lovely work you do.
Jen
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:48 PM
Jen, that is a lovely compliment. Now that you have found me, I hope that you come back and visit.
Wendy said,
December 19, 2009 @ 11:11 PM
Wooooow, how beautiful! I bet these arrangements sell for a lot? I especially like the first few, and I love the use of a potted hellebores – one of my favorite plants.
What a great idea for using a large leaf to line the inside of the vase – so simple, and contemporary looking. Thanks for sharing these great ideas again!!
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:51 PM
Yes they do, the small vase arrangements start at $100 and the larger ones $200-$300. The lined vase is great, sometimes we will cut a leaf off one of the plants in the store to use, shh… don’t tell anybody!
You are so welcome, Wendy!
María Cecilia said,
December 20, 2009 @ 12:27 PM
Deborah, your flower designs are amazingly beautiful!!!!!!!!!
I would like to wish you a very merry christmas together with the ones you love and love you, and may next year brings much blessings and happiness, good health, prosperity and tons of love.
Con mucho cariño,
Maria Cecilia
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:53 PM
Thank you Maria Cecilia. I hope that you and your family also have a wonderful Christmas.
puppyparents said,
December 21, 2009 @ 6:13 PM
Looks great Deb!!!
Gorgeous work…as always!!!!
kilbournegrove said,
December 21, 2009 @ 7:53 PM
Thanks Kel, miss you!
Barbara said,
December 22, 2009 @ 1:49 PM
What beautiful tasteful arrangements you have. I love helleborus, after having only recently discovered it. This year I’ve already received two as gifts and cherish them both. Mine are potted – do they suffer if they stay inside in the heated air for too long, I’m wondering? The ground in the garden is now frozen solid, so I can’t plant them. Any advice?
kilbournegrove said,
December 22, 2009 @ 11:09 PM
Barbara, they can stay inside, for a “shortish” period. I have kept them in the house for 2 to 3 months last winter before planting them in the garden. They might look a bit unhappy near the end, but they will perk up once they are planted. Try to keep them in a cooler spot. Good luck!