A Rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species and they come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. Roses or no Roses on Valentines Day. I can’t decide.

There are two camps of people in Williamsburg on Valentine’s Day. The Classic Red Rose or the I am too cool for red roses.

I am torn. Yes Roses are a cliche, Yes they are over-done Yes they are available all over the place. But, like a good steak, or a glass of wine, when done right they can be beautiful and will be appreciated and they can be so romantic. I have never had anyone, no matter how fashion forward turn down a heavenly scented garden rose.

Lavender Holding a rose

Ornamental roses have been cultivated for a millennia, the earliest known examples found in Egyptian pyramids and Mesopotamian writings.

Floriography is the art of writing with flowers. This art became popular during the middle ages when most of the population was not literate, especially females, the object of affection. Each flower had a particular meeting and when this art was at its height in the 19th century, entire conversations could be had by using flowers.

We know that Mistletoe is asking for a kiss, Gardenia means you’re lovely, Hibiscus means you have a delicate beauty, Ranunculus means you radiate charms, a variegated tulip means you have beautiful eyes. Colored carnation means YES, a striped carnation means NO. Yellow carnation means rejection and disdain, scented geranium stupidity, and an orange lily, hatred. Red roses symbolize passion, true love and devotion.

Roses, have their own special language. a thornless rose means the receiver never fear the giver, a leaf invites hope and a garland indicates superiority and merit. A full bunch of open blooms indicates gratitude and a single, unopened rose means beauty and innocence leading to love.

Where do all of these flowers come from? The number one producer of flowers is Holland, thats where we get all of our anemones, ranunculus, hyacinths, and of course tulips. The number two producer of flowers and top producer of roses in the world is is Columbia.

Colombian Roses

Colombian roses are grown in the Sabana de Bogata region, a highland near the equator that is the site of an ancient river bed. The cool nights, warm days and consistent sunlight
is the ideal setting for a perfect rose.

It takes about 48 hours for flowers to get from a field in Colombia to a warehouse in the United States, and one or two more days to reach a retailer. Flowers are grown on private farms and are sold through growing associations. In the past the cut flower industry was filled with problems associated with unsustainable practices, child labor and un-safe working conditions. Now a majority of the flowers sold to independent retailers are certified by watchdog organizations like Veriflora and Rainforest Alliance to ensure that the flowers are grown in a safe, respectful, sustainable manner.

From the time of harvest flowers enter a cold chain where they are stored in a 34deg. warehouse, sent to the airport in refrigerated trucks, held in refrigerated warehouses at the wholesaler and stored in refrigeration at a retailers shop. Flowers can be held for weeks in this type of environment. Once exposed to heat and the outside world they start to fade. The worst place for a flower to be is outside on the street, which is why deli flowers never last as long as ones from a reputable florist.

When choosing flowers this Valentine’s Day. Give roses another try. Garden Roses like the David Austen varieties are so romantic, I mean really romantic, they are everything a rose promises to be, beautiful, sweet-smelling and swoon worthy. Spray roses are petite and fresh, and multicolored roses like Free-spirit with their ruffled edges and peach hues always make me smile. Purple roses like amnesia or cool water look great when combined with white ranunculus or tulips. Don’t be afraid of the classic red standards like Freedom, they will last for weeks in a vase and when paired with waxflower and and an interesting leaf like magnolia, they can look contemporary and new. Just remember to order early, we always pick the best first, and its first come, first serve.

Garden Roses

The Foundry is one of my favorite wedding venues.

It is so beautiful with the aged brick and the ivy climbing the walls. Without any decor it looks amazing.

Cathy and Tom were an amazing couple to work with, so much fun and full of warmth. It is no wonder that Cathy chose a sunny yellow for her bride’s maids and a yellow and green pallet for her flowers, she and Tom always have smiles.

Tom loves billy balls so we put lots of those in. I think the final results are classic and beautiful.

Thanks to Jake at jpweddingphoto.com for sending over these great pictures.

Thank you Cathy and Tom for letting us be a part of your special day.

Boutionniere

Bride's Maids Bouquet

This Weekend we have a PURPLE wedding at the GREEN building.

All these colors, can’t wait….

Hopefully I will remember to take some pictures!.

I love miniature plants, they are perfect for terrariums, or for that little spot on your desk.

They sort of remind me of the miniature horses much cooler and these aren’t so mean and they don’t bite.

Some of the plants like Baby’s Tears and Spike Moss are just naturally small, Others, like the mini horses, they are bred from big plants and made smaller. And look like teeny, tiny versions of their cousins.

Here are some of my favorites.

August is a great time of year for flowers.

In late August, the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the weather is perfect. From now until the middle of October has to be my favorite time of year.
Dahlias, lilies, Roses, all look amazing this time of year and are very beautiful.
Mums are coming into season and are beautiful with shades of burgundy and yellow. Celosia with its fuzzy texture and bright colors looks great.

August Flowers

The hanging amaranth, also called love lies a bleeding, drapes and hangs and just looks sultry and warm.

Locally grown sunflowers are also available. The world seems like it is filled with sunshine. Take a look at the dark chocolate sun flowers, like velvet. Mixed with white siberian lilies and beige saraha roses they are stunning.
Everyone always asks what we have fresh. So here is what we have right now… Enjoy.

August News, Big Sale!

It has been a long, hot summer. Time to sow your fall crops. These cool nights are reminding me that fall is just around the corner.

Did you know that now is the perfect time to sow seeds for those cold weather vegetables? Every time I go to my favorite restaurant in Greenpoint, the ones with the Knights, who’s name I can never pronounce, I think about fall crops. All those lovely cabbages, carrots, parsnips, beets, and turnips; they love cool weather and now is the time to sow your seeds. If you have a little spot where perhaps a zucchini didn’t make it (damn caterpillars) or a plant that is just limping along, yank it and sow some seed. Didn’t get around to planting a garden this year, don’t worry, you can sow these now. Varieties like dwarf kale, carrots, spinach and lettuce work great in containers, so don’t let a lack of an outdoor space stop you

Twig Terrariums!Crime

It ain't no Crime

It Ain’t no crime to love terrariums, we do for sure. Twig is back in the house and will be teaching a workshop all about Terrariums. Featured at the Museum of Arts and Design, Twig has bought terrariums to a new level, and the girls are super sweet too. Come take their class and learn all about terrariums.

BYOC Terrariums. Have a special container that you love, want to learn a little more about DIY terrariums? Take our BYOC class and bring your own container.

BIG FAT SALE!
Yip-pie, it is our end of summer sale. Now that your sunburns have finally turned into tans, I know its time for a sale. All outdoor plants are 30% off, All gardening supplies, hoses, tools, are 50% off.. WHAAAT? We have to make room for fall plants, so buh-by, summer plants, buh-by, soaker hoses, buh-by and buh-by rakes, spades, and forks.

Give the Gift of Love. Dahlias and Celosia Locally grown flowers

Did you know that Flowers are a natural Aphrodisiac? They are, why do you think they have been gifted since ancient times? We all need a little love, right? So to help we are bringing back HAPPY FLOWER HOUR, so from now until Labor Day, we will be offering 30% off all fresh cut flowers, Thursday-Sunday from 5pm to 7pm. Our Flowers are Locally Grown, so you can skip the crowds at the Farmers Market and save your Weekend for other stuff, bow-chicka-bow-wow. If you want to be even more romantic, you can have one of our stunning bouquets delivered to your sweeties door. Call 718-486-3569 or Order On line for a single bouquet or up to a year’s worth of flowers, delivered to your sweet-heart once a month for up to a year.

Cool Places for your Air plants to Chill.

Air plants need homes too, and we have lots of cool globes, lanterns, and twig wreaths for your little friends to hang on. Don’t have any air plants? Don’t worry, we have plenty of those in stock too.

Great Minds? I like to think so and I was super excited when I saw my favorite pots featured on Design Sponge, My favorite design blog.

Great minds think alike? We have a full selection of beautiful Campo di Fiore pots with luscious live moss come and snag yours. Once planted, Campo de Fiori terracotta pots will begin the natural aging process, creating a varied surface texture of vibrant mosses along with naturally occurring colors that evoke the classic look of antiquity. We are proud to have them at our shop.

Campo di Fiore Moss Pots

NEW HOUSEPLANTS!! We just got in a new shipment of crazy houseplants just for you. Lots of low light plants for that middle room in your railroad apartment, lots of tall plants for that double high window in your duplex. No green thumb? Don’t worry, we have a class just for you.Creeping Fig

Rhipsalis

GETTING MARRIED?

Have a friend who is tying the knot, jumping the broom, taking the plunge, well you get the picture. Our wedding flowers have been featured in New York Magazine, and on Merci Bride Kimberly will teach you the ins and outs of personal flowers, how to make your own corsages, bouquets, and boutonnieres. Look all fancy all the time.

Moss Boutonniere

Hope to see you in the shop soon!

Kimberly, Enrique, Lavender and Sweet William.

Rose Red & Lavender
653 Metropolitan Avenue
www.roseredandlavender.com

Ok. We survived yesterday…Roses, more and more roses, beautiful roses, the best I have ever seen.
The ranuculus opened and winked at me, they are so happy.
The anenomies are swirling and bobbing with their velvety petals.
Mounds and Mountains of strangely soft thistle.
Bunches and bunches of willow eucyclaptus, Willow.
Berries, and more berries.
Grapey Purple Mikora Orchids
Speaking of willow, off to get more pussy willow….
Willow!

Valentine’s Day has begun for us and we just got in our first shipment of flowers. We stagger our flowers so that we don’t get overwhelmed and the roses always come first so they have a little time to open and be beautiful. I have hundreds and hundreds of roses waiting for me.

I love roses, I just do. I know they are a cliche for valentines day, but when a rose is done right, they are magical and last a super long time in the vase. There is a reason that they are a cliche and we mix ours with thistle and waxflower so that they shine and look dramatic. I always make something that I would like to get myself.

I take pride in my roses and book them months in advance for Valentine’s Day. This year we have a few varieties, Charlotte, Forever Young and Wanted. I am very particular about the farms where my roses come from and will only buy from veriflora certified sources and especially one farm in particular, because they always get it right.

Charlotte

Charlotte, is a nice, friendly red rose. The stems are usually not to thick and the thorns are small. The blossom is squat with a lot of petals. I like it mixed with tea roses and other flowers, it mixes well. This Charlotte always plays nicely with others.

Forever Young Rose

Forever Young is the Cadallic of roses. These guys are available up to 100cm long, which is about waist high. They have thick, beefy stems and thorns that are mothers, IYKWIM. The blossoms are long and the petals curl back perfectly. They stand alone and look best when they are the main attraction. The classic rose for a box of roses or arranged in a vase.

Wanted

The last rose, my personal favorite is Wanted. Wanted is a garden rose and has a high petal count. It looks like a peony and has really rich, deep reds that tend to be almost brown. I love mixing these with blackberries and other flowers, or using them in simple, small arrangements. They have a terrific texture and are very romantic.

We also have some beautiful peonies and anemones for Valentine’s day and along with our very popular Mason Jars with Burlap, we are also featuring Vintage Milk Glass and Mint Julep Cups.

Bourbon and Berries

I noticed that another shop in the area is featuring Mason Jars and flowers with Burlap and Blackberries with fern seems like she may have been “inspired” by last year’s photos? Even my dad had a chuckle over that. That’s ok, I get inspired by other people’s work too. Who was it who said that imitation is the best form of flattery? Notice the Three Roses Bourbon bottle in the back, do you see a trend here?

Milk glass Vases

Milk glass is white, translucent type of depression glass. It was popular in the 50′s and 60′s and I have been snapping it up left and right. I love the textures and the shapes of the vases. It has a country type of feeling that is a little dressed up. The hobnail vases are just sexy in themselves, all those bumps…We are using peonies and romantic flowers with our milkglass, I hope it becomes a new classic for Valentine’s Day.

Mint Julep Cup

Mint julep cups are small, silver cups that are used in the south to serve mint juleps. I remember sipping a few at my sister’s Virginia wedding. The cup gets nice and frosty and you have to use a straw or your lip will stick to the metal. Anyone old enough to remember those old aluminum cups or metal ice cube trays will know what I mean. Being from the south, gives me a natural affinity for Bourbon and I couldn’t resist mixing the cups with berries, purple flowers and roses. By the way, Bourbon was invented in Virginia, not Kentucky.

I hope you get your orders in early, We always use the best flowers first and when we are out, we are out and we always sell out.

I love the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, it is so beautiful and I often visit for inspiration.

Flower Girl

Last July we made flowers for Pete and Irene who were getting married at the Green Building in Brooklyn . The Green Building is a fantastic space that has terrific architecture. I would love to have the opportunity to do more weddings there.

Wildflowers

Pete and Irene wanted something a little different. They are both from the city, but they wanted to have a country

feeling to their wedding. Since this was in the middle of July, I had access to all sorts of grasses and other cool materials to work with. We used twigs in burlap bags as centerpieces and tied bundles of dried flowers with ivy to them.

Instead of carrying flowers, the bride’s maids wore necklaces made of herbs and roses. I think they were cute.

The bride carried a bouquet of mostly grasses with some roses. The bouquet

was trimmed with twine, keeping the stems exposed.

The groomsmen wore boutonnieres made of straw flowers with hot peppers.

After the ceremony, they went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to take some pictures, beautiful.

Especially on theses cold winter days, it is nice to see a fun, summer wedding.

Here are some beautiful pictures of winter wedding flowers. I love winter weddings and I always dreamed of a winter wedding of my own.

White flowers with silver foliage looks so romantic. It reminds me of walking through the woods on a snowy day and the sound that the snow makes, like hundreds of tinkling bells.

Here are some all white centerpieces and some wine colored centerpieces. I am not sure which is my favorite, I love them both.

White