Blog | Rose Red & Lavender

2012 was the year that Boho Chic hit its stride with weddings and when we were asked by a BIG NAME WEDDING MAGAZINE to design some Bohemian inspired bouquets and floral headpieces, I smiled. Ok, I smiled for like 5 minutes and then I panicked.

Flowers

I love putting together wildflower bouquets and creating that “just gathered” look. Truth of the matter is that it takes a lot of time to put together the controlled chaos without it looking like the Bride’s cousin, who “really loves flowers” put it together and I need to be in the right mood to do it.

We were given the job to do in January, and in January, I am not feeling all warm and sun shiney I can’t sit on the roof of the studio with my bees and flowers and relax and get that bohemian feeling, I am not wearing a sundress, I don’t have sandals on. I am wearing sweater dresses, thick tights, and Sorel boots, I am cold! Not to mention that there aren’t many wild flowers are around.

To get that wildflower look in the middle of Winter, I reached for anenomies (a favorite) scabiosa, lilacs, parrot tulips, garden roses, amaranths,  tuberose and scotch broom to create the looks.  I also added some berries and little bips and bobs to give them those special touches.

To get in the mood, I put on some Coachella inspired music, and took a look at some pictures from weddings past, thought warm thoughts and put on my favorite perfume. Here are the results.

Yellow and Cream Wildflower Bouquet with Lace and Burlap

Peach Wildflower Bohemian Wedding Bouquet

White Wedding Bouquet with Birch Wrapped Handle

White Wedding Bouquet with Anemones and French Lilac

I love Liberty Warehouse and I was so upset when the Hurricane hit, I was afraid that Sandy would destroy one of my favorite venues.

Liberty Warehouse is in Redhook and has one of the most amazing vues of the Statue of Liberty. It is in an old warehouse that is also home to Steves Key Lime Pie, and Perch.

Tall Centerpiece

January weddings are always special. What a great time of year to get friends and family together to celebrate. Liberty Warehouse has a few fire places that can make it cozy and warm on the coldest days.

We used a lot of light to create a warm mood for this wedding. Tables were set with white flowers in birch containers with mercury glass votive. We also used quince branches with hanging lanterns on some of the tables and candle holders on pedestals.

Centerpieces

Amber lights were  used on the perimeter and on the dance floor to create a warm, glowing light.

Birch Chuppah

We trimmed a birch chuppah with quince and curly willow with dendrobium orchids and lit them with amber lights.  The room was filled with pillar candles, what a beautiful setting.

Chuppah Detail

The River Cafe is one of the most romantic restaurants in New York. I love the old world charm and feel, the secret gardens the little cave entrance and the wonderful garden rooms with all those windows and the glorious view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Closeup of Bridal Bouquet

I love weddings at the River Cafe, especially ones that are this time of year.
I don’t know if you noticed the light at dusk in the fall. Everything glows a perfect shade of amber and pink. The light is holding on to the last of summer and we get a warm feeling before winter comes.
Winter light at dusk is cold and grey, summer just lingers and gets dimmer and dimmer, fall is glorious.
That special glow was my inspiration for this color pallet. Pinks, Salmons, and Orange with just a hint of Rusty Orange for an under tone.
Sedum, ranuculus, chrysanthumums, little butter colored roses, and waxflower make up these early fall centerpieces.

The River Cafe is very popular and evening weddings are glorious, here are some pictures I took during the setup. Look at all the action in the back. I can’t wait to see the professional pictures!

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!.

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

One Request, Sunset Colors. Brittney and Tony had their favorite memories around sunsets.
Second Request, Spanish Moss.
Third Request, make it fun.

Ok. Got it.
I had a lot of fun putting together this sunset wedding, all of the bride’s maids had a different shade of bouquet from pale yellow to almost red.
Roses, lots of them and protea with milkweed made this shine. I love orange.

Thanks to the mucho talented team of Bethany and Dan for sharing these beautiful pictures with us. www.bethanydan.com

We were very happy to see one of our bouquets featured in NY Magazine’s Summer 2011 Wedding addition.

This bouquet had gloriosa lilies, circus roses, air plants, sheet music and ric rack.

The ric-rac was a little joke for me, when I was young and just moved to New York from West Virginia, I used to design costumes for Club Kids to wear, I loved, loved using ric-rac and I was teased for it. Then, in the early 90′s it had a certain connection with Holly Hobby, and old aunties. Embrace who you are, I always say.

Anyhow, now it looks cute and fresh, and I loved the colors.

If you happen to pick up the magazine, (its not online yet) take a look at some of the other bouquets. Some other elements that people used that I thought were great were Rosemary, Millinery Flowers, Oregano, and Carnations.

I tuck carnations in my work a lot, I love the way they smell, and they really are a pretty flower, most times people don’t even notice that they are there. Carnations are sort of the ric-rac of flowers, over used and abused, but ready for a come back.

NY Magazine

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!

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.