Can winter get any longer? If your house is anything like mine, you can tell Old Man Winter has over stayed his welcome. People are getting crabbier, you never see the sun and you can't leave the house without wearing half of your wardrobe. If the weatherman says that S* word again, I think I am going to scream.

Even though we are stuck with winter a bit longer we can still dream about the warmth and sunshine of spring. Check out this inspiration board of a spring wedding guaranteed to get rid of those winter blues, at least for a little while.

The appearance of the groundhog this past weekend has left me with hope that the long days of winter will soon be a memory. But since we still have a few weeks to go, all one can do is make the best of what Wisconsin winter will bring. As for me, I am growing use to the long hours of darkness. In fact I took inspiration from a recent starry night for this board. Lose yourself in the feeling of magic and closeness that only night can offer. Imagine yourself taking pictures with a full moon in the background or the soft glow of candles at your receptions. Regardless of the season, you are always guaranteed the wonder of nightfall and a show of evening lights. Whether they are from Mother Nature or mankind, both can offer unique beauty. If you need more ideas or help creating your own starry night to remember contact us.

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.
–William Shakespere, The Winter's Tale



Usually thought of as a spring flower, and for good reason, Daffodils are ususlly seen in season starting in late December and lasting though April. I am always very happy to see the first Daffodil blooms, sometimes there is still a bit of snow on the ground when they start to poke through. This is always a sure sing to me that winter will soon be just a memory.

Common Name: Daffodil
Botanical Name: Narcissus Pseudonarcissus (nar-SIS-is sue-do-nar-SIS-is)

Once again due to the wonders of greenhouses and the advancements in growing techniques, Daffodils are available wholesale year round as a cut flowers. There are as many as 60 different varieties grown in white, yellow and bi-color. Daffodils can have a single or double 1-3" corona white a 3-4" star-shaped back atop a 8-22' hollow stem. They are sure to add a cheerful feel to any arrangement.

There are several possible stories on how/where the daffodil gets its name. One of the most common relates to the story of the young man of Greek mythology named Narcissus, who became so obsessed with his own reflection that as he knelt and gazed into a pool of water, he fell into the water and drowned. In some variations, he died of starvation and thirst from sitting by the edge of the pool, transfixed by his own reflection. In both versions, the Narcissus plant sprang from where he died.

When cut, the trick is to keep the daffodils alone in a vase. Their stems secrete a sap that promotes the wilting of other flowers. If you must combine them, soak them by themselves for as long as possible, then rinse them and add them to the arrangement last without re-cutting the stems.

Interesting Fact: Daffodils are grown commercially near Brecon in Powys, Wales, to produce galantamine, a drug used to combat Alzheimer's disease.

OK, so me and winter are not the best of friends. Granted, I was born and raised here in WI and I don't see moving anytime soon. I have also been know to bundle myself up on occasion and try to make the best of what mother nature has to offer. Regardless, I consider myself a fairly tropical person. I prefer the warm weather and when it turns cold outside I can't help but think about the spring, the warmth of the sun, the new growth of the flowers and trees and of course the fun new color trends in fashion industry. Although I am not a fashionista, these color have a huge influence on wedding trends and thus trickle down to us floral designers.

Where does one look for trending colors? Pantone is the go to source for such answers. Who is Pantone you may ask? Well Pantone began as a commercial printing company in the 1950s. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, primarily printing, though sometimes in the manufacture of colored paint, fabric, and plastics. The idea behind the PMS is to allow designers to "color match" specific colors when a design enters production stage.


Are you planning a spring wedding? Do you need some design inspirations? Or are you just curious what colors will be big in spring, check out this awesome video by Pantone. What is your favorite color?

Back in March I blogged about my plans for the yard this year. There has been lots of hard work and never enough time. Here is my gardening update for the year.

• Yard is cleaned up. My husband is mostly responsible for that. Thank you dear.
• My lilacs did good this year. I had many new transplants from a friend I put in last year. They all survived and I had the most blooms in all the years I have owned my home. Many of my friends had problems with their lilacs freezing.
• I planted some Lily of the Valley. They are all still alive. So far so good here.
• Planted my annual flowers. Decided to do all container gardening for these this year. Too many weeds to control in the flower beds and not enough time. Finally just planted them this last weekend. Even found some good deals on plants and a new whiskey barrel planter.
• Cleared half of the trail in through the woods. Need to get the weed trimmer out there to finish. I cheated and used a leaf blower instead of a rake for most of it. Now I just need to transplant some ferns and hostas along the trail.
  

Always a work in progress but I love seeing the improvements. Not everything works out like I planned but that's part of the fun. What type of gardening you have done recently? You can even send us pictures at info@bloomingenvy.com.

So the other day, my husband, who by the way is a devoted fisherman, says to me,

"Would you ever use a spinner in a boutonniere?"

After I finished laughing at him and actually thought about what he said, I started to like the idea. For those of you who are unfamiliar with fishing, a spinner is a type of fishing lure, like the one shown on the left. I can honestly say that fishing lures are one item I have never been asked to use, but my husbands question makes me wonder if anyone would actually want a fishing lure(s) accenting their flowers. Of course I understand this idea is not for everyone, and even some grooms-to-be may have a difficult time convincing the bride-to-be or vise versa. But I could see this idea as a unique way to add your personal touch to your wedding flowers. It's really not that far of a stretch from all the other items used to add "bling" to flowers. Fishing lures come in so many colors you would most likely find one to coordinate. And if added to the boutonnieres the men would have a keepsake they may actually use! OK, so maybe my husband on to something?

So I am asking for your help, please take a second and vote in my poll. Let me know if you like the idea of fishing lures and flowers.

If I could plan my wedding all over again I think I would want something that
resembles nature. I have come to the conclusion that Mother Nature did it best.
There is so much beauty that surrounds us in our everyday lives, so many of us
and I am guilty myself, forget to take the time to slow down and see whats right
in front of us. I was reminded of this yesterday when I had a lovely meeting
with Shelly from Signature Events by Shelly. She brought me to
stunning local that over looks the water and really makes you stop and take
notice. With that as my motivation, I put together just a taste of what my nature inspired wedding would look like. Let me know what you think.

Wow, this is some weather we have been having here in Central Wisconsin. In the last week the last bit of snow has melted away and the ugly truth of what mother nature has left behind on my lawn is scary.  Sticks and branches from the trees, dead plants from last summer and all that fertilizer from my beloved four legged friend. Looks like I have my work cut out for me, well me and my rake.

Now don't misunderstand me, I am glad it is almost spring, I am thankful to be having this unusually warm weather so early in the year. I plan to use the next few nice days to spruce things up. I will dust off the rake, clean up the yard and have the flower beds all ready to plant when the time comes. I am also determined to clear the trail though my woods. I did manage this a few years back but it has since been neglected.

Then I can look forward to all the wonderful spring and summer weddings that are coming my way. It's the time of year that my business shifts from consults and paperwork, to long hours in the design studio and weddings every weekend. I am so ready.

We would love to hear about your spring gardening or wedding plans. Drop us a note below or even better email us pictures at info@bloomingenvy.com.