Enjoy the last flowers with the colors of sunshine.
Winter is coming, we’ll settle for warehouse flowers until March !
My flower book (33): Ikebana September 17, 2011
To those who have waited patiently during 5 monthes, I dedicate my latest bouquets, also my first trials of Ikebana.
Thanks for your loyalty and your encouragement. I have never abandoned the flowers.
My flower book (32): inspired by Paula Pryke April 10, 2011
My latest book acquisition was Paula Pryke’s “The Ultimate Floral Collection: A Celebration of Flower Design”, which inspired me for this bouquet composed with flowers with very different length.
I totally agree with Paula’s floral design vision: “My own personal style and preference is for natural, abundant and romantic flowers. I prefer simple arrangements with a wild twist. (…) I dislike over-worked fussy designs and prefer the flowers to speak for themselves. I like to think that in my work the flowers are the stars of the arrangement. I hope my input enhances the beauty of the plant material without being too dominant, and that my style is accessible to all.“
Courtesy Paula Pryke
My Flower Book (31): Peony March 6, 2011
Peonies are already available at florists’. Although knowing they are greenhouse cultured, I can’t resist to their charm. further more, the ones I bought yesterday smelled so good, just like garden ones. And I found Mooseberry (Viburnum) flowers to match them, how resist ?
Moosberry or Cranberry (Viburnum) is one of my favorite foliages. Between a flower and leaves, it has the most perfect pastel color and the most delicate posture to match pastel colored spring flowers.
Vase Haviland
My Flower book (30): tulips in Gien vase March 6, 2011
A bouquet of Tulips can always cheer up an interior.
I arranged this bouquet of tulips in a Gien Vase of the collection “Mille Fleurs”, one of the most famous “demi-lune” vases that I purchased in Gien, the factory of store of the faience brand.
Courtesy Gien
Violet on my balcony February 26, 2011
Small flowers of violet appear on my balcony since one week. I don’t know how they came, maybe spread by wind or bird. When I was a child, near my home there were also a lot of small violets that plucked every summer thinking they were only the most humdrum flower. I read in literature the name “violet” and dreamed of a much more sophisticated flower for the elegant lady that I will become…
That is why I don’t dig up these weeds which invade my balcony and choke other plants. They soften up my heart with distant childhood memories…
My flower book (28): spring buds February 13, 2011
After the Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival, the season begins to change.
Many signs indicate the spring’s approaching this week: green buds on plants, blackbirds singing all day long to attract females, daytime becoming longer and longer…
My last bouquet is composed with flowers and branches with a spring touch.
- Salix gracilistyla: Rosegold Pussy Willow/Saule/银芽柳
- Craspedia: Billy buttons/Craspedia/金槌花
- Molucella: Bells of Ireland/ Clochette d’Irlande/贝壳花
- Eucharis: Amazon Lily/Lys d’Amazonie/油加律，亚马逊百合
- Hypericum: Hypericum/Millepertuis/金丝桃
My Flower Book (27): Spring contrast January 23, 2011
My last bouquet was composed with flowers bought on a Sunday market. Flowers on the markets are fresher and generally they come from horticulturists in the region or sometimes just from ordinary people who have a garden and too much flowers so they sell them (although I don’t think we can have too much flowers…).
At the moment their aren’t many kinds of flowers, and even the bulb spring flowers are cultivated in greenhouse or they come from the South, warn coountries.
Though quite limited in choices, I found some beautiful flowers: blue hyacinth, orange tulip and yellow mimosa. This forms a very gay spring bouquet with contrasting colors. Normally I prefer bouquets with the same color tone (different shades of a same color or very closed colors familly), but this time I’m really convinced by the contrast colors.
We should always try different things, and to surpass oneself.
My flower book (26): latest arrangements November 20, 2010
I have been very busy recently but I’ve never stopped doing floral arrangement each week.
In fact, after a stressing and exhausting week, my biggest pleasure and the best way to relax is to buy some flowers and arrange a bouquet.
Here I post some of my latest bouquets.
Dahlia at Parc Floral Paris: 2 weeks later September 18, 2010
I returned to Parc Floral of Paris 2 weeks after my last post on Dahlia competition. The flowers bloomed better than 2 weeks ago and it was really difficult to say which one I prefered. However, I think my favorite ones are those which have a pompom shape.
By the way, I took these pictures with my new camera, SONY NEX 5, the most compact bridge camera which just came out. I’m quite satisfied with it, although I didn’t take the pictures with a macro lens for close-up views, they are quite clean-cut and the colors are beautiful for a very sunny day.
My flower book (25): Lady Diana September 5, 2010
Following my last arrangement for Chanel, the composition of today has been created for another famous lady: the Princess Diana.
Yes it’s also a topic from my flower school’s homeworks. It’s about a sympathy arrangement to be placed in front of the statue of Pont de l’Alma, in Paris, where Lady Diana had her car accident and passed away.
I choosed Automn flowers and fruits to make a seasonal composition with chearful colors, instead of a conventional sad arrangement for this kind of occasions.
Flowers used in this arrangements are:
- Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum/Chrysanthème/菊花
- Gerbera: Gerbera/Gerbera/非洲菊
- Hydrangea: Hortensia/Hydrangea/八仙花,绣球
- Hypericum: Hypericum/Millepertuis/金丝桃,黄海棠
- Amaranthus: Amaranthe/Joseph’s-coat/尾穗苋
- Rubus: Blackberry/Mûre/复盆子
- Kniphofia: Torch Lily/Faux aloès/火炬百合
- Nigella: Love in a Mist/Nigelles de Damas/黑种草
Dahlia competition at Parc Floral of Paris August 24, 2010
The Parc Floral is located in the east of Paris, in the Bois de Vincennes, one of the 2 artificial forests at the gate of Paris.
Currently there is a competition of Dahlia flowers in the Park. This is a tradition of the Park since 1992. I’d like to share some pictures with you.
Which one do you prefer? You can go and vote for your favorite variety until late September.
My Flower Book (25): country-style bouquet August 10, 2010
In August many florists in Paris are closed for vacation, but the one near my home which proposes 5 bunches of flowers at 10 euros is still open during this period. I bought 10 euro’s flowers last weekend and have arranged these two country-style bouquets. Value for money.
I love these colors : orange, yellow, white, which are quite cheerful but announce already the coming of Autumn.
By the way, the 8th August is the first day of Autumn this year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
My flower Book (24): Chanel exhibition August 10, 2010
One of my Floral Art home work is to create a symmetrical composition for the desktop of an exhibition where photos of Coco Chanel are shown. I have to say that professors of my floral art school, Natura-Dis, are quite creative for homework subjects. I will do another one shortly also for a famous lady, but I keep the theme secret for the moment.
So for the Chanel arrangement, I chose red and white as major colors because they are the colors of camellia, the flower of Chanel, and also because the match of these two colors is very chic.
I used 4 species of flowers:
- Polianthes tuberosa: Tuberose/ Tubéreuse / 晚香玉
- Rosa
- Paeonia
- Amaranthus
Beijing’s Flower Market August 4, 2010
I have been in Beijing, my hom town, during July and have managed to visit a flower market.
In Beijing or other Chinese cities, you won’t see many florist’s shop. There are several big markets gathering dozens of flower shops, for trade or for retail.
I wanted to see the possibility for a Western florist to open a shop in Beijing. I’m still quite persuaded it will work, for two reasons.
On one hand, there is a need in China. I have seen several people with a bouquet in the street or even in restaurants — Chinese people do think of flowers when they have to make a gift.
On the other hand, the current offer in the market is not very satisfying. Most of Chinese florists have no professional traning and don’t have very accurate taste in line with international trends. They creations, though sometimes reflect the Chinese floral art style, are not original because everyone is doing the same thing.
With the Chinese people’s love for luxury and Western lifestyle, I’m sure that a luxury florist store like Lachaume of Paris can be a successful concept in Beijing. Maybe first among foreigners living there and fashionable Chineses, and then it would be possible to educate the Chinese and make the market bigger and bigger.
Here are some photos I’ve taken in the flower market I visited.
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