I mentioned palm fronds in a recent post about Hyacinth. Above is the palm tree. I’m guessing it is some sort of palm. Certainly looks that way. In my attempts to remove one very stubborn and thorny leaf (with improper tools), I surrendered to defeat and decided to take a portion of the leaf.

Perhaps a bit like wrestling with a tiger and walking away with a single hair..or something like that.

I used a few sections of the palm section, in the arrangement with Hyacinth. It also worked well independently in a large vase.

I picked up these roses earlier in the week from my local Whole Foods. This probably  means they were grown in South America and might have passed through Miami before arriving in Texas. Just mind-boggling to think how many hands touch your flowers before they end up at your local market or even the flower market. Anyways, not only are these an absolute beautiful color, they are opening with a bit of fierceness. I may have mentioned before, I’m quite fond of the pink and orange color combinations. Something about the vibrancy is continually uplifting and a pleasure to admire. And the smell…which is fantastic, as not all roses smell anymore. With all the cross-breeding and altering of genes to create bigger, brighter, long-lasting roses, the smell is lost. Not these.

Forgive me for not knowing the precise name of the variety. They have a similar look to “Big Fun” which is one of my all time favorite rose varieties.

And I’m still using the -you know what- out of this vintage blue Ball jar. Fits perfectly on the table and I’m not yet ready to use another vase.

A distant relative

Lovely evening sky view from Bagby corner

Obsessing over Hibiscus flowers

Beautiful remains (apple brunoise) from the Brie Ringo at Uchi-Houston

    Walking around the Mission I happened upon a large puzzle of California that someone had glued to poster board and then left for trash on the sidewalk. Was great carrying it around that day. Found a place to display it.

Front yard blooms, fried plantains, January Vogue

Yes, Hyacinth can sometimes create that type of reaction. It does have a very strong, pungent odor that can be overwhelming for sensitive noses. I happen to not mind the smell. It also helps to separate the stems (put them in other places), so that the blooms are not all contained in one area.

I put a stem in the my kitchen right above the sink.

Works well in a drinking glass, with a small section of a very large palm frond from the front yard. More on that later.

Found some Lantana and dried garlic chives close by. I am learning my lesson on what I can forage and what I cannot. Or rather, shouldn’t.

These two were in a “safe zone” (questionable property). Though yesterday I went out to get a nice cup of dirty chai at my local coffee-house. On my return I noticed some very beautiful large aloe plants. It was obvious they were on private property but I was tempted nonetheless. I jumped off my bike and parked it. It immediately fell on my foot (as I write this with said foot elevated and iced) and there went my whole cup of steaming hot dirty chai, all over the pavement. I decided this was a clear sign not to do what I wanted to do, which was pull that aloe from the ground.

Alas, I am enjoying the Lantana. I love the mix of blooming flowers with non-blooming stems. Adds for a nice texture variance. The blooms of the garlic chives are dried and very delicate. This tiny arrangement is offering a nice earthy scent on a side table.

Main street
Sometimes the FOH does take requests… Hello Kitty?
Cloud formation
Photo inside Phoenicia Foods
Brioche stuffed with currants, cashews, and jaggery
Found art on the street

Happy New Year! Here is a small glimpse of what 2011 looked like for me. I had such an amazing year working with some of the most wonderful and extremely talented floral designers in San Francisco. I was so fortunate to assist with weddings and events ( a movie premiere!) in the City, as well as in surrounding areas of the Bay. The work took us to: Napa, Sonoma, Marin,and to the East and South Bay. Looking back, I was all over the map and it was amazing! During the week I worked and assisted with accounts for a few of the best restaurants and establishments in the City. I also had fun playing with “left overs” at home and continually updated Flowerbaar with musings from my frequent floral foraging excursions. There were many.

I learned so much and was fortunate to work with some incredible teams of people.
I’m looking forward to what this year holds and hoping to get my hands dirty with more leaves, stems and buds. Thanks for reading (who ever you are;)
Here are the incredible designers I spent the year working with. Check out their work!

Desiree de Lara
Natalie Bowen
Erica Lewis of Erica Rose Design
Emily Dreblow of Soulflower

My Mom came for a visit over the Christmas weekend and gifted me with these gorgeous vintage Aqua Ball jars. I remember seeing them in her kitchen collecting dust on a top shelf and asked if I might put them to some use.

I personally think they are lovely enough to be displayed independently. Though, I had an over-flow of flowers this weekend and needed another vessel (beside a drinking glass) to accommodate these Lily stems.

I find the color just striking. Here is a bit of information about these jars via The Empty Nest. It appears that one of the jars I have is from the 1910- 1923. Incidentally my Mom cannot recollect as to where she picked them up. These are truly something special. I am delighted.

Peonies, Ilex berry with hot cocoa and marshmallows: life’s simple pleasures.

I splurged last week and bought this 3 stem bunch of Pink Peonies, along with some Ilex berry. It worked decidedly well together in my green vase. I was even thrilled when an old friend of mine (and famed Pastry Chef ) sent me this image (below) to me in a text.

It’s news to me (because I don’t have an Iphone) that there is a very cool phone application called Flipboard that appears to pull information from social networks you subscribe to and catalog them in what looks like a cute little magazine. Correct me if I’m wrong. Anyhow, I posted the original image of the peonies and ilex berry on my twitter account and it ended up on said Flipboard. Very neat and slightly amusing as my name is listed first (and before another famed Pastry Chef David Lebovitz ).

A few days after the peonies began to open, I casually picked some beautiful leaves from a tree and added them to the existing arrangement.

Completely takes on a fresh new feel.
And these leaves by the way are just incredible. The weather has been very flip floppy, so the leaves on many trees are still changing colors. I am particularly fond of these and what ever tree they derived from.

I decided to display a few of them this way.

I was also out of cheese…

“Dating back centuries before Christ, cultures brought evergreen trees, plants, and leaves into their homes upon the arrival of the winter solstice, which occurs in the northern hemisphere between December 21st and 22nd. Although the specific practices were different in each country and culture, the symbolization was generally the same: to celebrate the return of life at the beginning of winter’s decline.”-  read more about the History of the Christmas Tree .

In lieu of purchasing an evergreen tree, either big, medium or small, I decided to out source ‘my tree’ by walking a short distance to the side of my house. I picked up the Ilex berry at the store and added a few snipping of the wild red berries I picked down the street. The greens are random as they come and are quite hearty. It was not only until after that I realized I had just selected my holiday ‘tree’. I initially was just gathering greens to fill my vase and then it became quite a serendipitous moment.

As much as I love the smell of evergreen, I don’t love the shedding..but that really isn’t the reason I didn’t go out and purchase a ‘traditional’ Christmas tree this year. I tend to lean toward the more non-traditional ways of celebrating (the season) and alternative ways to bring fresh greens indoors while still maintaining the symbolism behind said greens.

A few weeks ago my step-sister and her husband, invited me over to her house to partake in quite a festive night of decorating their very large Christmas tree with my two young nephews. It was an absolute joy and delight to help them unpack their special Christmas ornaments and watch them be boosted up to hang these precious decorations. After the tree was decked we sat down, enjoyed cups of eggnog and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas. It was the first time I had watched this iconic special in quite some time. It was so refreshing to be reminded about the true spirit of Christmas, as at times it can be easy to forget. Amazing that a Charlie Brown Christmas aired in 1965, and even way back then the premise was about “the over-commercialization of Christmas” and well, the enlightenment of Charlie Brown, so to speak. Or rather, how Charlie Brown discovered the true meaning of Christmas.

“‘⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.’”

“…And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

It is truly an animated classic worth watching again each year. Preferably enjoyed in the company of family, and friends with a warm cup of kindness and cheer. It is also a time of reflection and appreciation. Appreciate and give thanks.

Happy Holidays!