The Craft Begins

It’s springtime and all of the flower stores nearby have been bursting with tulips.  There’s a great reason why – they’re bright and colorful and practically scream spring.

I’m a big fan of the ones that have ruffled edges – they sometimes look like lion’s manes.  Depending on the variety, they often have a really nice smell as well.  If you’re planning on using them in an arrangement, just be warned that they can open very quickly and then shortly after that, they fall apart.  Completely.

This colorful, tall and somewhat exotic flower is incredibly versatile.  Its flowers come in a range of colors, from yellow with dark red stems to green flowers with red stems and even black.  The little bells are said to be reminiscent of a certain animal – hence the name.  I find them utterly charming because the bell of the flower itself is slightly velvety and fuzzy.  They are a great flower for large arrangements, as each stem has a number of flowers and they are somewhat inexpensive, in addition to being extremely tall.  I also like the look of them in a bouquet to add a little snap.

That’s two for this month, but I can’t help but be thinking about them.  I like the amazing range of colors that dahlias come in especially.  They’re really bright and perky.  I used some black ones for a friend’s wedding, and they were just divine – really gave the arrangements some depth and character.  I also like the density of the petals – I really think that it gives these blooms some major personality.

What’s your favorite flower, and why?

I love how relentlessly cheery they are!

The best part is that they dry out rather well so you won’t have to worry about your bouquet melting, and you can keep it with you forever!  I love the feel of a bouquet of them altogether, or interspersed with a bunch of different flowers for a quirky look.  I’m planning on using them in the boutonnieres for an upcoming friend’s wedding.  I had just a few in mine and I love the way that it came out.