Tips for Working with Silk Flowers

 I have hardly poked my nose outside at all this week! Not the usual, and not good really for a flower farmer, but it’s true. We have had RAIN—blessed rain!—several of the days this week, which has been amazing! Besides that, though, I have started working on the wedding flowers for my niece, Emily. YAY! So excited to be doing this for her—she’s the best!

She wanted mostly silk/fake flowers, with a few key things being real: bride’s bouquet and groom’s bout, table centerpieces, and cake flowers.

Pros and Cons for Silk Flowers

PRO: Cost = Much Cheaper

If you didn’t know, in general silk flowers are much less expensive—about half as much as real, if you’re paying someone else to do them. Cheaper even than that, of course, if you are doing them yourself. However, word to the wise, you can spend just as much or more on fake as you do on the real if you’re not careful! There are some “real feel” flowers that are markedly more expensive, but even just your usual selections from the craft store can run up the bill before you know it. Of the regular craft stores, Hobby Lobby probably has the best selection, with Michaels next, and last Joann’s. Bring your coupons, and plan on spending some time finding all the elements you need!

PRO: Not as fragile

This one is fairly obvious. These flowers can take a lot more handling and most mistakes can be fixed using the same flower!

PRO: They’re not going to die on you! As a florist, this translates to—you can do them ahead of time! This is actually a big one. With all fresh flower weddings, everything has to be done 3-4 days before, max, and that’s if you have a cooler to put your finished products into to keep them alive until the big day. With a big wedding, that means you’re going to spending all kinds of time those few days beforehand, putting things together and getting them ready to go. It has been nice for me on this one to have some leeway with the timing.

CON: They don’t smell good.

Have you ever sniffed a fake flower? Yeah, they smell like plastic and dust. Achoo!

CON: They’re not soft and touchable.

Stiff and rough under your fingertips—unless you go for the really expensive stuff, but if you’re going to spend that much, why not just get real ones?!

CON: Limited selection.

Again, you can probably find every variety you can think of, in every natural and unnatural hue, but you’ll be paying for it. For our purposes, doing it this way to help with the budget, the selection is not nearly as great.

I think my “Cons” basically boil down to the basic fact: THEY’RE FAKE! Up close, you can really tell. Be that as it may, I think they do have a place in the floral industry. I don’t blame any bride for being budget conscious. These will look great in the pictures and will be just fine. I am super happy though, that I get to make a real flower bouquet for the bride’s bouquet! :)

A Few Terms:

Stem: 1 large single flower or leaf, or 1 small bunch of greenery attached to a long stem..

Spray: a grouping of smaller flowers at the top of the a long stem.

Picks: shorter stems, usually 5-6 inches long, meant for corsages, boutonnieres, or crafts like wreaths and garlands.

Bushes: usually a lot of stems connected. Often they will have a mix of flower types or a mix of greenery, although you can get some that are all one thing.

Often the bigger “bushes” will be the best deal. Don’t be afraid to cut them apart and use the elements individually!

You can order things online, but a note of caution—it can be hard to determine actual size and colors from the online descriptions. For instance, I ordered “Mini Phalenopsis Orchids” that I was going to use on the boutonnieres, and they turned out to be 4 feet long! Not sure how those were minis, but okay. I also ordered some flower “bushes” in the right colors, that I was going to use for the bridesmaid’s bouquets, with the addition of a few more special elements to each one. In person, they were way too big and well—bushy—for bridesmaids bouquets. However, I was able to cut apart 2 of them, and with some added greenery they’re going to work fine. The rest will be going back. The good thing about ordering online from one of the craft stores is that you can return unwanted items to the store, so you don’t have to deal with return shipping.

These are all the extras so far. I’m already thinking about what else I should make with them! Garlands and wreaths dancing in my head!

Don’t ever buy leaves! I was going to buy just a box of rose leaves for the boutonnieres, but I’m glad I didn’t. Every stem comes with leaves, and just like with real flowers, many of those leaves will be stripped off before you make your arrangements. I have a whole box of leaves right now—plenty for boutonnieres, future craft projects, you name it!

Tools

flower stems, picks, and bushes

wire cutters

scissors

floral tape

wire

hot glue

ribbon

 

If Your Stems are Too Short

Prepping short stems

After I cut apart some of my bushes, I noticed that the side shoots had very short stems—only 6” long or less—which would be too short for my bouquets. Not to fear! I had 1 flower bush with some heads missing, so I cut off and used those stems, attaching the two with floral tape. I also ended up with extra stems after cutting my boutonniere roses down to the right size. Again, a simple attachment with floral tape and the shorties were ready to go!

Once they go into the arrangement, you most likely won’t notice the floral tape join. If there is one that stands out though, I will just continue the floral tape all the way down to the end.

Another similar trick is for very short stems. So, for instance, I cut apart the spray roses to use in the boutonnieres. Some of those stems were only about 1/2” long. The Queen Anne’s lace that I used as well, had several small flower heads on 3-4” stems, and within each cluster there were empty stems missing flowers. I was cutting them all apart to use individually anyway, so I popped the rose heads off their stems, and simply popped them back onto the empty stems. They fit just fine; no floral tape required! Then I had the length I needed to work with.

One final note about the glue:

Hot Glue

So, real flowers can’t take hot glue. Makes sense, right? Not good for their longevity or looks. With real flowers you have to use cold glue—floral adhesive. Anyway, fakies can take hot glue! This comes in handy when you’re making the smaller, fiddly stuff like corsages and such. You can pop off flower heads and hot glue them right where you need them.

Boutonnieres

I’ve got the bouts done! Next up: bridesmaid’s bouquets!

Hope these tips help the next time you’re in the market for silk flowers.

The Year Of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes

What can I say? Another Newberry Honor book. Still plugging away at that goal, even though I have officially given it up.  This one was great!

The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes
Newbery Honor 2014

4 stars: Warm hearted and simply delightful!

Billy's Papa is an artist and his Mama is an High School English teacher. Unlike most other kids he knows, his mom is the one who goes to work every day, while his dad stays home and takes care of him and his little sister Sal.

Billy's going to start 2nd grade soon, and he has some worries. 1--Is he smart enough for 2nd grade? 2-Is it babyish to call his mom and dad Mama and Papa? 3-Will his teacher like him?  In the introductory letter his teacher sent home before school she said it was the Year of the Rabbit, but his Papa says it's going to be the Year of Billy Miller. He's pretty sure his Papa is right!

* * * * *
I didn't know what to expect going into this one, and to be completely honest, I had been putting off reading it a bit, because it just didn't catch my eye. It was a happy surprise to find how much I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a Beverly Cleary book, in that the situations are all everyday stuff that every kid goes through. The family is generally happy, even though the father is struggling with his art ("looking for a breakthrough".)

Sal made me chuckle a couple of times, and Billy's worries and the resolutions were like a window into my own 7-year-old's world. Things that seem small to the grownups loom large when you're 7. It's good to remember that. There was so much that made me smile. Billy is surrounded by loving adults--even the babysitter! You know that he's going to get all this stuff figured out.

I'm encouraging my boy to read it. I hope he does, because I think he would find a lot in common with Billy, and a lot to like about the story.

(7/24/19)

Have you read this one? What did you think? My favorite were the Drop Sisters.

Big Sky Wildflowers

 

Well, folks, Big Sky country did not disappoint! We went on one hike in particular that was so beautiful. The weather was perfect—in the 70’s, with a light rain that stopped just as we got on the trail. It was late afternoon/early evening when we started off. Within a few minutes of the trailhead it felt like we were in the wilderness, but with a nice trail to walk on. :)

Every direction I looked there were beautiful wildflowers of all sorts. It was fun to identify what I could. Many wildflowers look very similar to their cultivated cousins, as you might expect. Lupines, wild roses, columbine, and wild geranium were all easy to figure out.

Wild columbine. There were some that were white and yellow, as well (as you saw on the title picture.)

We were in bear country, with 2 sightings reported on the trail we were hiking within the last week (!) We had all of our kids with us; thankfully, my little 2 year old was in the hiking backpack. The rest of us stayed close together and kept talking to make some noise. My husband and I both had bear spray, but we didn’t need it. Didn’t see much of any type of wildlife, except for the backside of a deer that my daughter spotted as it ran off into the brush.

Good times in Big Sky. Do you try to identify wildflowers on your hikes?

Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson

I've had a stack of books checked out from the library for 3+ weeks now. This is the first one in the stack I've gotten to--partly because I knew it would be a quick read due to format. It was the perfect length for a little sit-down rest between lunch and afternoon projects.

Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson
Newbery Honor 2016

4 stars: Troubles associated with growing up, plus ROLLER DERBY!


Astrid had never even heard of roller derby, until one night her mom takes her and her best friend Nicole to see a bout. Astrid loves every minute of it! She wants to do it so bad! She is very excited when her mom points out that they are offering a camp for girls ages 12-17 over the summer, and even more excited when her mom signs her for the camp. The only damper to this fun time is that her bestie Nicole isn't doing it with her. You see, Nicole actually likes ballet and wasn't really into the whole roller derby thing. They have been attached at the hip for years now, so this is going to be a big change.

Despite her dreams of instant success and stardom, as it turns out Astrid isn't very good at roller skating, and also, she is way out of shape compared to everyone else. What she lacks in skills, however, she makes up for in determination. She is going to do this! Make way for this girl!

* * * * *
Roller derby ladies are like, 1000x cooler than I will ever be, but I think they're awesome. Also, it doesn't sound fun to me at all in reality, but reading a book about it was great fun. One of my favorite parts were all their roller girl names. I'm not going to lie--I spent a good portion of the book trying to come up with a name for myself. Haven't thought of a worthy one...yet. I may or may not get back to you on that.

Like so many middle grade novels, this one was about changing friendships, and discovering yourself. The roller derby itself made for a fresh take on the age old topic, and the graphic novel format was a perfect fit, keeping the narrative moving at a fast clip. Astrid's growth was satisfying and realistic. I liked her as a character very much.

I don't read very many graphic novels, but this one was a hit! Glad it got some recognition. Oh, also my 9 year old daughter told me that it was "a really good one." So there you go.

Content: One swear word, mentioned as something Astrid was called by a bully.

(7/23/19)

2 Books Featuring Wedding Planners

Have you inadvertently read a couple of books back to back that were on a theme? That happened to me this month. The first book I chose as a prize for Summer Reading (they let adults get prizes here along with the kids--if you turn in your reading log, that is!), and the second one has been sitting on my shelf for quite awhile now.

Anyway. They both featured wedding planners. Random! So, if you like that very particular niche, then this set of books should be right up your alley!

Once and For All, by Sarah Dessen

2.5 stars: I liked Louna a lot. The rest...eh not so much.


Louna's mom is a wedding planner extraordinaire. She's so good that her schedule is booked up months, or even years in advance. She has it all down. Her business partner William makes up for anything she lacks (he's the best at comforting nervous brides) and Louna fills in wherever she's needed. It's like clockwork...except for when it isn't.

There's always snags and things to watch out for, but this time it's not a thing, it's a person: Ambrose Little, the son of the bride. He's out flirting (!) with some girl and holding up the entire wedding ceremony. Louna is sent out to find him...and the rest is history. Ha! Not quite. She yanks him into line, sidesteps his multiple attempts to get her dance and thinks that he is out of her life after this one night. Not so fast.

Ambrose just keeps turning up. The thing is, Louna can't stand him. The other thing is, she hasn't recovered from a tragic first romance and the last thing she wants or needs is this clown of a boy hanging around.  I think you can probably see where this is headed.


* * * * *
There was a lot to enjoy in this book. All the wedding planner bits were very funny and spot-on--from the handful of weddings I have seen, anyway. I also liked Louna, and her best friend Jilly, with all the younger siblings hanging around all the time. Ambrose--couldn't stand him. Hey, I guess that meant I related to Louna a little better?

Here's what bugged me: in my mind I have Dessen pegged as a "clean" young adult author. Meaning, that most of her books don't have the sex, violence, or bad language. This one was mostly clean. However, there is a sex scene. No, it's not graphic, but it's there. I was disappointed with that to begin with--there was that hint of betrayal (Sarah Dessen, how could you?!) If that weren't bad enough, though, it was at the end of 1 NIGHT knowing this guy. Not going to say who. I was so frustrated with her, with the boy, with Dessen for coming up with this nonsense. Just a lot of frustration.

I realize that the idea of High Schoolers having sex has become totally normalized. I get that, but I don't have to like it and I certainly don't buy into it! It really bugs me that it's just expected, pretty much, if 2 book teenagers are in a relationship that they're going to have sex. Anyway, that is not the norm in my home! I'm not keeping this book around, even though I liked almost everything else about it, because I'm certainly not going to hand it to my teenage daughter someday.

End of rant.

Content: Guess I don't need to belabor the point any more. There is a sex scene. Oh, also there are some school shootings, which are there but not really dealt with much.

Diamond Rings are Deadly Things, by Rachelle J. Christensen

4 stars: I want more!

Adrielle Pyper is an up and coming wedding planner in Sun Valley, Idaho. She has just gotten her feet on the ground and is starting to book some high-rolling clients when her store takes a devastating blow. They have recently started to sell wedding gowns, and their first shipment included some very expensive, one-of-a-kind gowns. Well, someone broke into their shop and vandalized the gowns, including the one meant for a famous (and very picky) client.

On top of that, Adrielle finds something...very unusual in the hem of a different gown, that has her wondering what she has stumbled into. Yes, she should call the police, but they simply can't afford to have this gown confiscated as evidence right now! If she can keep these items safe until after the wedding, then bring in the police, it could mean the difference between her business thriving and folding.

There's a bit of romance, too.

* * * * *
This was a fun one. As a fairly new business owner myself, I was rooting for Adrielle. I always roll my eyes when the characters in a mystery say, "But I CAN'T go to the police! I had better solve this myself." At least this time it seemed like the reasoning behind her delay made sense beyond just a whim.

I liked her as a character and her friend and family. The love triangle was okay. I mean, it was obvious who she should pursue, but she had a few mishaps getting to that point, of course. Unfortunately, I guessed the twist. Actually it really reminded me of a different book I've read--can't think of the name of it right now--so I had my suspicions early on. I was right.

Despite that, I want to read more in this series, and by this author. It was a fun quick read.

Humble Pie, and Other Delicacies

So, remember how last week I swore up and down that I NEVER planted anything in July anymore, because “Ho, ho, aren’t I so smart now?” or something along those lines… Yeah, well, maybe it’s good for us every so often to make such definite statements—gives our guardian angels a great laugh. So, here I am this week—yup, it’s still July folks—planting my fool head off! How does this happen?! I’ll tell you.

A certain friendly neighbor of mine, who happens to love gardening and plants as well, offered to share a bunch of starts with me. Starts = baby plants! I can’t turn down free plants! It’s not in my DNA. Plus, she had some plants that I’ve been wanting—feverfew! lady’s mantle!—plus several more that I am happy to have. It was a short contest between conflicting core values: never plant in the heat of July vs. here, take some free plants! There was a clear winner. I filled up every pot I had brought along with me, and then some.

Okay, okay. I will give you a list of everything I brought home, because I can tell you are DYING to know. (HA! Yeah right. Just humor me, alright?) 

Lady’s mantle: the leaves are as beautiful as the flowers! (Not sure why these have different color veins.)

Feverfew (as mentioned) x 12

Lady’s mantle x 3

White irises x 3—big and beautiful; these things are at least 3 feet tall;

White perennial phlox x 10

Heuchera—one long, ungainly stalk that I split into 2 pieces

Purple salvia x 1

Wednesday I planted half of the feverfew, all 3 lady’s mantle, the salvia, one phlox start, and the heuchera. I have been under some pressure to get the rest done. You see, we are leaving on a trip tomorrow morning—Saturday. In this hot weather, I had my doubts that these starts would live through our absence, unless I could get them into the ground.

There they are. Yum!

Thursday was going to be Round 2 of planting. Best laid plans often go awry, and all of that, because instead we ended canning apricots. My awesome in-laws brought up several boxes of apricots and even stayed to help us can them. 36 jars of apricots and 18 jars of jam later, we got that taken care of. I’m happy that we did it—we love apricots! However, it didn’t leave much time for more planting. I got a little bit more planting in during the 45 minute window after I put kids to bed and before dark. I also acquired approximately 53 more mosquito bites during that same time frame.

Today, though. It had to happen! I got up and walked out the door to sprinkling rain! What?! In July? I was LOVING it! Perfect transplanting weather, for the win! It stayed cool and rained on and off all day. I was so happy!

This was my Planting Priority Plan (or PPP for short!):

1. Last 3 feverfew: these were in the smaller 6” pots and I didn’t think they would make it while we’re gone unless they’re in the ground. The only setback was that I wasn’t 100% sure where I wanted to put them. I ended up planting them in the back corner flowerbed, around the birdbath.
2. Phlox: these would have been #1, because they kept wilting on me, but the place I wanted to plant them was very dry (side task: replace the sprinkler head there!). So, I needed to put the water on that area. The rain helped me out there, but I did add a little extra water prior to planting just to soften up the under layers of dirt. Some of these also went into that back corner flowerbed— I think planted 3 different groups there—then I put one right in the middle of my front oval bed. Oh, and a few over by the honeysuckle bush.
3. Irises: of all my precious pass-along plants (PPP for short—again), these got the vote of “Most Likely to Survive While We’re Gone.” So they were my last priority for planting, and I actually didn’t get to them today. Not stressing about it.

As usual, it took a long time to get all these plants in the ground, because I was pulling out bindweed for 20-30 minutes first in every location. Sigh. An Abomination of Bindweed.

I’m very excited to add all these plants to my flowerbeds! The white will be especially useful in making arrangements, because it goes with all the other colors. Yes, they are all going into my flowerbeds at this point. I want to get set up with raised beds that are full of perennials just for cutting, but I have not made that happen just yet. I think when I take out that dead cherry tree out back, I want to put a raised bed in its place and fill it up with coneflowers and daisies of different varieties. #goals

That rain today was such a blessing! I was able to get all my outside chores done, then come in and put together flower arrangements for my 2 business subscribers, get packed, get my baby’s clothes packed, and still make it down to my niece’s rehearsal dinner down in Provo (1.5 hour drive.) Busy day!

My husband brought me home a new hose, sprinkler, and timer for the garden, so that it will get watered while we’re gone, bless him. I still need to figure out drip irrigation, but I haven’t taken the time to sit down and do it. Our sprinkler from last year—and our best hose—both sprung big leaks this summer, so that has been an issue.

We’re off! I’ll see you next week—maybe I’ll have some fabulous wildlife pictures to share. :)

Bring Out Yer Dead! Plants

Here in the heat of midsummer, it has become apparent that various and assorted plants that were assumed to possibly still have a spark of life, are actually stone dead. Yup. It’s time to pull out those quitters and put some things in that will actually thrive! (We hope.)

My plan today was to do just that. Everywhere in the yard, orchard, garden, etc. However, as such plans tend to do, this one went a bit awry. I got sidetracked deadheading roses, chopping back catmint, weeding the front flowerbeds, and planting that one lone geranium that has somehow survived without watering in its pot since May. (See! Now THAT’S the kind of perseverance I want to see more of around here! Good job geranium. Props to you. You got a pot all to yourself just for that.)

So, for my own record-keeping, here’s a list of what I did, and what I still need to do.

Yanked Today 

Bonus! It was much easier to get all that grass out of there once the dead rose was gone.

• The dead English rose in the front fence flowerbed. It was supposed to be hardy to zone 4. Phhht. Tell me another one. It’s fellow got a stay of execution thanks to one live branch coming up, but only just. When you’re front and center, you gotta LIVE!

• Garden peas. These I don’t have as much rancor towards. It was just their time. The kids picked all remaining peas and ate them first—even the nasty old ones that I suggested throwing to the chickens. They would not be deterred. Better them than me, I guess!

Yummy peas. These were from a couple of weeks ago. Today’s were not nearly so delectable. Trust me.

I am toying with the idea of starting some peas now for fall. I have never attempted a fall crop of peas before, because usually by fall I’m ready to put the garden to bed. Have you done it? Do you recommend it? I really do love peas fresh from the garden, so maybe just maybe it would be worth the end of season work.

Okay, so there were only 2 today. Hey, 2 is better than none!

Headed for the Chopping Block

• The sweet cherry tree in the orchard. It was looking mostly great last year, until Attack of the Aphids happened. Then the grafted half died off completely. Then apparently the rest died, because that’s what it is now: dead all the way through. It’s right between the greenhouse and a rose bed back there, so once it’s gonzo, I think I’m going to put in a raised bed there or something.

We never even got any cherries from it—the cheapskate! Teasing us with the possibility of cherries, only to snatch that dream away. Four words for you, cherry tree: Goodbye and Good Riddance!

I still want cherries, so I am scouting out a different location for a new tree. Maybe somewhere in the front, across from my pie cherry tree. Also, no fancy grafted one this time. That tree was supposed to have 2 different varieties on it, but the trouble all started with the graft. Even before the aphids, there was a deep crack that had buggy webbing inside it, right at the point of the graft. That could not have been good.

 

• Apple tree. I tell you what, we can’t seem to keep our orchard trees alive for anything! We’ve lost one each year up until now, and this year we’ll be pulling out 2! It’s rough. Strangely, the tiny apple tree that’s pretty much been a deer buffet bar is the one that’s surviving. Weird.

 

• Sycamore out back. This one makes me sad. We had such high hopes for this tree. It was supposed to grow fast and be a climbing tree before all our kids were out of the house. We were also hoping for some shade for what will eventually be the back yard. We bought it big and it lived for…awhile. Nope. Not anymore. Done. Firewood. (SIGH)

Also, the front oval bed that looked amazing this spring is a mess right now. It needs some major help and attention. Mostly, I think, it needs some summer bloomers to fill in the gaps and help compete with the weeds. I’m thinking ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ echinacea, if I can find it this fall. Guillardia would work too. It’s got a few roses blooming, and the ninebark looks fantastic, but most of the rest is just an eyesore—to put it plainly. It is.

So round about next month I’m going to—what, you thought I was going to jump right on that this week? HA! I do not plant things in July. Not ever. Anymore. I have learned my lesson good and hard on that point. Do I seem like the kind of gardener that will baby something through a hot spell? Anything I planted this month would likely need to be watered a couple of times a day, even to survive. No thank you. Not doing that. I know myself well enough to know that it would not happen. So, like I was saying—mid to late August, early September. Target dates for planting a few more things. On it.

* * * * *

Now a break for Thoughts While Weeding:

I pulled up 2 goathead thorn plants in my vegetable garden today. I actually pulled up a couple of them yesterday, too. If I didn’t know what they were, boy would I have been fooled! They were not at the thorn-making stage yet, just a pretty little plant with tiny yellow flowers. There is no indication, at this stage, that the thorns these things produce will puncture bicycle tires, go straight through leather gloves and stick in the soles of your shoes, only to come off in the carpet later and cause serious damage.

Recognizing them for what they were, I immediately pounced on them and tore them out. They may not have gotten as high a priority if I didn’t know their true nature.

Is there something else in your life that is like that?

I’m going to just let you ponder on that for a moment.

Deep thoughts from the thick of the weed patch.

* * * * *

My son sold polished rocks, there on the left. I sold fork bugs, mixed bouquets, and a few vase arrangements.

Hmm..what else should I tell you? Oh, I did my first Farmer’s Market here in town last Saturday. It was a lot of fun! I sold a few things, got to hang out with my oldest son for a few hours, and met some nice people—some of them my neighbors! I even got 16 people to sign up for my email list. I had decided the day would be a success no matter how much I sold if I could get 10 signed up. Success! Now to get them added in to the computer. In fact, that may be the next thing on my list tonight.

Also, I met with my niece to walk about Wedding Flowers! So excited! She wants mostly silk flowers, except for her bouquet and groom’s bout, the table centerpieces, and the cake flowers. Since I haven’t done as much with fake flowers, it took some time to sit down and price things out. I did that, and got her estimate sent off, so whew! Even put in a preliminary order for some of the stuff I know I’ll need. The wedding is next month, so there’s not much time to lose! Her colors are going to be pink, blush, peach, and pops of coral and gold. It’s going to be so pretty!

p.s. I couldn’t bring myself to pay for fake carnations. The cheapest ones I could find, by the time I added on shipping, were still more expensive than real! My new plan is just to add in real carnations to the bridesmaids bouquets. I’m not sure how that will look, but it’s what I’m thinking.

So, how was your week?