grandiflora

I recently made the trip to the Botanic Gardens (which is always a treat) on a glorious Sunday to see the spanking new sculptures I am hearing so much about. New Zealand scupltor, Chris Booth, is responsible for the huge rolling sandstone sculpture which now cascades down lawns.

Chris built the design, leaving gaps among the blocks, so that rare and endangered species of Sydney will be able to call the magnificent construct, home.

The design, costing $4.5million is a gift to Sydney from the late Ronald Johnson and is accompanied by 16,000 threaded quartz stones. Sitting permanently side by side on the hill, they are just another reason to visit the gardens.

At the moment, with the particularly hot summer that we have just had in mind, we are inspired by the Huntington desert garden in San Marino, California. The garden was founded in 1919 and survived the war years with only one or two gardeners to care for it thanks to the hardy and drought-resistant plants. We like the beautiful unusual cactus flowers that are currently in bloom there. For a lovely insight into the Desert garden and the varieties it grows (over 5000 species on 10 acres!) have a read of the page here.

Some of you may have heard of Merci in Paris, which was started by the clever people Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, who originally started the childrens clothing shop Bonpoint.

Their concept store which incorporates all the wonderful things you could spend hours lusting over (candles, quality linen sheets, fresh flowers, fine clothing, homewares… plus a cafe for respite)! Furthermore, you can feel good about your purchases as their profits go to a co-op for young women in Madagascar.

Here are some images of their flower shop that we think is wonderful.

When browsing one of our favourite blogs, ‘Stay Entertained‘ we stumbled upon a wonderful post on the potter Lucie Rie. We are in awe of her exquisite architectural shapes - some with their almost tribal patterns.

We often have people coming into grandiflora asking for roses that they can use in their cooking, for decorating cakes etc.

As it is hard to source organic roses that we can guarantee haven’t been sprayed, this sometimes proves a challenge for us. It is worth keeping an eye out in local delicatessens as they seem to be increasing stocking more and more exotic ingredients.

On the other hand, there are some ingredients that you might find in your garden (or in a neighbours!) that are great for cooking. We love the delicate cherry jam scented with rose geranium that can be found in Skye Gyngell’s cookbook. Otherwise, Gourmet traveller has a delicious recipes- one for Rose Geranium and Lemon Verbena cream here and also Raspberries with Eucalyptus Meringue here. Lavender is also a delicious addition to deserts and we once spotted Lavender and Apricot jam at the Rose Bakery in Paris. For further delights, have a look at their amazing book (usually available at Ariel) or explore some blogs, such as this one that has Apricot and Lavender ice cream.

We like this photographic project by Jennifer Causey, featuring one of our favourite overseas florist, Saipua in New York.

Have a look at the website for many more beautiful images…

We have recently discovered this japanese company, Wasara, thanks to a bride who used their cups for serving Champagne after the wedding ceremony.

There are many reasons why this company makes us swoon over their products- the unconventional, sculptural and elegant shapes of the objects; the minimised impact they have on the environment (using reed, bamboo and sugarcane pulp as its materials) and the company’s own pledge as ‘continuing the legacy of the Japanese aesthetic and values’.

Find out more on the Wasara site.

For Grandiflora, Summer means many things- glorious peonies from Tasmania; fresh, heady tuberose; bulging magnolias that pop open overnight. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to the flowers and perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many brides chose this time of year for their weddings. We really enjoy working on weddings and seeing the day come together after much preparation and thought. Furthermore, it is wonderful after so much work it is lovely to hear how the day went and see some photos too!

Here is a recent one that we were thrilled to receive…

If you are planning a wedding and would like to make a meeting to talk about your flowers, please fill out an enquiry form here.

For some wedding inspiration, have a look at our portfolio here.

Following the recent 2010 holographic Grandiflora Christmas card, we regret and apologise for the omission of the Author’s name of the Haiku, Diana Levy.

We are loving the fashion label LOVER which is conveniently stocked just down the hill from Grandiflora, at Blood Orange. The images from the LOVER blog are so inspiring – its easy to see how the label comes up with its diverse and interesting designs when you see where their interests lie…

We were also really excited to see that LOVER is also having an exclusive online sale this Wednesday, between 6 and 9pm… So good we had to share it. Have a look at their online boutique here.