My evil and slightly obnoxious daughter, caught me grueling over my flower recipes. Being a photographer she could not resist this opportunity to capture my pain. The pictures are horrid, and yet, very telling. Unless I am arranging out of my personal gardens, or playing with leftovers, every design begins like this… me scrunching, crunching, and twisting my minds eye, to find in my head, the arrangement I want to make. The process of me designing in my head is painful for me and for those watching. Once I manage to imagine the recipe, the calculating of stems begins and so does the anguish. If I had been told how much math I would be doing as a floral designer, I surely would have walked in another direction. Give me a pen and paper and a calculator and I simple want to cry. Put the flowers in my hands and instinctively I know what to do, the designs flow out of me like magic…
My love, my beauty, my creation!!
Now these lovely pictures were taken by my amazing and incredibly talented daughter Hannah, who also happens to be a photographer. I think her evil twin took the first set of pictures.
Have a great day!!
love this post. it’s all so true i am sure i pull very similar faces…
As an avid math-hater I completely love today’s post! I always say that the only math I am good at is “flower math”. There are a lot of calculations that go into each bouquet and centerpiece. Thanks for sharing your scrunched face with us!
Great Post! What are the little pink flowers on the linear stem? It looks like double pink gpysophilia but I know its not that right?
You just struck a chord with every passionate floral designer, Holly! I can actually feel your pain through those pictures…I’ve been there many times. I love what you said about struggling with the pen and paper, but the creativity flowing out of you when you touch the flowers…beautiful! You’re sweet daughter did you a favor by capturing you in the midst of the creative process! One of my favorite posts…ever…anywhere!
oohhhh so so pretty!!!!
Thanks for sharing this Holly! This was more helpful than you know!
I find so much joy and bliss in playing with flowers~ putting bouquets together “just because.” Well, I commented last week that I officially started my flower business. I have done a handful of weddings so far~ and this is exactly what I have been going through! I have been second guessing myself and wondering why it’s such a challenge for me to get it right. The “flower” part of my brain is constantly going over the list and making sure it will work.
Thanks for sharing~ you’re awesome!
I agree with you totally on the math. When a bride asks me for a rough estimate on a bouquet I always say, “Give me one moment to do the floral math in my head.” I, of course, do the precise calculations at a later time. But I wish floral math was a course I’d taken in college.
I just love some of the ideas mentioned here.
*Floral math* I love this term and I’m sure I will use it forever now 🙂 Holly I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have learned from you through stalking your blog 🙂 and how much confidence you give me. I really can’t find the words to describe it. Thank you for being you and for all of your beautiful creations!
I am so glad to know that the blog is helping you!!!! I will keep on blogging away!!!