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Sustainability Statement

‘Sustainable floristry has become the focus of our wedding and event design studio. Experimenting and attempting to find new ways of designing is at the forefront of our design goals.

Foam free was our first commitment. I look for reimagined ways to design and often find myself returning to the old-school design mechanics I used at the beginning of my floral design career back in the UK in the 1970’s when we didn’t have many choices.

This design was accomplished using repurposed materials we already had in the studio. I used and re-imagined parts of a disassembled metal arch and two hollow posts from a couple of metal hall tree stands (we use these all the time as a base for illusion arches) The structure was supported by the frame of one of the two Harlow stands.

The first Harlow stand formed the base of the structure to which we added weights (bags of sand) set inside the base to assist in keeping the tall structure weighted and steady.

The second Harlow stand was placed on top of the first stand and tied to the top with twine. The stand was used to add height and became the base engineering for the curvature of the “antenna”. Two hollow support poles from the hall trees were placed through the opening of the upper Harlow stand. The bases of the support poles were corralled (so they didn’t shoot out of the Harlow stand) inside an old bucket which I squeezed between the metal frame into the base of the Harlow stand. The old, and ugly bucket was disguised with some repurposed faux silk hydrangea which has been used over and over.

Two antenna-like, curved arch pieces were inserted into each of the two metal support poles. The “antenna” was wrapped with some old chicken wire that I had recently used on the same structure for a spring wedding archway. The poles wanted to rotate so I found some twine to tie them to the corners of the stand and I stuffed the bucket with paper and cardboard to prevent the poles from moving.

The next step was to cover the two bases/Harlow stands with more chicken wire. I created an inner “sausage” of wire inside the Harlow frame then added a second layer of chicken wire around the entire outside of the stands so the greenery and flower stems would have two points of contact and not flop over. I covered the base of the structure with greenery the evening before the event.

Since I have a “soccer mom” minivan I always attempt to create structures that can be assembled and disassembled easily for packing into the Honda Odyssey. The beauty of this setup meant I was able to transport each piece….two antenna, two Harlow stands and the floral separately.

The event took place at a hotel on a typical hot, late summer, Texas day. The Gypsophila and greenery were fine simply inserted into the chicken wire bases, but I knew the flowers would need a water source to hold up in the heat of the afternoon and evening. I have fallen in love with Oshun Pouches which we used to create a swirling floral effect with the orchids and roses. A few extra blooms were added with water tubes where needed. The design was heavily misted with water and held up perfectly in the heat.

After the wedding the Oshun pouches were removed and brought back to the studio, I have found we can re-use them a second time. The structure was disassembled and moved back to the studio at the end of the night. All the flowers were removed and composted. The greenery and stems became the base of our meadow designs for a wedding the following weekend. The chicken wire was removed and will make its way into various low compote bowls, flower meadows and a storage container for other structural use. The poles, faux hydrangea and bucket are stored away and will no doubt be used in some other event in the future.

Sometimes the "old" ways are the best ways. I am excited to see what creative ways future florists and sundry companies will find to meet the demands of creative designers who want to do the right thing and be good stewards of our environment and community. Thank you for the opportunity and the leadership you are providing in this effort.’

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List of Botanicals & Supplies Used

2 Harlow stands
10 Oshun Pouch
Re-used chicken wire
Re-imagined pieces of a metal arch structure and two hall tree structures.
1 2 gallon bucket
Twine
Sand bags
12 bunches of Salal tips
18 bunches of Gypsophilia
20 stems Phalaenopsis orchids
20 Cappuccino roses
50 Playa Blanca
30 Majolica spray roses
40 Quicksand roses
4 bunches Parvifolia Eucalyptus