Pom poms!!!

The pom pom dahlia is probably one of the happiest flowers around. It just screams summer and bright, shiny times.
This variety tends to be a little smaller than the others, but that doesn't take away from the wallop they deliver- they kind of look like they fell off a gorgeous Mexican paper flower garland.
Remember, dahlia season only lasts as long as summer, so don't delay!

Black Dahlias

My personal favorite is the "black" dahlia. I'm a sucker for noir and anything vintage L.A. and these play right into it.

The Black Dahlia murder mystery was one of the most gruesome and fascinating unsolved crimes of the last century and intrigues people to this day. Countless books have speculated and theorized on the culprit and even big Hollywood has cashed in.

But back to the flowers! Black dahlias are certainly one of the most unusual flowers out there. Velvety rich petals in shades of black plum and burgundy chocolate are unbelievably sexy and eye-catching. They can go goth, traditional, glam or summery, making them very versatile.

Order today while they're still in season!

Dinner Plate Dahlias

As promised, we're back this week with a look at what some may call the "grande dame" of dahlias, the dinner plate dahlia!

Although it's a relatively recent variety, it's size commands attention and respect.Blooms can range from 8 to 14 inches in diameter.

Behold (placing children next to them seems to be a favorite way to show off size):

Dahlias are here!

It's that time of year again! If summer had a quintessential flower, I'd say it was the Dahlia .

Bursting with sunshine and vibrance, they come in a startling variety of colors to accomodate everyone's tastes. They also range in shape and size from bouncy pom pom to gargantuan dinner plate.My favorite way to send them lets their natural beauty shine through and be the focus- a blast of multicolored dahlias accented with fresh-scented geranium leaves.

Through the rest of the Summer we'll spotlight some of our favorite varietes right here. Order today while they are in their prime!

Summer is simply beautiful at The Woods!

Here's what's new for summer at The Woods... long-lasting Phaelonopsis orchids, simply arranged in a glass window vase. Also available in white, and accented with delicate maidenhair ferns.

Mother's Day Preview!

A quick preview of what's in store for Mother's Day at The Woods...all the most beautiful spring flowers. Lilac, peonies, viburnum, oh my!

Spring Flower Favorites, part 3

Ok, now it's my turn- as George said, it's like being asked to pick your favorite child. I love flowers so much and each has it's own unique qualities that makes it extra special, so picking one favorite is no mean task!
I decided to go with something we don't get too often and that reminds me of one of my favorite childhood stories, The Secret Garden, because of it's English garden appeal.

And the winner is...Muscari ! Delicate miniature blue bells evoke Lily of the Valley in shades of sky blue. Perfect for a spring tea party with scones, clotted cream and homemade jam. Scrumptious!

Spring Flower Favorites, part 2

Up next in our series we learn the Spring favorite of George, our patriarch.
He didn't think twice before he answered. Parrot Tulips. He was a little more coy when asked about his favorite color, saying "Come on now, that's like asking which kid is my favorite!"

Read about the Tulip Mania
of the 17th century.

Spring Flower Favorites, part 1

Welcome to part one in our series, where we learn about the favorite Spring flowers of everyone at The Woods!

Let's start with Evonne, matriarch of our floral family. Her favorites are Anemones,a member of the buttercup family.

She's reaching back to her Gothic Lolita roots with these, favoring the deep, plummy purple/almost black color.

Check out one of the rumored tales of how they got their name:
"The story of Adonis' death is found in Ovid's Metamorphoses (book X), where Venus transforms the blood of her dead lover, Adonis, into an Anemone. One implication is that the blood-red petals are symbolic of her lost love because, as the verses conclude, they cling too loosely to the stem and are easily lost in the wind. In some versions of the myth, Venus's tears cause the transformation."

April showers bring.....

April flowers!

what, that's not how it goes? Well here at The Woods the best way to brighten up a rainy morning is a giant antique metal basket lined in velvety green moss and overflowing with fragrant Yves Piaget roses, lilac, ranunculus and scented geranium.

Spring flowers are at the height of their beauty right now, so enjoy them while they last!

Bridal Fashion at the Hotel Maya

Bridal Event-

Bridal show at the Hotel Maya Joie of Weddings event!

Wedding Events-

This weekend, The Woods were invited to design floral decor for a room at the Hotel Maya's Joie of Weddings event. They have these amazing fushia windows and touches of deep, hot pink everywhere- from vines of bougainvilla to gorgeous accent walls framing giant mirrors. Event planner, Michael Willms, from Entertainment Design Events collaborated with The Woods to find a look that would compliment the Maya's strong color theme and fit the wedding setting as well as the tones of the room representing the Hotel Angeleno.

The Woods decided to pick up on the deep, rich pink roses and bright lemon yellows of Michael Willm's linens on a backdrop of gentle pink lilies and yellow acacia using tall cherry blossom branches to add height and a flare of dramatic elegance to the centerpiece. Most brides were pleasantly surprised to learn that an arrangement of that size (approximately 4 feet high) would usually cost $500-600, but because we substituted a few of the more costly stems with larger, opened lilies that take up more real estate within the arrangement, we were able to use fewer. While the look was a stunning, grand centerpiece, the cost was closer to $350 because of the substitutions.

Because flowers allow for so much variety in substitutions, size and cost, it really is possible to create a dream wedding environment you've envisioned! Just speak with your designer about what you want, and we'll love to make it happen! To speak to a designer at The Woods, call 310.559.6711

More photos of the Joie of Weddings event to come!

Joie of Weddings!

The Woods LA have been asked to represent at the Joie Of Weddings at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach this Sunday, March 14th. We're excited and flattered to be chosen by creative event guru, Michael Willms of Entertainment Design Events. With a couple of swatches and a colourful description of the atmosphere he's creating, this is what we're coming up with so far...

Rather than a giant auditorium of Wedding-Mart style vendors, each ballroom within The Maya will represent each of the Joie de Vivre hotels in Southern California. Each room will have it's own designer, catering and florist, so you'll experience a unique, comprehensive vision in every room.

See you on Sunday!

Spring Luncheon

Who says a simple luncheon must be simple? When one of our best clients called to let us know she'd be hosting a light lunch with the concept of keeping their event breezy and light- this coming from the hostess that thinks of everything from customized, designer beach towels for her pool party guests to take home gift baskets of croissants and jam so her dinner guests would have a delicious breakfast as well! This time, the only description she gave our lead designer was, "make it something spring-y!"

Even the owner, Evonne Woods herself, gets excited to help our clients realize their most dreamy requests with an array of whimsical mini-bud vases.

Other conceptual words used amongst our designers were "bubbly and overflowing," "low and luscious," with a lot of use of antique hydrangeas for the woman who usually requests all-white designs ventured out with bold and daring use of colour to celebrate the emergence of Spring.

Birthday Party.

Leave it to The Woods to transform a birthday party into a magical wonderland of brilliantly yellow forsythia, rich blue hydrangeas and crimson amaryllis. This is no basic centerpiece; The Woods LA is creating a fantasyland of bright, bold, joyful bursts of flora. I feel like Alice, transported where the forest's flowers come alive to celebrate the golden afternoon.

And to think that it all begins with a simple sketch. 

 

And now you see Team Jacob (as I call him) working on mossing up the base of the urns. 

A bold idea that is tradition in The Woods is creating new designs to fit every season. Our lead designer, George Woods, credits his foundation as a fashion designer for his inspiration and dedication to producing new concepts in design and colour every season, every year. In the designer's meeting, I overheard words being shouted out such as, "happy!" "vibrant!" "bouncy!" "springy!" and it made me only MORE excited when I saw the base designs forming into multitudes of bubble vases like this:

A VERY Happy Birthday, indeed.