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.

Flowers for Anyone

Working in a flower shop is like being the bridesmaid, never a bride. You're super happy for all the cute couples and all these sweet boys doing thoughtful things for their girlfriends, but no matter how nice the arrangement or how sweet the guy, it's always for someone else.

One Valentine's Day during college, I was working in our local flower shop. The place was slammed with college boys crammed in, wall-to-wall, out the door and around the corner, clamouring for roses and gerbera daisies. Harried and disheveled, I made my way one-by-one through the line, taking orders like a shorthand cook in a hot, sweaty diner. One sandy-haired boy stood aside, quietly.
"Can I help you choose some flowers?" I asked.
"No," he said, "I don't have anyone to give any flowers to. I'm just here to help my buddy."
This boy was so adorable.
"Aw, come on! I'm sure that anyone would love to get flowers from you!" I insisted. He shook his head, "no, no...I wouldn't know who to give them to."
I started listing opportunities for him, "A neighbour? A friend? Your study partner? A crush? Anybody?..."
He smiled and said, "I could get some for you."
I laughed. "No, no. You don't have to do that. You don't even know me!"
He sighed. "Well," he said, "What's YOUR favourite flower? What would be something YOU'd like to get?"
I didn't even need to think. "Lillies," I said. "Everyone gets roses, but I think lilies are so much more exotic and pretty- they're way cheaper and they last FOREVER. And look-" I said, taking a stem out of the cooler, "See how great they smell?!?"
He smiled. "I'll take one of those."
I handed him the stem and directed him to our designer so it could be wrapped, "Happy Valentine's Day!" I shouted, "Good luck!"
Hours later, when the hustle slowed down, I saw the most beautiful casablanca lillies arranged on the counter. "Wow," I breathed, "Who's that for? That's amazing!"
"O!" My coworker said, "That's for you. Some guy said to give them to you."

I still remember you, blonde Stephen. Thanks for the flowers.

Arrangements for Valentine's Day

It's like Christmas, but covered in flowers and a side of heart-shaped chocolates! We have more Valentine's Specials posted HERE, but this is just what I see when I walk through the design studio:

I can't believe this is my real life...If someone sent you this vase of roses and orchids wouldn't you just MELT?!?

 

 Hydrangeas will always have a special place in my heart. Amazingly bold colours with a gentle flower petal... I love that I know who these are for (because I helped him choose the order!) Your little girls will be delighted! At only $80 for a 6"x6" rose pave makes a fantastic gift for a daughter's first Valentine.

Congratulations again to Matt and Ananda, the winners of our Most Romantic Moment contest for a romance bouquet; their story reminds us at The Woods that small, th0ughtful gestures every day are what keeps romance alive.

And if you still don't have a Valentine, I know this nice little spot on my bedside table where they would look beautiful...

And the Winner Is...

We were SO incredibly impressed with your Most Romantic Moments! It was hard, reading and re-reading and reminding one another of the sweet memories and efforts that you put forth for one another. How special to know that something simple can be so memorable, or that something common can be made extraordinary because of the thought behind your actions. Just remember; romance isn't about imitating a movie, it's about focusing on who you're with and what would be meaningful and special to that particular individual.
We hope you have someone special to celebrate this Valentine's Day with and remind them that they bring meaning to your life.
And now...
After much deliberation...
The winner is...

Matt and Ananda!!!
We were so touched, here at The Woods LA, that Ananda would put in so much effort and thought on a daily basis to create something new to celebrate her husband, Matt, during the entire month of February. It just goes to show you, you can create romance daily by small, thoughtful gestures that remind the love of your life why they are so special to you.
Ananda, we have to agree with Matt. You inspire us as well, and we think you deserve some flowers.
Call us at 310.559.6711 so we can arrange a delivery, courtesy of Team Matt.

After 2 years of romance my sweetheart keeps getting sweeter. My birthday, valentines day and our wedding anniversary all reside in the month of February, so my wife has dubbed February "the Month of Matt". The most romantic thing that has ever happened to me is actually happening right now.
Since the first day of February, Ananda has been leaving pictures she printed, and artistically manipulated, all over the house, one for each day of the month. Each picture has a memory of our courtship, first dates, first meetings, written on the back, as well as a piece of a larger message that i'm STILL waiting to figure out!
The fact that this romantic gesture is still going and still yet to be fully realized hopefully won't weigh against it! If anything it shows how romantic Ananda is LONG TERM and how much she deserves some flowers!

Smitten or Bitten?

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, The Woods has been sharing our most romantic moments." Our Design Director, George, shares his here:

Meeting Evonne 29 years ago was (and still is) my most romantic moment.  

I went into her flower shop on 3rd and Doheny  to buy flowers for my girlfriend (who by the way, pointed out the store to me one day saying “you know, that’s a flower shop..." Girls really do throw out the hints, don’t they?) Back to E.  

I picked something out and brought it to the counter. And there she was.  Jeans, cowboy boots, wearing a man’s white, button down shirt. And that load of curly dark hair. WOW!  Behind her was a guy putting up a “Help Wanted” sign. (I later found out it was her boyfriend, an English guy that I would later refer to as “her import.”) Anyway, I said “I would like to work here” and she responded, “Oh, no, you wouldn’t.”  Surprised, I told her I was serious. Reluctantly, she agreed to take my name and phone number.  And then it happened…I looked at her hands as she quickly wrote my name and her hands were so beautiful. Nicely manicured nails painted an iridescent color, like fiery opals.  I looked up at her face and saw her with those curls dangling in her face and that was it…This was THE girl! WOW, what just happened?  

Was I smitten or bitten? I knew this woman was worth getting to know.

Don't forget to submit YOUR most romantic moment on our blog by 5pm TODAY- our favourite story will win a romance bouquet from The Woods for their Valentine.

Good Morning!

Our designers have been busy little elves of romance in preparation for your Valentine's Day!

It's a beautiful day at The Woods! 

Can you even imagine what it's like to work here?!? I walked in this morning to all of this:

And don't forget that today at 5 is the LAST time you can enter your Most Romantic Moment for a custom bouquet from The Woods!

Romance Us!

What's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for you? 

Maybe it was the boy in 3rd grade who shared his lunch with you when you had a bad day or maybe it was the woman who got you season tickets to your favourite team or maybe it was the time you sent song lyrics as poetry every day to someone you only spent the summer with (true story). 

Send  us your most romantic story and our favourite one will have a special bouquet delivered to your sweetheart here in LA for Valentine's Day. All the best stories will be posted here throughout the month; maybe your story will inspire someone else to create some romance in their life! 

Post your story in the comment section and remember to look for it later this month! Winners for Our Favourite Romance will be chosen by this Friday at 5pm so delivery may be added by this Sunday, February 14th!

Romantic Roses

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which means we are preparing our petals for Sunday in The Woods! While we have an extensive Valentine's menu ranging from a Gardenia Bomb at $100 to the 4' tall stunning mix of our finest romantic flowers of the Deluxe French Bouquet for $500, our classic dozen of imported Ecuadorian roses is anything but basic. 

Find more ideas at TheWoodsLA.com or call us at 310.559.6711 or email your order to thewoods@thewoodsla.com

Our Story:

George Woods began his artistic endeavors as a fashion designer. The ease and elegance of his treasured designs won him fervent allegiance of his glamorous clientele and notoriety and awards in the fashion world. George also worked in interior design with much success.

After marrying a third generation florist, his genius for design found a new avenue. By chance, he became the florist for the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. There, he poineered the new style - which still widely imitated, cannot be duplicated. This new style brought more notoriety and prominence to Woods and earned the hotel the reputation as a "flower destination". After twenty years Woods' signature entrance piece still takes center stage.

Over the years, George's masterful hand has created signature flowers for eight luxury hotels around the world, as well as social and event flowers for luminaries of fashion, entertainment, business, and politics. Evonne Woods, the other half of this dynamic pair, brings a rich heritage of creativity and practical knowledge of floristry to the team.

In the spirit of a true artist George is constantly evolving. The next innovation was the glorious emporium he and his wife, Evonne, opened in Brentwood. It was included in an article on The World's Most Beautiful Flower Shops in Conde Nast's Traveler Magazine. People come from all over (France, Japan, etc.) to see what each season's magnificence will be displayed there. Now, a new phase is beginning and we are all very excited to see what these newest seeds will cultivate!