As the sun grows shorter and afternoons leisurely stretch into golden evenings, somewhere between the refreshing bites of sweet watermelon, tomatoes and the morning quiet…we find ourselves settled into the rhythm of summer. A season where life is meant to be felt, where we embrace the simple things, and nurturing the vibrant abundance in our gardens.
The energy is shifting ever so slightly, mornings are brisker, what once was vibrantly green now deeper and golden. The herbs are seeding, harvests are well under way and space is being made for the season’s slumber. Even if you prefer Autumn’s moodier coolness, I hope you can savor of bit of the season’s joy before it slips away…
I‘m fully embracing what’s left of this season, the golden days of late summer, the brief finality of August and with it, its warmth that carries onto the next season. And I choose to do this by creating the ideas that stir within me, now in this present moment of nature’s progression. Sometimes it’s in the form of finding delightful ways to be outdoors in the wonder of a gorgeous day, using your freshly harvested garden colors to style some late summer fun.
Creativity is inside all of us, we simply need to tap into ourselves to courageously unleash it from within. Creating just for you, no one else, is the best way we can continue to discover and refine our style, aesthetic and skills.
And we are in a renaissance of design where ornate and organic displays of fresh fruits and vegetables are not only meant to be savored — but are the real stars atop a table. They are the real feast for our eyes, and senses! Figs nestled as support for a centerpiece. Quince become the focus on a contemporary take of Autumn, and the last harvest tells the story of a changing season. Or one can style an array of edible details to transform a wedding tabletop into a piece of still life art.
G R E E N, P I N K & P U R P L E
When a season, whichever it may be, gives us an abundance of seasonal beauty, why shouldn’t we embrace every part of it — not just the blooming stems. We may be seeing these designs become ever more popular, but this lush and intentional displays of food have been done for as long as we have records of people gathering, so we won’t call it a trend. It’s a whimsical, contemporary, fresh and classic approach to designing florals.
Try new things, explore your ideas, wander through gardens, art displays and old streets, sketch without a plan — even better, do it all with limited and unconventional materials. These days when it feels like creating is merely for the sake of “content,” make sure to find the enjoyment in what firstly inspired you.
With this piece I chose to celebrate the refreshing summer color palette I really love, of green, pink and purple. Draping garden picked green grapes in tiny ceramic dishes and cascading from a smoke glass coupe. I nestled in Rose of Sharon, a Gladiolus in its final stages and a single ‘Grande Dame’ Rose. This evokes the feeling and illusion that the flowers are blooming from the fruit itself. It depicts a lovely contemporary summer moment atop a table, and a style I’m excited many are gravitating towards.
O R A N G E P O P
What color palette is more like late summer, than that of a golden sunset. Of pops of oranges and yellows, this time in the form of sweet ripened cherry tomatoes. I was inspired by their natural whimsical shapes and wanted to embrace their uniqueness by mimicking them into towering lines. This is where a simple grouping of vegetables and ikebana style flower stems, in this case beautifully vibrant orange and peachy pink zinnias, transform into contemporary floral structures.
Height was created from the various stems, but also the lines of tomatoes assembled atop on another. And have fun with your vessels!! Using the always-pleasing design rule of threes, here a small pedestal ceramic bowl, a martini glass and a single focal bloom secured into a tiny tomato created a centerpiece with a summer story.
T O M A T O R E D S
There is a gentle balance to August, where many readily rush summer’s end, there’s much of its warmth left to linger…
As routines begin once more, this month is both peak summer and yet the quiet, slow transition that welcomes the shift into autumn. Evenings are more golden than ever but brief. The grasses and stems may dry, yet abundance continues to grow. Garden harvests are rich, delightfully sweet and colorful as butterflies flutter about.
So, while the garden continues to give, I gather its gifts and make good use of them. A plethora of freshly picked tomatoes overflowing in a bowl and seeded parsley picked for bouquets and drying, became the very inspiration for a simple yet delightfully contemporary design. These dainty centerpieces evoke the festive vibes of the season, and when the party is over, then become a salad, sauce or hung to dry. Making them truly sustainable floral designs for a wedding. Using every element of nature’s season as inspiration to create moments of beauty and nourishment in every form.
Nature gives us all the inspiration we could ever need. And I hope these floral and fruit centerpieces have inspired the look and feel for your wedding design or next celebration!
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