Over the past eight years of running Design*Sponge, I’ve learned that one of the most important aspects of staying inspired is surrounding yourself with people you respect and admire. For me, one of those people is Sarah Brysk Cohen. For those of you who’ve been reading D*S for a while, you may know Sarah as…
Welcome back, flower fans and alphabet zealots! We have arrived at our final installment of Flowers A–Z, which can only mean that “z” is for zantedeschia (more commonly known as the calla lily). Although there are a few other worthy “z” flowers (zinnia comes to mind), the calla is both in season and the most…
Hello again! We are nearing the end of the alphabet here at Flowers A–Z, but the creativity does not wane. For this week’s post, I selected a regal fan favorite: the tulip. This particular variety of tulip — yellow crown — opens beautifully and is the perfect remedy for any spirit anticipating a long, chilly…
And they said it couldn’t be done. Greetings, flower fans, and welcome back to Flowers A–Z! This week, I was confronted with perhaps the most challenging of all letters, and although I seriously considered something along the lines of “eXcellent dahlia,” I knew I had to dig deeper. While not exactly a flower, the bold…
Well, it really seems official now, with the crisp weather and the pumpkins cropping up everywhere. Welcome to fall! The flowers at the market seem to be changing faster than the leaves on the trees. Along with the great bounty of deep magentas, rich browns and warm oranges, I found this sunny yellow wax flower,…
Hello again, flower fans, and welcome to autumn! To ease the transition from summer to fall (so that we don’t rush headlong into pumpkins and raffia and the like), I have chosen a soft palette and a delicate flower to reference the last, tender days of summer. “V” is for veronica. This particular species is…
Greetings, flower alphabeteers! Admittedly, “u” was a letter that truly tested my creative mettle. I considered all manner of cop-outs (Ursula roses and the like). Ultimately, I realized that a really lovely and special green would fit the bill — that is why “u” is for umbrella fern. The term “fern” applies to over 12,000…
Welcome to another installment of Flowers A–Z! I am back in New York, enjoying the remaining few weeks of summer with an eye toward a busy fall schedule. The mighty sunflower just can’t be denied when it comes to representing all things summer. This week, I thought I would highlight my favorite variety of sunflower….
Greetings from sunny Southern California! I have returned to my hometown of San Diego for a little mini-break and am lucky enough to be posting from my very favorite flower shop, Green Fresh Florals. My dear friend Carlos Franco owns this magical place and (along with his trusted head designer, Travis Rogers) has been creating fabulous…
In the language of flowers, sometimes the most obvious choice is also the most extraordinary. This week, “r” is naturally for rose! Here, I have chosen to highlight the gorgeous garden rose, an even more fragrant and showy variety than your average rose. In the United States, most regular roses that you find at your…
Welcome back, summer flower lovers! As you might imagine, some letters of the floral alphabet are easier than others. Like so many Scrabble players, when faced with a “q,” things can get a little dicey. Lucky for us, the gorgeous Queen Anne’s Lace is right in the pocket of the season and happens to be…
If you know anything about me at this point, it’s that I like to give the people what they want. And typically, what the people want is exactly what I want. That’s why this week, “p” is for peony! I had so many requests to feature this bloom — and clearly it is one of…
Welcome back, readers! Although typically I struggle to decide which beautiful treasure to feature in the “a-z” posts, this week there was simply no dithering. ”O” is for orchid (in this case, the cymbidium orchid). This flower has many wonderful, versatile properties – it can appear feminine or masculine, fragile or sturdy. Designing with orchids…
Welcome back for another adventure in the floral alphabet! This week in A-Z, “N” is for the precious and lovely Nerine. Nerine, sometimes called a “spider lily,” is native to South Africa, although the bulb is now grown throughout the world. Nerine is in the same family as the perhaps more familiar winter-blooming amaryllis bulb….
Hello, flower fans! “M” is for magical coral pink hydrangea (that is really what the Dutch importer calls it!), an absolutely ethereal hue of hydrangea. This version of one of my all-time favorite blooms was too gorgeous to pass up at the market, so I fudged the letter “m” just a touch. One of the…
Greetings, sweet flower fans. April showers bring May . . . LILAC! Well, it starts to show up in April, but let’s not split hairs :) “L” is for lilac, people, and this extraordinary, abundant, fragrant bloom comes just in time as we emerge (finally? truly?) from this long winter. Syringa or “lilac” is actually…
Greetings from the flower alphabet think tank! This week, I thought to feature a quirky little bloom that is primarily used as an accompaniment in arrangements. “K” is for kangaroo paw! You can see the fuzzy paw-like flower above, nestled in among other friendly blooms. A native of Australia, the kangaroo paw got its name…
Hello, again! You may have noticed here at Flowers A–Z that I have some proclivities. For example, I have a genuine soft spot for fragrant florals. Also, I’ve never met a delicate, garden-y bloom I didn’t like. So if you present me with a feminine vine that smells amazing, I’m SOLD. That’s why for today’s post,…
Sometimes in life, things don’t come easy. You have to get creative, make it work, shape your own destiny . . . which is why this week’s A–Z post is “i” is for “Irene” parrot tulips! I know what you are thinking. You think I got all cute and decided not to feature a flower…
“If, of thy mortal goods, thou art bereft, And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left, Sell one and from the dole, Buy Hyacinths to feed the soul” — Saadi (12th Century Persian Poet) “H” is for hyacinth! These fragrant, bulbous flowering plants are a sure sign that spring is on…
