Designs from our Flower Market and Artisan Collections for J. Morris Flowers.
One of my favorite things about summer is al fresco dining. From the moment the weather turns warm, my family and I take as many meals as we can outside. Summer foods are so fresh and fun and I find it so relaxing to sit among the native trees and plants that make Virginia some of the prettiest countryside in the world. I have always said that food and flowers make the perfect pairing, a concept that became ingrained in me during my collegiate study abroad in Grenoble, France. While living with my host family, I joined my adoptive mother almost daily at the local market where she chose fresh breads, cheese, meat, vegetables and flowers. I quickly learned that the French arrange fresh flowers for nearly every meal as a complement to the food and wine that they serve. I loved it and I was hooked!
Sunflowers and Delphinium explode out of this blue pitcher vase with greens and Yarrow to complement.
My inspiration for the Summer Collection is al fresco dining with an added twist, fresh flowers. Outdoor living spaces are becoming an extension of the home and I hope you’ll find a place for one of our designs on your table.
We separate our floral designs into two different groupings called Artisan and Flower Market. I will talk a little bit more about the Market Collection below. The Artisan collection is a set of intricate, highly skilled designs. I always love a lush, full design, but for summer, I have selected flowers that are light and airy so that light pours through the spaces between the flowers.
Purple and peach combine in the sage green pot with a lovely design. This is part of the Artisan Collection at J. Morris Flowers.
If you look closely at the vases, you’ll see that I have selected solid pieces, vases and pots with substance, especially those made from stone. The color palettes within this collection are vibrant. You’ll see I combined peach with purple and yellow with pink to create a summertime feel.
Snapdragons en masse in a design we call Wine Flight for the Chardonnay, Rose and Merlot coloring.
The Market Collection, on the other hand, celebrates the vintage flowers of summer like Snapdragon, Delphinium and Asters. The designs in this group are simpler, but only because I play on the strength of one single flower variety in different colors. The volume of flowers and color in each of these designs make them quite impactful. Snapdragon and Delphinium are leggier stems, heavy in petals or florets, that come in beautiful color tones. They bend and express themselves creating movement in the design. They are a heritage bloom, something you might have found in your grandmother’s garden. Did you ever clip a Snapdragon floret off its’ stem as a kid? So many of our customers remember holding the little floret between their thumb and index finger, moving it and speaking as if it were a little mouth. Did you know that Snapdragon blooms from the bottom up? That’s why the tips of the flowers are green when they are first cut.
Delphinium and Snapdragon leading ladies in two Market Collection designs, wine not included.
Asters are another summer favorite and come in some of the best colors of the season. Used alone they create a full mounded look. All of these flowers, Snapdragon, Delphinium and Asters are long lasting.
If you look at our catalog, you’ll see that the pricing for Artisan Collection begins with lush, full designs above $85. The Market Collection ranges from $65 to $85. It is our hope that you will find a design within the price range that you have set for the occasion. Sometimes a simple pot of flowers is all a friend needs to get a needed lift, a good time to look to our Market Collection. If you’re celebrating an anniversary or a benchmark birthday, you may find something more appropriate in our Artisan Collection.
A special thank you to Michelle Lindsay, a local Leesburg florist who we rely on for her exquisite photography. Shop now by clicking on a photo below.