Flowers for the Table: Working with Garden Flowers for Home Arrangements, with award-winning Floral Designer, Gerry Gregg, AIFD

By Jennifer Jewell

Fresh cut flowers from the garden are arguably one of the garden’s greatest joys. The are lovely, they feel luxurious and all in all they are economical. I am a cut-whatever’s-blooming-put-it-in-a-vase kind of person, and when they are available, I like to put little vases anywhere I can - on my bedside table, my childrens’ dressers, the dining room table, the counter by the kitchen sink - anywhere I can see them and smile for their being there. I am not particularly fussy: I try to remember to trim the leaves from the bottom of the stems, I sort of adjust the blossoms based on their color and height so that they come together in a generally pleasing way - and I am very happy. However, when I see the work of a good floral designer, I instinctively know the difference between my casual grouping of flowers and their artistic crafting of an arrangement. I am always amazed at how many GOOD florists are in our region, but I distinctly remember the sensation when I walked into the Enloe Foundation Gala earlier this year in Chico. I saw the soaring and floating floral displays and thought: Now that is the work of an artist. Photo: Cut flowers fresh from the garden - waiting to be arranged. Read more>