We’ve made it a full year! Granted, not one step of it has been easy but EVERY step of it has been blessed. Thank you to all of my wonderful clients/friends who have made it so incredibly worthwhile. It seems impossible that I could have met so many wonderful people just by collecting things I love but I’m so grateful for it! I recently sent out our newsletter inviting everyone local to our birthday party May 1, at the shop. If you signed up but didn’t receive it, please check your junk mail filters as it may have ended up in the trash. It’s not too late to RSVP if you still want to come!
This month I am mad about Dogwood. I’m in awe of the way the blooms look like tiny little boxed packages then they suddenly burst open into these amazing four-leafed works of art. I’m trying to keep branches in the store to enjoy them but customers love them too and they often purchase them before they’ve been here a full day! If you would like some Dogwood, just give me a call and I’ll include your order in my next run to the Mart.
A Brief Lesson in Floral Freshness
Spring is here! or is it Summer? The weather has been far too hot for the Spring flowers in my store and I’ve had to get creative to beat the heat. Most of you know I don’t keep a floral cooler in my shop as I believe it artificially extends the life of flowers – meaning that you get older blooms that are essentially kept on life support but the minute you get them home, they age instantly. I try to choose fresh flowers that are already adjusted to the temperature so they will have a predictable lifespan in your home. If you are buying from a large florist with a cooler, it’s important to ask how old the flowers are – not how long ago THEY got the flowers from the Mart, but how old they were when they got to the Mart in the first place. Fancier flowers are imported from Africa, Europe and South America (tulips are a great example), which is okay because they are flown on air-conditioned planes and make it to San Francisco in a day or two but from the time they are picked until you put them on your table, they could be a week old. Other flowers are grown in California and shipped up by air-conditioned truck. Again, they could be several days old by the time you get them. I am conscious that flowers are a luxurious necessity and I want you to get the most out of your purchase.
I replanted my entire organic flower garden several months back with gorgeous blooms that I know love the climate (when it’s not weird and extreme that is!) I harvest them first thing in the morning before the sun hits that part of the garden and bring them to the shop that day. When you get an arrangement from Apartment 46, you are getting fresh, organic flowers picked within a day of your visit. That’s fresh! Right now I am serving Spring blooms, which means loads of wildflowers and intoxicating garden roses mixed with Lavender, Dusty Miller leaves, Salvia, Forget-Me-Not, Wild Clover, Nasturtium and Coral Bells. My preference is to make soft, wild arrangements that truly bring the garden indoors, but I can also do more formal arrangements upon request.
I am also taking appointments for garden consults and landscape jobs. Don’t forget that I would love to help you realize the garden or outdoor space of your dreams and I have loads of wonderful sources at my disposal to make that happen. Whether it’s a postage stamp sized side yard or a 2,000 square foot paradise-in-waiting, I’m excited to help you turn it into a space you would love and enjoy.
Spring is also the perfect time for a room renewal and I’ve been hard at work (I’m not kidding!) restoring and refreshing many fantastic pieces of furniture to give them a thoroughly modern look. Make sure to come visit and see what’s new!
All the best!
Melisa and Miranda
