The flowers are too good to be true right now. Crabapple blossoms, azalea, cherry - cha-cha, tango, foxtrot! It's a true dance of the senses. This wedding was last weekend at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
Big gardens like the NYBG and BBG are funny places aren't they? The BBG asked me to do some centerpieces for the opening of their new visitors center and they stressed how important it was that the arrangements be seasonal and local and use native plants. I'm really a geek about keeping our flowers as seasonal and local as possible, so this challenge was right up my alley. After a wild goose chase of calling around long island to see who could guarantee blooming digitalis the first week of May I had a brain wave. I sat down and wrote an email suggesting I donate my time and cut (responsibly!) from the gardens to make truly seasonal, local centerpieces. I loved this idea so much, and have had great experiences cutting responsibly from the NYBG for our classes there. So I was surprised and disappointed to not get a response. I guess they didn't like the idea as much as I did.
I don't want to make sour grapes with the BBG, and they ended up hiring one of the best seasonally-oriented designers that I know; so everybody wins. But it did make me stop to think a bit about organizations, how they are run, how they are influenced by their donors, etc.
I am irritated by how often the words "seasonal" and "local" are used as marketing tools.
21 comments:
these pictures are insanely gorgeous.
beautiful!
be annoyed by "seasonal/local" now but when you have to start hawking your farms bounty you may weave them into your marketing plan like we all have. the general population is made up mostly of idiots and so often you have to spell it out for them. there's really no better way than reusing the limited set of words they understand ;)
sucks the garden would let you snip away! but soon your farm will be bursting with truck loads of floral bounty and you can do whatever the hell you want.
The use of "seasonal" and "local" remind of me of the days when "green" was a buzz word. I used to take public transit in LA (which is so behind other metropolitan areas but I digress) where I once encountered a group of women who wondered out loud why anyone would take the bus or train regularly all the while sporting a pro "green" canvas bag for some related field trip. Uh, ok, fronters.
Your idea would have been an awesome way to promote the garden too. Their loss.
Amazing F!@#$%^ photos. Truly beautiful
Local...just not that local. :)
get the hell out of town with those pictures! so beautiful and the perfectly budded jasmine is enough to make me cry.
Maybe there is a bit more to that. Everything is blooming so early - perhaps they are trying to protect the trees. Bartlett is not inexpensive. I can not imagine anyone not wanting to please Miss S
I love your style, is always so fresh, flowers seem to be happy to be touch so they make the perfect pose for you.
I wish I could Live near.
About the BG, totally their loss!
kisses from Uruguay
Carola
these pictures are unreal.They are so SO beautiful. And I agree; this time of year is so magical. We are having (knock wood?) maybe a real spring this year out here in Seattle. We've had a few days even make it into the low 60s already, and sun almost all last week (unheard of here before May). Wonderful, wonderful - I have big plans for the garden this year.
I'm with you on "seasonal" and "local." I love those words. I love the ideas. I feel like the ideas they represent are cheapened when they become buzzwords for consumerism.
as usual Sarah, you are singing my song!
It's exhausting isn't it? I love the ideas, and values, hate the dogma, and righteousness!
but, if you want a little local beauty, my tulips are in bloom right here on van brunt! (Black doubles and green parrots, and peach darwins, oh my!!!)
xoxo
Agreed, it's the BBG's loss.
Lovely, indeed!
I think we should promote foraged invasives in design work....something different?
To not even respond to your e-mail - especially when you offered to donate your time! I would have expected more of an organization like BBG.
Your pictures are ridiculously beautiful.
Stunning. Stirring. Welcome spring!
As always, your photography is superb! Your pictures bring the spring weather we are having to life, they are so pretty!
Hi there - your arrangements are exquisite, you’ve done each and every bloom justice. Absolutely stunning!!
Ok...just stop it
Knock that shit off.
As Alice would say those flowers are "RId-i-c-li-ous!!!"
Your flowers make me a better person just by witnessing them. For reals.
X
Amazing!!!The flowers are absolutely gorgeous!
these arrangements are absolute perfection!! I feel like you read my wedding-flower-mind!
this is quite impressive way of writing as the snaps are looking best of the work done.
your flowers are eye wateringly beautiful
liz whitson
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