Astrantia is commonly known as masterwort, melancholy gentleman, or Hattie’s pincushion. It is native to the grasslands and meadows of Europe and western Asia, especially in moist areas near rivers or streams. Astrantia is part of the carrot family.
Visual Notes /
Astrantia can grow to be one or two feet tall. The center of the flower resembles a pincushion, and the flowerhead is reminiscent of a star or firework. Hence the name astrantia, from the Greek word “asteri,” meaning star. The petals are beautiful, vibrant summer colors of red, pink, and white. These flowers are the perfect choice for brightening up your home, because they remain vibrant even after they are cut, and will stay healthy in a vase.
Flower History /
Astrantia is an herbaceous flower and has long been utilized for its medicinal qualities. The essential oil that can be extracted from the flower is used to quell stomach pains. The dried leaves of the astrantia flower are also helpful. Used as an infusion, they are thought to amplify the appetite and aid in digestion.
Insider Information /
Astrantia blooms throughout the summer, and exudes a sweet and pleasing fragrance. Not only gorgeous in the summer, these flowers will also brighten up your winter months. They are durable and resilient when dried, and are the perfect choice for a dried flower arrangement. Choose astrantia to bring some summer warmth into the darker months of the year.
Echinacea is part of the daisy family. This flower is unique to the areas of eastern and central North America, where you can find it growing in large numbers in open wooded areas and prairies.
Visual Notes :
Echinacea comes from the Greek word “echino,” meaning sea urchin, and the flower is certainly reminiscent of this spiny creature. The center of the flower is a spiky, cone-shaped disk, which leads its other nickname: the coneflower. The purple petals that surround the spiky center are removed before the flower is sold, because the petals are very delicate and bruise easily. Their absence makes the sea urchin-like center of this flower all the more striking.
Flower History :
Echinacea has been used in folk medicine for centuries. Native Americans originally observed this flower being eaten by elks that were sick or wounded. They adopted the flower for their own use in medicinal practices, and called it elk root. It was used to treat a variety of ailments, including sore throats, headaches, and the common cold. Native Americans passed on their knowledge of echinacea to Europeans, and the plant became popular in European medicine in the 1930’s. Feeling under the weather? Echinacea is still used today to boost the immune system. It’s great as a tea, but don’t try to boil anything from an arrangement – these guys have been drinking flower food which makes them unsafe as human food.
Insider Information :
Echinacea is a great choice if you’re looking for an ornamental or decorative flowers, thanks to its unique appearance. You can find it in bloom from early to late summer. The cone will dry exactly as it looks and is great for decorating.
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
There are many style of arranging flowers, but at Starbright Floral Design Ikebana is one of our favorites. Recognized for it’s emphasis on line, form, and shape, Ikebana arrangements often focus on stems, leaves, and twigs as often as flowers. Minimalist in nature, Ikebana arrangements are based on a scalene triangle, with three prominent points, generally two of which are twigs. Within these parameters, a world of creative expressions are possible.
Ikebana Lily Pad From STarbright Floral Design.
First practiced among Japanese Buddhist monks, and appreciated only by the imperial family and their retainers, Ikebana reached the people by the late 15th century. In the early stages, Ikebana was very simple, featuring a small number of flowers and evergreen branches. Books were written about the style and it was commonly featured in traditionally festivals and exhibitions.
Ikebana Pillar of Destiny
In the 20th century, the three main schools of Ikebana, Rikka, Nageire, and Seika evolved into what is commonly known in Japan as Free Style. Other schools rose as well. Ikebana International shares,
“Koshu Tsujii, a follower of the new moribana, was invited to re-establish a flower school in the Daikakuji Temple in Saga, which still today operates his school as the Saga School. Besides ikebana, the Saga School teaches other Japanese arts such as calligraphy. Choka Adachi initiated an “Adachi Style”, using the moribana form “to arrange flowers like flowers.
At about the same time, another style which translates as the “literati style” began to attract interest because of its free and colorful approach. Originated by Issotei Nishikawa, it led the way to free creative arrangements.
The chief exponent of this free style was Sofu Teshigahara, who founded the Sogetsu School in 1926. Others in this modern movement — which resulted in ikebana being placed elsewhere than only in the tokonoma — included the founder of the Ichiyo School.
The three schools that predominate at the present time are Ikenobo, Ohara, and Sogetsu, but more than two thousand different schools of ikebana are registered with the Japanese Ministry of Education.
“
Ikebana Aquascape
When you receive an Ikebana arrangement, take a moment to pause and contemplate the beauty of nature. These arrangements are meant to remind us that there is wonder in the world around us.
Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? Up this week, my favorite :
Blue
What makes blue so special?
Blue is the most common favorite color in the world. People everywhere associate the color blue with the sea and the sky. Like looking out over the ocean, or gazing up at a clear blue sky, seeing the color blue makes people feel calm. Blue creates a tranquil environment. It is a quiet color that promotes peace and relaxation.
For the bedroom
Blue is a color that enhances trust between people. It is the color of honesty and loyalty. Blue flowers in the bedroom will cultivate the bond between you and your partner. Blue is also the color of peace. If you feel stressed out and need to unwind, try putting some blue flowers on your nightstand. They will promote your mental and physical relaxation.
Ikebana Dreaming in Blue
For the office
Blue flowers will work wonders in your office, whether you work in a cubicle, from home, or anywhere in between. The color blue enhances communication and self-expression. Have clients yelling at you over the phone? Keep a vase of blue flowers on your desk. They’ll reduce tension and stress, creating calm and order instead.
Blue Suede Bouquet
For the soul
Whether you are religious, spiritual, or just plain contemplative, the color blue will bring your practice to a higher place. Blue is the color of devotion. It is the color of the spirit, and of religious study. Blue flowers placed in your area of worship will create a tranquil atmosphere for prayer. The color blue reduces fear, and enhances inner security. Blue flowers in your meditation space, or on your altar, or in any area of the house where you practice devotion, will bring you closer to your inner self.
Hydrangea and delphinium for Hanukkah
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
Sometimes refereed to as Queen-of-the-vines, clematis is a member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. It can be found in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Clematis grows naturally as a climbing vine / lianasand has been harvested by many cultures for it’s medicinal values. But be careful! Clematis are toxic if eaten.
Visual Notes /
With over 250 cultivars grown around the world, the clematis flower is visually varied. All varieties feature a number of leafy petals clustered around the center of the flower. The colors range widely, but blue-purple, white and pink are especially popular.
History /
Because it’s found everywhere, Clematis is one of the first flowers early botanists and genetic researchers really took note of. As a result, it was widely used in early genetic experiments. Many of the British cultivars are the result of this early groundwork in understanding genetics.
Clematis
Insider Info /
– The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine.
– Clematis are scented, but their scent is rarely strong enough for perfume making.
– A few clematis varieties change color when between blooming. This is caused by environmental factors, like sunlight.
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
At Starbright Floral Design in New York City we’re inspired by the stories clients share with us. Roughly one out of every fifteen weddings we get to participate in decorating this season are for same-sex couples. Each one comes with a unique pair of individuals, with love in their eyes and a desire to give their family and friends an event to remember. We’re excited to share their experiences, and how those experiences have inspired us as we continue through the seasons.
“My partner and I have been dreaming about getting married for fifteen years. Being a same sex couple, I thought it would remain but a dream. When New York gave us the right to make it official we jumped at the chance. We booked a restaurant downtown for an intimate celebration with thirty or so friends. The floral designs were wildflower themed. I told Starbright I wanted it to look like I picked the flowers out of my garden. What they came up with from such limited direction was incredible. We got married in New York, with friends around us, with good food, surrounded by beautiful flowers. It was a dream come true. Starbright’s help in making this dream a reality can’t be overstated.”
– Shared by Jonathan V.
Jonathan and his partner’s earnestness inspired the Starbright team to craft arrangements that would imbue the atmosphere with the same sweet, everyday hopefulness that goes along with a bouquet of wildflowers.
Working With Wildflowers
The trick to successfully using wildflowers for wedding decor is to know which varieties are in season. From early Spring to late Summer, new bloom varieties appear in the shop each week. Some of our favorites re-appear only briefly before they disappear again until next year. In Spring, blooms such as the lace-like aster, sweet smelling lilies of the valley, and the many petaled ranunculus are popular for weddings because they remind us of new beginnings and softer feelings. Late Summer wildflowers are a whole different ballgame. Be ready for bright colors, lots of texture and a trip to the wild side.
Late summer wildflowers tend to be wind-swept-and-wild. The colors, shapes, and textures are a great way to add a twist to standard floral fare. During this time of year, herbaceous florals begin to fill the Starbright Floral Design cooler; small, untraditional blooms stand out amongst twisted stems in shades of green. Great for adding dimension, texture, and scent, herbs first became popular in wedding arrangements during the Victorian era when they were used to also convey specific meanings. For the traditionalists, our favorite herbs to include are lavender for luck and devotion, rosemary to remember friends and family who cannot attend, and sage for a long life together. And for the bride or groom with stage fright, thyme or mint in the boutonnière is a must – the scents will help keep you calm and collected.
Unlike many popular wedding flowers, wildflower arrangements actually look better when they aren’t meant to be identical! The wild nature and shape of these flowers keeps them unified and also unique, just like the couple saying “I do.”
Today, weddings don’t have to mean what they used to. Mix it up! Define what’s right for you and then explore it. When it comes to the flowers, we’re here to help. From all of us at Starbright Floral Design, congratulations AND best wishes to all the happy couples!
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? First color up for consideration, the king of the color psychology world:
Yellow
How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun. -Vincent Van Gogh
Yellow is most often associated with happiness and competence. Due to the amount of light that is reflected, yellow is the most visible color of the spectrum. Because it is so easy to see, yellow is more attention-getting than other colors. It also stimulates stronger reactions in people than most other colors.
Starbright Floral Designs in Yellow
To an office
A little yellow in an office goes a long way. Physiologically, yellow stimulates mental activity. It can help to increase the speed of analytical processes and logical reasoning.
To support and encourage
A bouquet of yellow flowers can increase the recipients energy, confidence, and happiness level. Bright yellows also relate an optimistic outlook, while pale yellows may be better for also communicating sympathy.
To congratulate
Help aim the spotlight and say “well done!” with an arrangement that calls attention to the recipient.
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
We love June here at Starbright Floral Design – not because of the weather changing (though that’s nice) and not because school’s out. We love June because we get to celebrate one of New York’s favorite flowers – the Rose! June is National Rose Month and the rose is the state flower of New York – which makes it doubly important in our books. For the next few weeks we’re going to be shining a light on that thorniest of buds.
Roses are found all around the world – there are over 100 different species. The first rose gardens were cultivated in China over 5,000 years ago. Ancient Rome used rose petals as confetti, and rose hips were among the first perfume ingredients.
In 17th century Europe, roses were in such high demand that both the shrub and rosewater extract were commonly used as legal tender. In fact, many of the heritage rose gardens across Europe and on the island of Britain were founded as banks of a sort, a soil-based savings account.
You probably can’t use any of our NEW! June Arrangements to buy groceries, but they’re sure to be fantastic addition to your home, office, kitchen or bedroom! Don’t forget to save your petals for a luxurious confetti at your next event or special night “in.”
Check out some of the arrangements the shop put together to celebrate roses for this month.
Lavender Rose Enchantment
Thornless lavender roses say “I loved you at first sight”.
Karl Albert Beuher was one of the early Chicago painters to adopt Impressionism. He joined other American artists in Giverny, France, to paint en plein-airin the commune established by Claude Monet. These impressionists developed a style that required quickness in order to finish a piece before the sun moved and the light changed. They wanted to capture their subjects, which were generally natural scenes, as the eye might see them. Instead of hard lines and lots of detail, Bueher’s brush delivered bursts of color and light that seem to illustrate a fleeting moment in time. He wants us to see ripples in the leaves instead of the angles in the bark. He wants us to see a sea of long grasses and field flowers instead of individual blades of grass and carefully represented blooms.
The art of floral arrangement is as varied as any art form. Last week, we showed you our Georgia O’Keefe inspired arrangements and how color and line can be used to suggest energy and emotions. This week we’re looking at another bouquet – this one designed on the same principles as Bueher’s early works.
We’re focusing on the impression of these flowers as a whole, instead of on any one individual “wow” flower. There is a lightness represented in Beuher’s work that we wanted to capture. In regards to the design above, we wanted to create something genuine, unfettered, and at one with the scene. Something that would be memorable for the occasion, but serve to enhance the impression of the overall, rather than draw attention to itself.
Take a look at Beuher’s painting below and the flowers we selected to make up this arrangement. For our “plein-air” bouquet, we want to create a light and feathery texture similar to that of Beuher’s brush strokes. The vibrance of the colors in the artwork are also important. We love how shadows are created with vibrant shades of green and the pink – they create contrast we might describe as “lightness” instead of “brightness”.
Each flower was carefully selected for it’s size, color, and texture. Our wind-swept bouquet of wildflowers is purely fantastical – few of these flowers are native to any one common region. Luckily, here at Starbright, we had no problem getting the flowers we wanted. Our selection included :
1/ Dusty Miller – The quaint name isn’t the only thing we love about this hardy foliage. With it’s silver-white color and soft texture, this leaf adds a wistful element to any arrangement.
2/ Stock – Noted for it’s heady, clove-like scent. This example of the variety, with double flowers, adds texture to our arrangement. Stock also is a symbol of a happy life and a contented existence.
3/ Astilbe – These remind us of wildflowers. The feathery stalks seem to float in this arrangement.
4/ Lisianthus – Native to equatorial areas of the American continents. This delicate, long-lasting, prairie flower has ruffled petals. They represent warmth and geniality.
5/ Dahlia – Sometimes called the “Queen of the Autumn Garden”, the dahlia belongs to the Asteraceae family which is noted for their star-shaped blooms and includes flowers lie the daisy and sunflower. Traditionally these flowers symbolize hope for an everlasting union.
6/ Freesia – Sweetly, citrus-scented and long-lasting, these graceful flowers are perfect for a bouquet. Each wiry stem can have up to 10 flowers.
7/ Ranunculus – The fine layers of petals give this weighty flower a delicate appearance.
8/ Muscari – Small and fragrant, the shape of these flowers is reminiscent of little bells.
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
Georgia O’Keeffe was inspired by what she saw in nature – over here at Starbright, we’re inspired by her perception and the images she shared.
The painting above is Ms. O’Keeffe’s Music, Pink and Blue No. 2. This abstract expression of music has an informal balance that gently flows across the canvas to create a soothing rhythm. The pattern, created by repeating circular lines and colors creates the impression of layers. Even the color harmonies mimic music. The deep pools of concentrated color create a base (or bass!) for the sweeping mid-values to stand out against. The orange and white splashes, which are only partially visible in the above image, add focus – like lyrics, they sit slightly towards the foreground of the painting and give the eye something to pivot around.
Armed with inspiration, it’s easy to interpret O’Keeffe’s interpretation back into the natural. The medium – flowers.
The bouquet in the above image was composed of the following flowers:
1/ Ranunculus : These bright orange flowers have crepe-paper thin petals. We’re reminded of the layered feel of the pattern in Music. The bright color is creating bright points of focus in these arrangements. Ranunculus come in a brilliant variety of colors. Giving a ranunculus says “I am dazzled by your charms”.
2/ Calla Lily : These undeniably elegant flowers mimic the central shape in Music. The washed pink color also reminds us of the calming shades of pink in the painting. These flowers represent abundance and beauty.
3/ Sweet Pea : These richly colored, sweet-smelling flowers come in a variety of colors and represent blissful pleasure. The flowers themselves are about one inch big and resemble butterflies with folded wings. We chose a purple shade.
4/ Rose : This rose variety has a color gradation effect in its petals – the outer petals are light pink and get darker near the center. According to The Language of Flowers, a pink rose represents perfect happiness.
5/ Cornflower : These brilliant blue flowers are often called bachelor’s buttons. The name comes from an old folk tradition that claims if worn by a young man in love the flower can divine the feelings of his beloved. Because of this tradition, the cornflower has come to represent hope in love. We’re going to use these in the groom’s boutonniere.
6/ Hypericum Berries : These smooth peach colored berries add another texture to our arrangement. We especially like how clean they look against all the ruffled petals.
7/ Thistle : Ok, these are a little out there for the inspiration, but the rich blue/purple color and spiky prickles add great color and texture. The thistle is also a Scottish symbol of noble character – which we think is pretty fitting for a wedding.
The inspiration can be seen throughout the bridal parties pieces. Below is the groom’s and groomsmen’s boutonnieres.
We had a lot of fun making these colorful pieces!
Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!
Starbright Floral Design began as a husband and wife team who had a passion for hard work and floral artistry. Over twenty years later, we continue to stand by these founding principles. Looking for flowers in New York City? visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com
Blooming Thoughts 