Our Flower / Plant expert, Tamara Coyne, gives us advice on what to plant and which flowers are hearty at this time of year.  She also fills us in on some of her personal favorites, and comments on her experience working with local brides!

SSW: What should our readers be planting this time of year?

TC:  You can plant tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, iris and grape hyacinths now all the way up to the first frost, those are the easiest and as long as the ground is still soft you can plant your bulbs and have a beautiful spring.                                                          

SSW:  As we start thinking about entertaining in the fall, what are some arrangement ideas to beautify our table?

TC:  Take a vase or a special container that you like (pitcher, hollowed out pumpkin) and put together berries, mums, asters, fruit, fall foliage, solidago (golden rod --- but some people are allergic), wheat, cat tails, and my personal fall favorite is dahlias.  With dahlias, the down side is they don't have a smell but they are so pretty that it doesn't matter.

SSW:  Are there any flowers/plants that you dislike?

TC:  My least favorite flower to use is baby's breath. It has a 'pee" smell to it and it is very strong. It also makes whatever you use it in look really cheap. I have no idea how the person who put them (roses & baby's breath) together in the first place got away with it because it looks hideous.

SSW:  What is your favorite flower to use for wedding arrangements?           

TC:  I have a lot of favorite flowers to use. If I have to choose a couple then it would have to be peonies, anemones, "garden" roses, lisianthus and lilacs, they are all so gorgeous and really easy to work with. 

SSW:  What do you like most when working with brides?                  

TC:  The most exciting part about working with brides would have to be when they don't have a budget!!! he he he :-) No really, when they know what they like and don't like, it helps out tremendously.

The Flower Faerie
Wedding and special events Florist
Tamara Coyne

P.O. Box 185
Scituate, MA. 02066

781.635.3815

http://www.flower-faerie.com/