Faxon on Flowers

Hi Here's another beauty!

2011-08-18T14:03:00.001-07:00

Wildly Wonderful Evening at Boston Weddings Launch Party!

2011-08-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

O' the pleasure of being in the studio yesterday with the fragrance of Jasmine, Lisianthis, Lamb's Ears, Nigela, Didiscus and Snapdragons.

Bring home the daffodils!

2011-03-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Spring may be under the snow banks, but the daffys are in the supermarkets and flower shops.

A few bunches on the kitchen table sure do make me smile, even when loading the dishwasher!

TIP: when you buy them, be sure the stems are green all the way to the bottom. When you get home, cut about 1/3rd off the stems and place them in cool water. ENJOY

Hurrah, the new website is "alive"!

2010-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sure hope you enjoy the new pix and text on the new website! Tell your friends. Enjoy this day!

With all good wishes, Faxon

PS flowers in this bouquet: Hanging Amaranthus, Statis, Cimbidium Orchids, Rasberry Goedetia

Our up-dated site is "live" today Enjoy!

2010-10-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Our newly refreshed website www.faxongreen.com is "live".

We hope you enjoy it.

Happy Day!

Faxon

Eco-Elegance at the Crane Estate

2010-08-10T12:15:00.001-07:00

Emily and Nick began their wedding floral “adventure” with a call to me on Christmas eve. They were home from California for the holidays and had seen my ad in Boston Weddings [2009]. They grew up outside Boston and were planning an east coast wedding with their families and friends. Emily wanted an eco-friendly wedding.

I first met her Mom at the Flower Market in April. In May, Emily and Nick came east. We spent a day together visiting the Flower Market and their wedding venue. At the market we talked about the spirit of their wedding, what they wanted to share with family and friends. They were being married at the Crane Estate in Ipswich -a place I know well being a preferred vendor there. I learned more about their aesthetic -a traditional elegance mixed with a “bit of funky” and a strong commitment to sustainability. Within two days, we chose the palette and flowers. I made many sample designs for them to see the next day. Included were three sample eco-friendly wedding centerpiece arrangements, one for cocktails, a sample bridal bouquet and one for a bridesmaid. Because I would not see them again until their wedding day in early August, they wanted to see as many as possible before they left.

They loved 2 of the centerpiece arrangements, the bouquets and the cocktails. The third centerpiece needed work! This shared experience affirms for me the necessity and “rightness” of making sample arrangements and bouquets. Emily and Nick returned home feeling confident and happy about their floral designs and the sustainable practices I use in the studio.
Their wedding day was a pristine early August day after some weeks of rain. The ocean sparkling in the distance and the grass and trees of the Estate fresh and green.

In these photos, you will see a wedding story from “start to finish”-from a sample centerpiece [last photo in the sequence] to the reception. Nearly all the flowers and foliage came from local growers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Many of them grown in non-pesticide gardens. The Hosta plants, from which I cut the leaves for the larger decor arrangements, are now growing in her family’s garden.

The wedding flowers were brought back to the studio. The flowers and foliage which were still fresh were bunched the next day and delivered to three women’s shelters in Cambridge and the City Hospital. Everything else went into the compost pile. Vases were cleaned for later use.

Photos by Matt Grazier grazierphotography.com

BREATHE DEEPLY ...TIPS ON PANSIES

2010-05-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

Above, a few peonies, iris and lilacs -all native to Boston and blooming right now.

In this gorgeous cool spring air, their freshness is pure delight!

Tips on Pansies

Pansies are easy to plant in earthen pots on your city terrace on in larger pots around your garden or entry way. They like pots more than being in a garden bed. Pansies are easy to grow and tend. They thrive in 50% sun [not full on all day sun], watering [not soaking] every few days, and pinching back at the stem bottom when the bloom dies off. About the watering:

watering every few days is best. When I return from a long weekend, they look almost dead they're so wilted. Watering them gets them up and "laughing" within the hour. One other thing I love about pansies is the many, many varieties and richness of palette. All of them "go together"!

It's a perfect weekend to plant!!!

WHAT SUSTAINS US - 2 Unique Approaches

2010-05-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

For the gardener who shares her plants

Check out this amazingly creative way to carry your plants! You could probably take gifts of wine to dinner parties in them too.

http://aplusrstore.com/product.php?id=550

For the woman who wants to 'throw' the party of all parties with foods sublime -sumptuous, healthy, organic. Dining with Chives women preparing the menu and the food is an exquisite, delightful experience. Give them my best wishes when you see them!

http://www.chiveevents.com/Chive/welcome.html

A Spring Perfume of Peonies & Lilacs

2010-05-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

The airs of springtime in New England are filled with luscious scents of many flowers.

Lilacs and peonies are definitely favorites for their sweet perfume. Pure romance. Lily of the valley comes next for its dainty fragile beauty and shortness of season. Often as I'm walking along the cobblestone streets of Cambridge, I find myself stopped with my nose in the lilacs. All too soon this season passes. It's a long wait for next year. Give yourself a gift of pure pleasure, "stop and smell" the flowers.

ELEGANT FLOWERS WITH ELEGANT WOMEN

2010-05-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Taj ballroom is a very special and gorgeous setting for spectacular events and weddings. The old elegance of the property paired with the new Taj aesthetic makes for a perfect experience. As you can see, The Taj catering and sales team are lovely and enjoyable to work with. The views of the Boston Common, the rooftrop deck and the oh so talented Chef Steigerwald are all part of why The Taj holds a special place in Boston.

GREEN ECONOMY BOSTON -A Day With The PRO's

2010-05-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Governor Deval Patrick talked passionately about "making beantown a greentown" today at the first Green Economy Boston Conference. http://www.greeneconomyboston.com/

Leaders of profit, non-profit, university and government agencies talked about the essential need for collaborating with each and across all disciplines to steward our efforts in making

Massachussets GO GREEN -for real!

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care".

-The Reverend Ray Hammond, Chair of the Ten Point Coalition

I care passionately about my work as a floral designer and earth-lover-protector. The centerpieces were all green. Above, Iris and Hosta leaves with Birch Bark --all harvested

from the back garden.

IT

2010-04-30T13:18:00.001-07:00

IT'S ALL IN THE SOIL! Tips for Planting Flowers

2010-04-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Merry Month of May begins tomorrow. Many of us will get on our jeans and get dirty in the garden soil. Before the seeds and plants go in, there is much to do to prepare the soil.

The growth, vibrance and longevity of flowers is directly related to the quality of the soil they are planted in [as well as the watering and tending over the summer]. Aerating and feeding the soil is the first step. Get out the pitch fork for large areas, a claw for small city gardens. Go Wild!

Dig up and toss the dirt as you would a salad. Get as much air into the dirt as possible. Then add the organic soil and some peat while continuing to toss so all gets mixed up together. If you can wait until the next day to plant, this is optimal. If not, plant the seeds, put in the plants, tamp the soil around and on top of them. Gently and completely water today and tomorrow and the next day. Tip: rain does not count as watering a garden! HAPPY SUNSHINE in your garden.

Boston's Biggest Bouquet

2010-04-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Boston's biggest "bouquet" comes each spring with the MFA's Art in Bloom.

Here are photos of Faxon's work 2007 - 2010.

Coral Peonies set in water fountain of bark fern with cascading maidenhair fern. The red enamel dish is

set on pieces of slate. 2007

"A basket of woodsy springtime -yellow freesia, "merlot" lilac, fritolaria, ferns and iris. 2010

Sculpted copper piece (recycled from a roof in Framingham) with large calla lilies grown in Belmont. 2008

Lofting bouquet of long bear grasses, French Tulips and Iris. 2009

Sigg water bottles - Safe, Easy and Eco-Chic!

2010-04-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today Faxon gave me two eco-friendly water bottles she bought at Greenward. What a gift!!
Working with Faxon, who lives an eco-friendly lifestyle, I realize my days as a plastic bottle "junkie" are over. I haven't left the house without 2 plastic water bottles for years. I sip one in the car, and drink a big one at the gym.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?
"Worldwide, over 60 billion tons of plastic waste is produced every year. Plastic is particularly damaging because it is not biodegradable and plastic particles eventually become part of the food chain - as they have for example in our oceans. In some parts of the sea, there is five times more plastic than plankton. Neil Seldman, a waste recycling expert, has labeled our plastic problem as «potentially more dangerous than global warming."»

Many of us cannot leave home without a plastic bottle of Poland Spring water, but with help from companies like Sigg, we can change this! The Swiss quality reusable bottles are extruded from a single piece of pure aluminium for seamless, leak-proof durability. They have many designs, colors and options, and even small design friendly bottles for the kiddies!

Happy, Healthy Eco-Friendly Living!

HAPPY EARTH DAY BOSTON!

2010-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

In celebration of our Mother Earth and the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, we've got a contest running on Beantown Brides.com and on Secret Boston Facebook! Brides, fans, anyone can post comments and pictures to win a flower bouquet and a free consultation with me!

HAPPY EARTH DAY TO YOU ALL!

Click on the links below to see all of our HAPPENINGS of the day!

SECRET BOSTON: http://www.facebook.com/SecretBoston?ref=search&sid=18000525.1310797909..1

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: http://www.facebook.com/bostonmassachusetts?ref=ts

BEANTOWN BRIDE: http://beantownbride.com/

CHATTY BRIDES: http://www.chattybrides.com/

GO EARTH! GIVE UP PLASTIC BAGS...YOU CAN DO IT!!!

2010-04-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Earth Day USA is a great opportunity to celebrate the springtime, sprouting flowers and shrubs. This "bouquet" is made of locally harvested birch bark, very damp moss, local ferns, tulips from NJ and black pussywillows from Western MA. Everything is alive! Everything is bio-degradable! Plastic bags are "BAD" for the earth. Bio-degradable paper and cloth bags are "IN". I keep 2 different sets of cloth bags in my car: one for the grocery store; one for all other purchases. They are nested in one of the bags and easily fit into my purse and backpack. Last week I went into a shoe store to buy my first sandels of the season. Before I realized it, the saleswoman put the box into a plastic bag. With a gracious smile, I took them out and put them in my cloth bag. "I don't use plastic anymore. Thank you."

Brides come in the Rain, 300 of them at the Crane Estate!

2010-04-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

These photos tell the story! Lots of brides, mamas, flower girls and fiancees came to enjoy the first Crane Estate Wedding Show devoted to sustainability -- elegance and ec0-friendly!

A wonderful time for many vendors to "show and tell" to attendees; and, to get to know each other. Thanks Laura for this FAB party! Kudos to all!!!

Maiden Hair Fern - Great for Spring planting!

2010-04-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Maiden Hair Fern is one of the most delicate, delightful ferns in New England! Pansies have the most gorgeous palette. They are easy to plant, and you can plant them today. Maiden Hair Ferns are more weather-sensitive. Some GardenMarkets have them in stock now so if you find them, buy or order them, as they are very popular and 'go fast'. However, DO NOT plant them until mid-May. Whenever you purchase plants in plastic containers, as soon as possible, put them into your garden or into clay pots with some pebbles and a hole in the bottom of it. Clay breathes. Plastic 'kills'.

Happy Spring Planting!

The EcoLogic Development Fund - A great cause!

2010-04-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

The EcoLogic Development Fund is a great organization that works with poor, rural communities to conserve and restore threatened forests and streams in ways that improve people's lives. They put local people in charge of projects, providing them with the tools they need to become environmental stewards and improve their living conditions. EcoLogic currently operates in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama.

They have great events in the Boston area. I am donating my floral designs for their event on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd at The Charles Hotel. For event information and details please call 617.697.9868 and join us in celebrating this great cause!

Setting the design and mood of an event

2010-04-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

As a wedding & event planner, I always try to work with vendors who are in tune with the theme of the event and my clients' needs. Faxon Green is a floral and event designer who is always involved in setting the tone, design and mood of the event.

She uses recycled materials and adds unique accents to her work such as resting flowers on a cracked clay pot for a wedding in Mexico. Faxon gets into the theme of the event. The beauty and spirit of her work complements and enhances the tone and mood of the event.

It is important to consider the landscape and surroundings in order to determine the theme and design of your event. You always want to work with vendors who take this into consideration and can create something outside of the box and make your event unique.

Art in Bloom MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS 4/24-4/26 2010

2010-04-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Each year, the Boston Museum of Fine Art gives everyone a huge "bouquet" in the form of its annual showcase of "Art in Bloom". Five years ago, I was honored with the invitation to participate in the generous designs around the museum. The photos above -2009- show the finished sculpture near the Gund Gallery Store. Below is the "draft" sculpture in a corner of the back yard.

Many of the premier Garden Clubs in Massachusetts are given a work of art to transform into an arrangement nearby it. Saturday, April 24, the museum is free and open to the public. This is the first day of Art in Bloom. There are children's activities too.

Benefits of seeing flowers in natural light!

2010-04-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Top Photo taken in Flower Market Parking Lot.

Bottom Photo taken inside the Market. Notice the difference in color and hue!

Whenever I purchase flowers, I always take them outside into the natural light. This lets me see the true color of the flowers, and their imperfections too. I have saved a lot of time and money by doing this. Today, it is possible to buy pristine flowers: stems, foliage and blossoms. Flowers are fresher and more fragrant when they are pristine!

TIPs on Tulips It's the Oxygen in the Water!

2010-04-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Tulips are "heavy drinkers"! They need every ounce of water they can get; and they need it fresh daily, if possible. [fyi: Calla lilies thrive in an inch of water.] A big difference between these two beauties. When you buy tulips, be sure the stems and leaves are green, not yellowing or floppy. Before you put them in a glass or clay vase filled nearly to the top with cool water, clip a half inch off the stem. If any of the foliage [leaves] are in the water, take out the tulips and gently pull downward on the leaves coaxing them off the stem. Changing the water after 24 hours is the most important water refreshment you can give them. Most of the bacteria, residue from gardens and handling have sloughed off into the water. Pouring this out and filling with cool water keeps them fresh. Do not place them in a sunny window or near any heating. If a tulip begins to droop, take it out, cut the stem, put it in a bud vase on the kitchen table.

Creating a bridal bouquet from start to finish!

2010-03-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

One the most delightful aspects of creating bridal bouquets is the opportunity for three or four to emerge. The first starts with brides at the Flower Market. I make a sample bouquet about eight weeks before the wedding. The last one appears in the hands of a bride on her wedding day. The three pictures show this process.

Ask your wedding flower designer to make you a sample. You deserve it! My 'one-liner' with brides is, "you've got to love it, or we'll do something else. There are many, many flowers, foliage and designs you can choose to have for your wedding flowers."

Pictured above is my client Jane. These photos take you on our journey from the flower market, her sample bouquet, to the final design! After the wedding Jane wrote to me, "Your creations were so special and unique. You took the time to feel out our personalities and were sensitive to our subtle likes/dislikes. It really made all the difference. You are a true artist, and the flowers were tremendous. I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful, more perfect expression of what I wanted for my wedding. My childhood, my adulthood, all were there in that bouquet. It was pure magic what you created."

O' COME YE BRIDES AND BRIDEGROOMS & MAMAS too.

2010-03-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Crane Estate is hosting a rare treat to attend on April 17. A beautiful setting with fabulously talented caterers, designers, planners, etc. for your wedding in a GORGEOUS estate by the sea. Look forward to meeting you here!!!

WHERE: Castle Hill on The Crane Estate is located at 290 Argilla Road in Ipswich, MA. For directions and or more information call 978-356-4351 ext. 4025.

WHEN: Twelve o’clock to Four o’clock in the afternoon

HOW: Purchase tickets on our website to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE drawing: two glorious nights at The Inn at Castle Hill on The Crane Estate (over $900 value) Tickets: $5 for Trustees members; $7 for non-members; and $10 at the door.

The finishing touch to a Perfect 25th birthday celebration!

2010-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

A few days before my New York City 25th birthday party Faxon and I were leaving a meeting at The Ritz when she surprised me with a trip to the flower market! Her birthday present to me was to create flower arrangements for my birthday party at Nikki Beach in NYC.

I emailed her pictures of my cake and gave her a sample menu card that I had created for my guests. I told Faxon, the theme of the dinner party is "Palm Beach." She took exactly what I imagined and created the most beautiful arrangements right under my eyes. As an event planner I always notice the details, however all of my guests could also not stop raving over how beautiful the flowers were. They were the backdrop to every perfect picture, and really completed the entire look of the evening. I don't believe a dinner party is complete without a fabulous flower arrangement for your guests to enjoy being in the presence of.

Thank you Faxon, I will never forget this evening and the gift of flowers are unlike any other!

Harvesting Birch Bark for Bouquets

2010-03-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

I was bike riding on the island last summer when I came upon a birch tree that had just been felled. The owner generously granted me "permission" to harvest the bark. When I explained to him the purpose of the bark -floral sculptures and arrangements, he was amazed! A local woodsmith gave me a "de-barking" tool and he and I worked for 2 days. Now, eight months later, it is almost gone. Tomorrow, more of this story!

The "Ultimate" Country Eco Venue -Weddings & Events

2010-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Barn at Gibbet Hill is set on gently rolling hills in Groton, MA. On a dreary, raw March day, Carolyn Hilton, the Director of Catering, took me on a tour of the entire inside and outside areas for events and weddings there. I was totally enraptured with the elegance inside the barn. From their website: We are proud to offer one of New England’s most unique and picturesque venues for a wedding: a stylishly renovated and restored turn-of-the-century barn that overlooks rolling hills of that are home to our very own farm.

John LaRoche in his studio

2010-03-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

Visiting John in his "Blue Guava" studio last week was total delight.

Always lots of laughs, biz conversations, and memories of inspired work

we've shared these last four years. We got to talking about the variety of designers

in the Greater Boston area.

I asked him, "Do you feel competitive with me?"

"Never. Our styles are completely different. You sculpt, I 'pack'.

Both styles are gorgeous."

"Yup. Plenty of work to go around."

Eco-Goodies in Cambridge " GREENWARD"

2010-03-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Greenward in Cambridge is a great place to shop for eco-based products of all kinds; many of them unique and the latest in the marketplace. There are wedding related goodies, such as the small metal container filled with flower seeds -Bluebell, Evening Primrose, Foxglove and Lavender. Favors for bridal showers, etc. I give one to all my brides.

Phone:617-395-1338
1764 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140

Good for the soul and good for our sisters!

2010-03-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

While visiting with the catering and sales team at the Charles Hotel we got to talking about powerful web sites and their influence on the public.

I found myself telling them about my daily “spiritual practice”[The First Thing I Do Each Day] of clicking on the breast cancer site.You can give a free mammogram a day. Easy to do! Good for the soul and good for “our sisters”. Just two clicks make it possible for us to give women -who cannot afford them- free mammograms.

A "must read" for Eco Brides!

2010-03-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

“Sometimes simple arrangements are the most elegant and most memorable.”

So says, Kate Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide. In her book, available from Amazon.com, she makes many unique and useful suggestions about options for choosing eco-based products, services and budget considerations. One of her chapters is titled, ‘Here Comes the Eco-chic Bride’. She also answers the question, why a green wedding? Check out Kate’s website. She even has a section on Q&A.

The Ritz - O' what a beauty!

2010-03-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Today I went to visit my friends at The Ritz. Laura Fox, the Manager of Special Events gave me a tour of their newly renovated ballroom. It is gorgeous! With its floor to ceiling wall of glass overlooking the Boston Garden; the warm beige tones with dark wood trim around the room, this is "a beauty". Lots of sunlight means less electricity and pollution. Definitely a venue choice for eco-conscious couples. Photo compliments of Person and Killian photography.

Check it out!

The Flower Market - What an experience!

2010-03-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

Today I took my marketing director, Kristina Tsipouras to The Boston Flower Market. To see this experience through her eyes was pure delight. I did with her what I do with all of my clients: "Show me what you LOVE! Tell me what it is about the flower/foliage that 'grabs' you." I put bunches of these flowers in their hands and take photographs for my files. These begin the "notes" for our conversations and design suggestions for their wedding flowers.Visiting the market gives brides a chance to see things they've never seen before. They are amazed and inspired.

A seasonal treat - Pussy Willows!

2010-03-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Pussy Willows are a seasonal treat in New England. They always make me smile!

In addition to the most common ones of pale gray, there are two other unique, and rarely seen varieties. Black pussy willows abound in western Mass. The other is called fasciated willow. The branching is flattened and layered, much like the fascia in our bodies. They also have extraordinary shapes. You can see them in the above photo above taken by Jill Person and Killian Photography. It was taken last night at a fantastic NACE/ISIS “bash” at the Hotel Commander in Cambridge.

Table Toppers of Newton - (Eco-Elegant fabric choices)

2010-03-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

Last week, I visited Table Toppers of Newton to collaborate with Linda on choosing linen for our monthly NACE meeting at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge. We wanted something “eco-glitzy”. The only fabric that has both of these attributes is Bengaline.

Bengaline linens -today’s best choice for eco-elegant events and weddings. This fabric is manufactured exclusively out of recycled plastics. Much like file, Bengaline is an elegant fabric of tiny, subtle ridges running vertically on it. Colors are bold and bright with richly saturated dyes.
Bengaline is uniquely designed for elegant, eco-friendly wedding and event designs.

Table Toppers
Phone: 616-558-0008
Dunstan Street
Newton, MA 02465

The Mandarin Oriental - An Eco-Elegant Hotel

2010-03-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

This week, Kristina and I met with the catering and sales team at The Mandarin-a WOW experience! Walking into the hotel, I was immediately aware of its spaciousness and light. There are sculptures made from living materials -steel, porcelain and wood. The floral displays were organic too. A few large, low, simple gray clay containers, were filled with moss, succulents and drift wood.

The hotel recycles all its paper. Most amazing of all, it composts. Imagine that! An elegant hotel that composts. The Mandarin is a perfect venue choice for eco-elegant weddings and events.

The Mandarin Boston
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199-8001
Phone:617-236-6417

Spring is in BLOOM!

2010-03-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Spring is on its way when we see tiny, tender green shoots shyly pushing up their tender heads. This is a time of year when I long for flowers in my home. The simple daffodil bunches at the grocery store, even Trader Joe's are begging to be set on kitchen window sills, the dining room table, etc.

Two or more bunches, half of them with buds -which will bloom in a few days- placed in cool water is delightful on budget, and easy for anyone to do. ENJOY!

Remember the warmth of summer?

2010-01-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday while purchasing flowers for a wedding at the Boston Flower Market, I bought myself a big bunch of hyacinth. Oh, the fragrance and the fullness!

For optimal freshness, make sure the buds are fairly tight and that there isn't any yellowy foliage showing at the bottom of them. The petals are delicate so they usually droop within 3 days.

However, if you change the water each day, they last longer. Hycinths have a lovely palette of saturated burgundy, pale pink, deep pink, pale lilac, indigo-blue/lavender.