MIX IT UP !

During this ‘Trans-Seasonal’ time of year, where it is not quite full blown Christmas but Autumn is but a memory, it can be a challenge for what look you should be making available to your customers. While it may be a bit too early for Christmas evergreens, and a little past time for all fall components, what is the best solution? Why not give your customers a little of both!
Evergreens tend to be associated with Christmas décor even though Evergreens are with us all year long and stay green all year long, ergo the name Evergreen. Many years ago people would decorate their homes with evergreens to remind them of the spring season that was to come. We now have a definite association with the celebration of Christmas, so the time to use them is a bit more confined and restricted. However, using them in proportion and mixing them with other foliages gives us a longer season to enjoy the textures and fragrances.
Several other foliages combine well with traditional evergreens to create a visually pleasing presentation. Some winter foliages such as Salal, Huckleberry, and Boxwood all have rich dark green foliage that adds depth in your design work because of the deep green color that is contrasted by lighter green evergreen foliage. Oregonia is an excellent choice because of its variance in color. Anytime you choose variegated foliage, it too gives dimension to the design work and appears to be more abundant in presence.
While some foliage has the deep green quality to its leaves, others have more gray and blue influences that work well with winter spruces and firs. Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Silver Tree all have the gray influence that combines so well for the trans-seasonal time of year. Gray as we know is a melding color that blends surrounding colors together to make them more harmonious. Like any amount of color, we want to use it in correct proportion. This is especially true when using a neutral color such as gray. We don’t want the floral styling to become too sleepy.
Rosemary has small leaves that appear to resemble needles so therefore mimics many evergreens. It has a delicate fragrance that has a very fall or earthy fragrance to it. Since it grows in a vertical pattern, it makes for a good choice to reinforce line in a design. Scotch Broom also is linear foliage that is quite malleable and can be molded or shaped using your hand or fingers to take on different shaped lines. It is delicate in appearance but gives a great amount of strength to a composition.
Whether you need strength in line, fullness in volume or fragrance added to your floral styling, there are many excellent choices to help make this ‘Trans-Seasonal’ time of year easy to design through. Take advantage of all the wonderful selections available to you during this time of year. Your customers will love you for all the interest and fragrance you are sharing. After all, this is the season for sharing and caring.