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Home Blog The Farmer & The {Florist} Interview: Ariella Chezar
March 4th 2024

The Farmer & The {Florist} Interview: Ariella Chezar

Written by
Floret

Today I am thrilled to share a beautiful new book and a really lovely interview with youā€”Iā€™ve been waiting for months to publish it, and am so excited that the day is finally here!

Ariella Chezar is the godmother of seasonal floral design and has led the way for countless designers and farmer-florists to look to nature for inspiration and take their cues from the natural world. Her impact on the industry over the last 30 years is immeasurable. She was one of the first people to use local, seasonal material throughout their work and inspired an entire generation of designers along the way.

Iā€™ve had the privilege of knowing Ariella since the beginning of my career and she has had such a significant impact on my flower journey. I remember the first time I wrote to her, I was just getting my start as a writer and wanted to interview her for a tiny little farming publication with an even smaller readership base.

My editor warned me to not get my hopes up since Ariella was essentially famous and I was essentially a nobody. But by some miracle, she responded to my overly enthusiastic email and agreed to the interview which was my first big break.

Over the years I have learned so much from Ariella both about flowers and about the power of sharing. Her generosity altered the course of my life and I have tried to pay it forward in every way that I can.Ā 

Ariella has written four beautiful books now, and if I had to choose a favorite, it would be her newest, Home in Bloom, which comes out today. Itā€™s hard to even begin to describe how magnificent this book is, you really have to experience it for yourself.

In it, we see Ariella in her elementā€”transforming the most beautiful spaces into what she calls ā€œfloral fantasies,ā€ embracing the best of what nature has to offer, including wilder elements such as weeds and brambles, combined with showstopping blooms. This book will change the way you think about flowers and offers an entirely new palette of possibilities to draw inspiration from.

Itā€™s a pleasure to share this special interview with you, so without further ado, letā€™s dive in.

Iā€™m so curious to know what inspired you to write Home in Bloom and why now?

One of my most favorite things is being invited to design flowers in someoneā€™s house. To see what they love, what theyā€™ve surrounded themselves with, and to make arrangements that reflect all of this. It feels very personal and as such, very special.Ā 

I wanted the opportunity to interpret the feeling in a home with my flowers. Unlike a studio where props and environment are pulled in, designing in a home is much more creatively exciting.Ā 

What was the process like for creating the arrangements and installations that grace the pages of your beautiful book? Would you take us on a day in the life of one of your big shoots, from gathering the flowers to creating the arrangements to styling, lighting, and making the photographs? Oh to be a fly on the wall!Ā 

It was a little bit different each time, but for the most part, once a location was chosen I would go about assembling a diverse selection of flowers with a vague overall sense of what was going to go where. Working with Gemma and Andy Ingalls in the beginning and then Andrea Gentl and Marty Hyers thereafter was a joyful fast-paced dance.Ā 

I am less of a planner, in fact, this proved frustrating for the photographers because I struggled to generate concise shot lists prior, not knowing which flowers I would have exactly nor what I wanted to shoot per se. The beauty of this book was that I was given permission to feel my way into each setup and each shot, to respond to a particular corner of a room or a surface and then the photographers just rolled with it. I loved this process very much.

(Photo above copyright Ā© 2024 by Ingalls Photography.)

Creating a book is such a huge endeavorā€”so many details to coordinate and so many variables to maneuver, all while working against a strict set of deadlines. Iā€™m amazed by how much traveling must have been involved in shooting Home in Bloom. Where did you go and what was that experience like?

Unlike my other books, this one was primarily focused closer to home with the exception of the house in Merida, Mexico with a few of the houses being literally right around the corner. It was really a joy to be able to incorporate the natural elements that I drive and walk by every day.Ā 

I think it may be my favorite book thus far because I was allowed so much artistic freedom by my wonderful team at Ten Speed. As a creative, that kind of freedom inevitably allows for the best results.

This book provides a window into the most beautiful, elegant homes and spaces. The architecture and colors of the interiors paired with your exquisite flowers are almost too much to handle! Can you tell me a little about these special spaces and how you chose them?

Many of these spaces belong to close friends and because of this, I felt at ease and familiar in the way one does. The others, like Andrea and Martyā€™s incredible dream of a loft, the locations in Merida, and the abandoned Hudson, New York mansion were so rich on so many levels that it was so easy to dream my way into them and become deeply inspired.Ā 

You have a very deep and powerful relationship with nature. How has it influenced your personal approach to floral design?

It is the single most important driver, this connection, because it is the natural world that binds me to all the things that I adore and treasure. Trees, flowers, grasses, weeds, the animals that live amongst themā€”they are my constant inspiration, my love.Ā 

Their fragility and the precarious place that humanity has put them is a source of deep worry and fear, daily. In reminding people of this fragility my forever hope is that they will wake upā€”though Iā€™m not especially optimistic. It frustrates and puzzles me that designers choose dyed and sprayed flowers when there is so much natural beauty to be found. Not to mention the stubborn pervasiveness of floral foam.

In your new book, you explore a much wilder side of nature than I have seen you do before. You say, ā€œWith each chapter, I stray just a little bit further into the meadowā€¦ā€ Thereā€™s something so magical about how you embrace weeds and brambles and elevate them in such an unexpected way. Can you talk a little about how your relationship with the ā€œrough and tumble,ā€ as you put it, has evolved over the years?

I have always felt connected to the humble elements, the quieter flowers, the weeds. As much as I have a near rabid appetite for sumptuous over-the-top blooms I adore the contrast of humble with lusciousness, delicate with showstopping. It is this contrast that for me creates interest and some tension.Ā 

Anyone can put two dozen garden roses together and make a statement that way, and there is NOTHING wrong with that, but Iā€™ve always found it more interesting when those two dozen garden roses are tangled with a clematis vine or interspersed with a less-than-perfect cluster of weeds. Itā€™s not unlike a room.Ā 

The ones that pull me in are the ones that contrast incredible pieces with quieter, simpler ones. I like when things are just a little offā€”and not quite so perfect. It allows for much more space to dream.

One of the things that has always struck me about your work is that it has such a strong sense of place. Your arrangements always look as if they are extensions of their surroundings and itā€™s hard to tell where they leave off and the rest of the space begins. When creating a bouquet or a floral installation, what are the important things to consider if one wants it to belong to its surroundings?

Season and place. Place and season. These are the two most important things. Pay attention to whatā€™s happening outside the window, to whatā€™s growing along the side of the road, to whatā€™s available that week at the farmers market. Itā€™s really just about paying attention and then finding those elements that are the stars of that particular moment.Ā 

This can be a bit of an abstract goal if you live in a city, but because I live in the sticks I am always acutely aware of what is happening around me at any given time. The same goes for when Iā€™m traveling. I notice whatā€™s growing along the side of the highway, along the train tracks. In fact, I am ALWAYS taking in whatā€™s happening on the side of the road.Ā 

Color can be one of the most challenging aspects of floral design to master and so many of us struggle to have our arrangements look the way we want them to. Can you share any advice on working with color and how you personally approach it?

ā€œColor is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment,ā€ said Claude Monet, and I feel just the same. The first thing I want to know when a client approaches me for a job is the palette, and if itā€™s green and white I deflate just a little. I really, really love combining colors, playing with improbable combinations, experimenting. When people talk about staying ā€œon brandā€ with a particular palette that they do over and over again I just canā€™t relateā€”I think I might die of boredom.

While I am drawn pretty reliably to oranges, apricots, and all the greens, I am equally riveted by all the yellows, blues, and reds and the muddy in-between tones. I find purples to be a little tricky and I have always joked that Iā€™d rather eat glass than wear black. I do like white at times, and the drama when it contrasts with black, but there always has to be color somewhere.Ā 

Combining colors has always been intuitive for me. I credit my painter mother with this, and Iā€™m sure my Waldorf School upbringing gets a bunch of the credit too. As far as the struggle that some feel when approaching color I think the main mistake people make is putting too many different colors with too many different values together, and this always ends up looking like an argument, not a beautiful melody. The easiest way to combine colors is to layer them and to work tonally, something you do so beautifully.Ā 

You have had such an incredible career, lived and worked on both coasts, traveled the world, taught in the most exotic places, and decorated hundreds if not thousands of weddings and events over the past 30 years. Looking back, is there a favorite chapter or experience that has left its mark on you?Ā 

My greatest joy on this journey has been connecting with flower lovers from all over the worldā€” and sharing that common thread, that beauty. Most of the time, this connection stretches into a deep love and respect for nature, and so many of these connections around our shared passion have developed into lifelong friendships.Ā 

I really love teaching. I love connecting people to that tender, often unfamiliar place of creativityā€”the way flowers make accessing that place so easy, but no less profound. Whenever I am allowed to be creative, I am happy. There are many, many experiences I feel deeply grateful for, but it is the connections that stand out above all else.Ā 

With each book that Iā€™ve written, Iā€™ve had an intention and hope for the reader. Iā€™m curious to know if you feel the same way. What do you hope that readers will take away from this beautiful book? What is it that you want to linger with them after theyā€™ve turned the last page?Ā 

My hope is that they are stretched beyond the desire for cultivated flowers to the less spectacular and humbler specimens. Also, that they donā€™t hesitate to bring in what they find outside. To live with flowers as much as possible, and to marvel at their generous, ephemeral magic.Ā 

Now that this beautiful book is out in the world, what are your plans for the coming season? Will you be hosting any workshops or making any exciting journeys? Iā€™d love to hear what you have planned next.Ā 

I have a bunch of book-related events beginning to fill my calendar, some of them lectures and demonstrations, but most of them classes and small workshops, including:Ā 

March 21: Book signing at Beacon Hill Bookstore with Grace Lam of Five Forks Farm, Boston, MA (sold out)

April 6: Book signing at Behida DolicĢ Millinery, Hudson, NY

April 16ā€“18: Spring Workshop with Max Gill, Oakland, CA

May 2ā€“3: Spring Flower Workshop, Hudson, NY (sold out)

May 21: Floral Masterclass at The Garden Museum with Lucy Hunter and Shane Connolly, London, England

June 1: One-day floral class at Wildflower Farms, Gardiner, NY

June 10ā€“12: Peony workshop with Nicolette Camille at Renaissance Farm, Brandon, VT

Ariella, thank you so much for taking the time to share about your incredible bookā€”itā€™s a gift to the world.Ā 

Thank you for this opportunity to connect with you and your readers, thank you so much.Ā Ā 

To celebrate the release of Ariellaā€™s new book, Home in Bloom, weā€™re giving away five copies. For a chance to win, please share one of your favorite unexpected or wilder bouquet ingredients. If you donā€™t have one, tell us what about this interview inspired you the most. Winners will be announced on March 12. Please note: This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.Ā 

To learn more and connect with Ariella, be sure to visit her website and sign up for her newsletter. You can also follow her on Instagram. Home In Bloom is available from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and your favorite local bookstore.


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Floret only lists companies and products that we love, use, and recommend. All opinions expressed here are our own and Floret does not offer sponsored content or accept money for editorial reviews. If you buy something using the retail links in this post, Floret may receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Except as noted, all photos copyright Ā© 2024 by Gentl & Hyers. Reprinted with permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House.

870 Comments

  1. Diana Johnson on

    I love to use Boxwood, Aborvitae & Hostas. And my favorite ā€œroadside grabā€ is Queen Anneā€™s Lace ā€¦just wish it lasted longer!

    Reply
  2. Zoe D. on

    Ariellaā€™s Seasonal Flower Arranging is my go to for floral inspiration. The vase of greens with several varieties of scented geraniums is my jam and added a whole new use for my favorite collection of plants. My go to for foraged foliage is sweet autumn clematis summer through fall. I canā€™t wait to spend time immersed in this beautiful celebration of home and all things floral!

    Reply
  3. Bellamy on

    As a young person I was hosting an out of town guest and a couple of nearby friends for the first time. I roamed around my parents property for something to make into an arrangement. I had a beautiful display of yellow flowers that hung naturally over the vase. I was thrilled. My friend kindly informed me later that it was ragweed. Oh well, it didnā€™t stop me, just taught me to learn more about what I was choosing.

    Reply
  4. Evelyn Penner on

    Love your flowers the way you arrange them .and I live roses with different foliage mixed in .you did amazing job .

    Reply
  5. Diane LaFleur Shields on

    What a joy to share ā€˜Season and place. Place and season.ā€ I live for foraging.

    Experimenting with drying flowers from my garden at peak. Preserving this way gives me everlasting beauty without cost to the environment of shipping flowers from afar. Iā€™m even trying the beautiful fungi appearing from the rain.

    Reply
  6. Fiona Potter on

    While I love to arrange with big blousy blooms like tulips and peonies one of my favorite things to do is create something magical from whatever I find on my regular walks in nature. During Covid when a regular flower supply was difficult to come by, I set myself little challenges whenever I would go out. Whatever I found on my walk I would use to create something special to bring nature indoors. There is beauty everywhere and even a knarly old chestnut thatā€™s been in the ground for a week can be beautiful. I think my favorites were wild buttercup, clover, and even the much maligned dandelion with or without her yellow petals for small bedside arrangements. Add to these any number of wild greens and magic can truly happen. For a large statement a few branches of bright green maple that shows off their arching beauty are a favorite.

    Reply
  7. Suzanne on

    I always try to incorporate weathered and mossy oak branches that I find in our pasture in every project. Loved this interview!

    Reply
  8. Marisol on

    My flower arrangements use to be just cultivated flowers, but I’ve discovered the beauty of adding a cutting of an edible to a bouquet. It could be something like cherry tomatoes on a vine, cuttings with fruit, herbs, or just a piece of a branch or foliage.

    Love the idea of paying attention of what is outside the window, growing around us.

    Reply
  9. Lisa on

    Beautiful! Our local flower farmer/florist foraged apple branches, ivy and willow from our garden. She incorporated them into beautiful floral arrangements for my daughter’s English garden backyard wedding.

    Reply
  10. Janet Weening on

    One of my favourite bouquets was a unique arrangement of garden flowers, mixed with wild flowers, twigs and small branches nestled in moss in a hollowed out branch found in the forest.

    Reply
  11. Beth Morel on

    Her creativity is organic and inspiring giving me new ideas to explore all the wonder around me!

    I love rosemary and basil with my Roses in the Summer – and this time of year a few cut hellabore with anything I can find on my hill to add remind me that Spring truly will arrive!

    Reply
  12. Sarah E on

    I love to go out to the tree row and gather whatever looks interesting, most of the stuff I have no idea what it’s called? There’s some type of honeysuckle that is lovely in early spring and in the fall it has gorgeous green berries that turn to
    Red

    Reply
  13. Audrey Brouwer on

    We have several citrus trees at our new home and I love adding clippings with a tangerine hanging down giving a pop of color.

    Reply
  14. Amy Shearer on

    I love Queen Anne’s lace and I am so lucky to have so much of it. I can’t believe how beautiful it is!

    Reply
  15. Cris Walton on

    I have a plan now on how to use wild hops that grow by me to weave into my beautiful floret dahlia and zinnia flowers that I am so excited to grow!!! I always pick fall foliage to bring in that last bit of their dying fragrance before bitter winter hits.

    Reply
  16. Abigail Miller on

    I love to use elderberries. They’re pretty when the berries are green, pretty when they’re purple, and such a great addition for texture.

    Reply
  17. Sara on

    This winter, I made a large arrangement for the holiday table using mainly branches from Norway Spruce, winter berry, English holly Andromeda and dried rose hips – all from my or my momā€™s yard. It lasted for weeks and made me so happy.

    Reply
  18. Melinda Rafferty on

    I love the idea of using non traditional elements in arrangements such as weeds…I would have never considered this until reading this interview. Last spring/summer I bought bouquets at a local farmers market that used different types of basil in them which gave a nice scent to them. Excited to take my zinnia bouquets to a new level this year with my Floret seeds and foraged items from our wooded area!!

    Reply
  19. Nicole on

    I was very proud of myself for incorporating some unknown bush into my homegrown bouquets (after watching Floret bouquet videos!), and I keep going back to it.

    Reply
  20. Ashton Brian on

    My favorite to add is the branch of a Russian Olive Tree, their bark is a deep red, leaves a soft elongated sea foam green, and they have a fantastic fragrance!

    Reply
  21. Annabelle on

    I moved to a new state after leaving my beloved garden I planted from scratch over 12 years replacing the dark rich soil to sandy. Ariellaā€™s comment on getting outside to search for the beauty that exists and to bring it in and to always have the ephemeral magic of flowers made my heart leap. I miss my green flourishing garden with its lush flowers but will start small planting your zinnia seeds here and celebrating each flower that grows in tremendous joy. Ariellaā€™s beautiful book would bring a bloom to my home šŸŒø

    Reply
  22. Brittney Rourke on

    I love the look of corkscrew willow and the challenge of incorporating it in arrangements.

    Reply
  23. Joyce on

    Iā€™ve used leaves from my magnolia tree as the base of a large bouquet. They are also a good base for wreaths. Great interview!

    Reply
  24. Susan Blank on

    The architecture in the seed pods of the Confederate Rose in fall.

    Reply
  25. Laura Randolph on

    I love foraging wild flowers branches and grasses in each season and combining them with my gardenā€™s offerings. Especially fall and winter when there is less variety at home. There are so many interesting textures to bring inside.

    Reply
  26. Lesley Marx on

    I like to frame small bouquets with Hosta leaves. The color of the flowers seem more vivid when surrounded by several large Hosta leaves, whether they are a solid green, a bluish tint or variegated.

    Reply
  27. Sally on

    One of my favorite materials for arrangements are hosta leaves. The great variety of size, color and shape inspire a new way of seeing. One of my favorite times is toward the end of the season as the leaves begin to curl and dry creating the most interesting shapes with complex color patterns.

    Reply
  28. Sue Schauer on

    I like incorporating different types of branches, twisted , red twig moss covered. It adds a sculptural element to a bouquet

    Reply
  29. Kara on

    Grass! And not the pretty kind like Bunny Tails that everyone already uses, but the plain old grass in my yard. When it goes to seed, those V-shaped tops are actually surprisingly usable in dried work.

    Reply
  30. Laura on

    Saw palmetto leaves. There is plenty of it around my home and it looks great.

    Reply
  31. Karen on

    I have used horseradish leaves in my floral designs along with other “weeds” in all manner of the color green with a focus on diverse textures. Ariella’s freeing designs and color choices are what feed my designer soul! Fabulous!

    Reply
  32. Barbara Rouse on

    Living in Montana, I search the roadsides for dried plants in the winter to put in arrangements and wreaths; I like the strength of dried mullein, the lovely pods of ninebark, and the dried burrs that look so interesting in the arrangement.

    Reply
  33. Bella on

    I would say a few of my wilder ones have been big branches of catkins and that artichoke I slipped into that bridal bouquet once…

    Reply
  34. Megan on

    Every summer I grow purple passion vine around my outdoor shower as I love the draping effect of the vine along with all the pollinators that are drawn to the flowers. Almost every bouquet I make will get a clipping from the vine whether itā€™s in flower or not as the leaves and movement of the vine just sing the final note in the making. I even included the vine in my wedding bouquet by taking cuttings and keeping in water to grow on inside as I got married in the beginning of December!
    Lovely interview! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  35. Kelly on

    Manzanita grows like a weed in the part of Central Oregon that I live. Not only does it have a beautiful sculptural structure but also features brick red bark, olive green leaves, and delicate clusters of pink flowers followed by adorable, tiny apple-like fruit. Stunning in large arrangements!

    Reply
  36. Cheryl Mandler on

    I love adding twigs and branches to cut flowers. I especially like curly filbert with tulips right now. Iā€™m moving from a half acre abutting woods in Concord, Mass. to 4500 sq ft. In Denver Colorado. What a change but Iā€™m taking my saved dahlia tubers and the seller has ninebark which i think will lovely lovely.

    Reply
  37. Sandy on

    I love seeing all these wonderful ideas for adding unique bits to floral pieces. I enjoy adding bare delicate branches of deciduous huckleberry to wreaths and bouquets when the tips are rosy pink

    Reply
  38. Amber Sullivan on

    I love seaside goldenrod to use in my arrangements and also for my honeybees! I’ve only heard of Arielle because youā€™ve mentioned her in reels before, and now Iā€™m hooked. She and I have similar philosophies, and I really want her latest book now.

    Reply
  39. Renee on

    I used to live in a part of Oregon where hops were grown here and there… they were so fun and unusual! I loved including them in arrangements whenever I could. : )

    Reply
  40. Colorado Country Girl on

    It was a delight to read this article. Iā€™m a Colorado farmer
    and botanical artist who loves incorporating grasses, tree branches, cones and more into arrangements and paintings. When I did the flowers for my nieces outdoor ranch wedding, I tested all of the flora on our families farms/ranches to see what held up best for at least 3 days. We ordered in some fresh flowers and the rest was hand harvested from Godā€™s natural bounty. My favorite to work with was hairy vetch from my dadā€™s pasture, it is such a gorgeous flowing legume and itā€™s very hardy, it lasted for days after being picked.

    Reply
  41. Ruthi on

    Osoberry! A native early blooming shrub in the Pacific Northwest, it flowers in the woods where itā€™s commonly found. Collecting sprigs to press for biology class wildflower collections was a highlight growing up in a farm in Oregon!

    Reply
  42. Christina Serrano on

    I really love all of Ariellaā€™s books and how she incorporates natural elements. They truly are works of art. Her designs are so elegant and they inspire me to create designs from my garden.

    Reply
  43. Margaret Traudt on

    I love a dried fall bouquet with cattails, milkweed pods, and tall, willowy grasses, with goldenrod for color. Pure Nebraska!

    Reply
  44. Christina Serrano on

    I really love all of Arielleā€™s books and how she incorporates natural elements. They truly are works of art. Her designs are so elegant and they inspire me to create designs from my garden.

    Reply
  45. Erin Riley on

    Loved this interview! Very inspiring. When arranging a Christmas bouquet once, I knew it needed something else, but couldn’t think what until I saw some decorative wire for packages. The wire had brightly-colored tinsel bits poking between its twists. I swooped it over the bouquet in a wide down, and then up, and secured a tiny Santa-in-sleigh at the uphill crest. Done!

    Reply
  46. Ann Marie on

    Great interview-amazing floral designs. I literally use anything and everything from my garden: black berry stems, asparagus, mint and my all time favorite southern magnolia leaves. Iā€™m more the wilding type of arranger. lol. Thank you for the share. -Ann Marie

    Reply
  47. Grace Deguzman on

    Ariella is one of my favorite floral designers. I love her beautiful designs. One unexpected bouquet ingredients that Iā€™ve used in some of my floral designs is carnation or branch stems. I would cut the stems to the size of a clear glass square vase and fill the vase with the stems to be used as a mechanic to hold up flowers. This would be used in place of grid taping the vase or pin frog. It gives a different look and I am arrangement.

    Reply
  48. Cindy Hess on

    After reading this interview with Ariella, I am now inspired to explore my hometown of Waterville Valley, NH. Nestled in the White Mountains, the area has wonderful trails that lead to beautiful woods and fields, I hope to search for natural plants I can use in my home (as long as I don’t clip any poison ivy!!!)

    35 years ago, my husband and I were married in Connecticut. At the time, Martha Stewart was a huge influence for floral designs, weddings, etc. After flipping through her book, I saw a photo with a bouquet using Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) and I wanted it in my wedding bouquet. In the book, it looked so beautiful with its long, white stems. (And of course, everything in her books looked perfect!) The florist advised not to use the flower, as it would “…quickly droop in the bouquet”. I was not convinced. I thought, “If Martha could do it, so could I”, and insisted on having Queen Anne’s Lace in my bouquet.

    Surely enough during the wedding, my beautiful, natural bouquet turned into a sagging bunch of plants. Despite attempts to cradle the limp bouquet in my arms for pictures (even using a tree to support the flowers while taking wedding photos), it was no use…The florist was right!

    It didn’t matter in the end – the wedding was wonderful, and the Queen Anne’s Lace will always be a comical memory of my wedding day!

    Reply
  49. Deanna H on

    Loved the quote about color from Monet. I need to learn how to combine colors to make arrangements

    Reply
  50. Pam S on

    I loved her quote ā€œthe natural world that binds me to all things that I adore and loveā€¦. They are my constant inspiration, my loveā€ How truešŸ’–

    Reply
  51. Kamala on

    When Iā€™m out on my walks, where ever I may beā€”even traveling to other places in state or out of state or overseas I love to look for unique things in nature to collect and bring home. Things like ocean smoothed pebbles and rocks or enormous snail shells from San Diego or driftwood and sea shells and beautiful pieces of bark that have shed from a tree or different pieces of moss from the Carolinas. All these things usually end up in my garden or potted plants or indoor arrangements. They are things that remind me of special experiences that come from nature.

    Reply
  52. Old Lady Gardener on

    What a lovely interview and exciting new book! Splendid photos. Thank you, Erin . I love incorporating roadside weeds, especially grasses, into my wild, unstructured bouquets of flowers and greens from my gardens.

    Reply
  53. Judy Neely on

    We live on five acres and there is always an assortment of ‘weeds/grasses’ and the like to gather to add to bouquets. One of my favorite, though not a weed, is basil. I use the different kinds/regular basil/cinnamon basil/etc., to add that rougher texture, when dry, or a touch of green when in bloom. I have several gardens to choose from/flower/vegetable/fruit orchards/willow stands, so the opportunities are limitless to mix things up and see what works. I love that! This interview has brought a kindred spirit into my life. Thank you.

    Reply
  54. Doris on

    I am inspired to forage for brambles and weeds to add to my bouquets!
    Love love love the photos in the interview! Thank you Erin for this blog post!

    Reply
  55. Kathleen on

    My Mom always gathered flowers (aka flowering weeds) from the woods behind our home when I was growing up to incorporate into her bouquets. I attribute my love of flowers to her. She’d let me do some of the arrangements when she was entertaining and would be sure to tell all the guests I’d made them. So thrilling. I still “speak” to her as I arrange my flowers today, even after she’s passed. She had quite the eye. And I love adding the natural, seasonal elements she taught me to – pretty flowering weeds, greens, pods, pine cones, etc., depending on the bounties of the season. I know she’d have love this book – I will too! Thanks for letting us know about it. :)

    Reply
  56. Jill Alban on

    My favorite wild ingredient, and unexpected because I never plan to stop and cut them, is the roadside Queen Anneā€™s lace that appear in clusters near ditches and field edges. I always have my secateurs with me so I can yell STOP! and jump out to cut some.

    I loved Ariellaā€™s acknowledgement and connection to weeds but also profound connection to nature in general.

    Reply
  57. Martha Duffy on

    I related to when she said she has a near rabid appetite for sumptuous over the top blooms and how she adores the contrast of humble with lusciousness . That really connected with me. I tend to lean toward following designers that have a more wild untamed feel to their arranging. This last year I found my self taking in everything that grows along side of the road, and I have many spots that I can collect wild foliage for much of my style of arrangements. As I’m reading this interview, I’m recalling all of the times I foraged for new and unusual ingredients this last year, great memories. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply
  58. Lisa on

    I love using any type of oak leaves or branches that fall from my 200-year-old in my backyard. I love incorporating the different hues found within the leaves with whatever is blooming at the time. I love the contrast of using material that has been here for decades with the annuals that are in bloom.

    Reply
  59. Roz Theesfeld on

    The part of the interview that truly resonated with me was Ariella’s discussion about her profound connection to the humble elements of natureā€”the quieter flowers and even the overlooked weeds.

    Reply
  60. Nicole Swick on

    Wild berries! The flowers are always so sweet and dainty, but the surprise of shiny, crimson berries is drawn from my childhood memories- something like a signature.

    Reply
  61. Savannah on

    Grass! I love using pretty grass as a filler. Started when I was a broke newlywed and the only flowers my new husband could give me were wildflower (weeds) growing in the park across from our Colorado Springs apartment. Iā€™ve continued using twigs and grass in my arrangements. I absolutely love flowers and while my focus currently is on raising my precious children, Iā€™m also expanding my flower growing every year. Iā€™d love this book to learn more!

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  62. Andreea on

    There are so many favorites to choose from, but they’re all on the property where I grew up ~ my father’s asian pear trees, my mother’s famous crab apple tree…I love to show branches of cascading pears (I get them when they’re still small, about 1 inch or so) in arrangements, and add crab apple to even bouquets….they’re gorgeous in every way. Some surprising additions to vases around the home have actually been random grasses that I find around the property, that most often get to 3 feet tall and are considered “weeds” ~ when tied together, they form some of my most favorite textures. It’s living with nature, not against it. And finding beauty in nature, since nature isn’t wrong….we just have to adjust our perspective. Many thanks for this beautiful blog post, I loved it!

    Reply
  63. Brenda Barnhart on

    Second year leeks are a favorite, the flowers are stunning. I always leave a few in the vegetable garden for use in arranging the following year. Thank you for this opportunity, you are both an inspiration.

    Reply
  64. Monae on

    In our community asparagus grows wild along the roadside and canal banks, and the fern like stems it makes as it goes to seed make perfect airy accents and greenery for bouquets.

    Reply
  65. Antje Howard on

    Reflections and thoughts on Ariella Chezarā€™s musings about flower arrangements:

    I love the comment about space and season being essential to Ariellaā€™s composition of flowers.
    I am also enamored by those 2 elements. Space is such fascinating ā€œthingā€. We often think of deep space and yet it is the space in our presence that I think about. It is not a void, but rather a gentle presence that envelops us, it yields to our movements and fills into the voids we have left behind. It is in constant flux and motion. Space is this constant dance around us, imperceptible and yet if we think about it, it makes us feel less alone but rather constantly caressed by something invisible yet ever-present.
    Season is that dance with time and flower arrangements combine both, the dances with space and time. Flower arragements, the ones that are seasonal and asymmetric, like the beautiful creative ones of Ariel Chezar , imperceptibly anchor those two ephemeral elements.
    We feel more real, and more alive because we feel that we are part of this big marvelous universe.

    Reply
  66. Cindy Aho on

    I have gathered dried flowers in the early fall from nature (by rivers, side of the road, etc) and made a bouquet. Was very inspired to gather from my spring yard…. azaleas, wild jasmine, wild honeysuckle vine…thank you so much for the inspiration. I too am one to always know what nature is doing through out the year.

    Reply
  67. Lilo on

    The blackberries leaves and fruit in my back yard. They are so fresh looking in the spring and wonderfully colorful in the fall. The contrast of black berries and red to orange leaves in an arrangement is stunning.

    I’ve enjoyed reading the interview. You both are lovely and inspirational women!

    Reply
  68. Judith Thompson on

    I love this! Using seasonal elements extends the season and opens our eyes to the beauty all around us. I get more comments on my wild-foraged bouquets than I do on my dahlias. šŸ¤— Wild garlic has a fascinating seed head to add to bouquets.

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  69. Sue Johnson on

    There are endless possibilities with all the beauty in nature. I have always gravitated to the wild ferns growing just outside my doorstep or branches off the fragrant wild rose bushes in my yard. A simple vase of nature adds so much joy to my home! I live in Eastern North Carolina where things grow wild! Ariella has opened my eyes to using even those aggravating brambles that never stop crawling through my garden. To look at them in a different light and see that the most frustrating seasonal weeds can become amazing works of art!

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  70. Bess on

    Peony foliage in early autumn šŸ‚

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  71. alison on

    forsythia is always fun these early spring days! itā€™s a changing element ā€¦ from bright yellow flowers to the beautiful green leaves! if youā€™re lucky the branch may even put out roots and you can stick it in another part of your garden or give it to a friend!!

    Reply
  72. Kathryn on

    I walk the fields around me to find native plants In the fall, dogbane stems with their small pods and fluffy seeds add interest to bouquets.

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  73. Alicia DubƩ on

    My husband (from Brewer, ME) and I were married in 1993 in Maine. His parents planned our wedding as we lived in Minnesota. All the flowers and flower arrangements were a combination of ā€œpurchasedā€ and flowers from the floristā€™s own garden. It was such a delight, during our reception, to discover the blueberries in our beautiful floral arrangements! I did help myself to a few. Some of my favorite things to use in my garden arrangements are lambs ear, leaves of hostas, and cherry tomato clusters (when the tomatoes donā€™t instantly drop off). Thank you for sharing this interview and book.

    Reply
  74. Nathalie on

    Wild clematis is an ingredient that I discovered last summer. I found its natural companionship with trees and shrubs in the wild to be so beautiful and inspiring. I started trying to integrate it in many flower arrangements along with my garden flowers. Still much to explore in order to reveal its charm and rustic grace in all settings. i am so looking forward to continuing my experiments this summer and getting inspired by Ariella’s work.

    Reply
  75. Giselle Young on

    Like Ariella, i live in the Texas sticks. Every bloom roadside captures my eye. Frequently Iā€™ll stop to gather weeds, branches, Texas wildflowers to make a teacup posie to grace a friendā€™s nightstand or repurpose a grand vessel w country roses and cedar branches. Endless possibilities. Endless joy.

    Reply
  76. Stacey McPhee on

    My eyes have been opened a little more to the thought that anything goes with flowers. It will be fun to try this out this year. Thank you Erin and Ariella.šŸ™‚

    Reply
  77. Patti R on

    Goldenrod in its chartreuse stage. Such a delightful filler and foliage in one!

    Reply
  78. Patti on

    I am in awe of so many things. I will be taking a closer look around my environment for things I would typically bypass!!

    Reply
  79. Sharon Phelps on

    I’m retiring next year and flower gardening and arranging is my passion goal. I live on 11 acres. I really had not considered all the wild and cultivated plants and trees as part of my available resources. This interview opened my eyes to the myriad of opportunities in my backyard. This book will be such an inspiration.

    Reply
  80. Cynthia on

    Firstly, thank you for introducing me to Ariella. Reading your interview was a balm for my soul! I garden in Virginia Beach and came to the healthy conclusion long ago to not be afraid of color when I saw my blue hydrangeas blooming next to my orange Nigris daylillies. Fast forward 37 years later and I still love color echos (Pam Harper wrote the book on this subject) I am drawn to combining colors & textures in my arrangements, everything from daffodils and camellias in early spring to holly and evergreen branches in fall/winter. I love embellishing with vines, clematis and the many colorful bird feathers, driftwood and shells my grandchildren find. I retired in January and my coworkers said they were going to miss all the arrangements I shared in the office. The first time I brought a bouquet of Daffodils into work, two of the girls asked me what kind of flowers they were. I was flabbergasted and made it my mission to educate them on the hobby of gardening. So cheers to all of the wonderful people that gift the rest of us with their knowledge and love of our natural environment, including my mother! Just remember ā€œDonā€™t be afraid of color and Stay Calm & Garden On!ā€

    Reply
  81. Brynn on

    Ariella was the first artist to get me into using whatever I could find in the yard! Her use of texture and natural colors that go with the seasons makes every faded leafy stem and curling vine totally unique and impossible not to love on both the large and tiny scale. Iā€™m a maximalist in terms of color and ingredient preference and she never shies away from a full color spectrum, which remains something I always love the most in arrangements I make and admire <3 if there were a semester-long lecture on modern floral design, weā€™d be writing essays on her and citing her in projects!!
    Thanks Floret Team for the amazing interview and thank you Ariella for your treasure chest of a book, I canā€™t wait to keep learning from you!!

    Reply
  82. Heather on

    I love using purple hyacinth bean and palm sedge as big character background players.

    Reply
  83. Cydney Willis on

    My most surprising experience was a couple of Red Osier Dogwood twigs that were in an arrangement that I received for my birthday. After the flowers faded, I added some pine and magnolia leaves to the twigs and when they were done, I noticed that the twigs had rooted! I planted in pots. One of the twigs flourished and I planted in my cutting garden. 3 years later we were able to cut close to 100 branches of this native species to plant on my property in areas where we are removing invasives. All from a twig from a dear friend.

    Reply
  84. Gabriella Fischer on

    Just love the pictures how it shows the important of using flowers. Not as the most important part in a flower arrangement but
    everything together makes a ” whole arrangement”. Everything that is beautiful in the nature !

    Reply
  85. Amber Doig on

    We live on a Hilltop Farm surrounded by woods and planted a small assorted orchard of fruit trees and berry vineyards plus the ever blooming seasons of redbud, peach, apple, pear, or woodland natives. I discovered how much these trees provide striking designs in my flower arrangements. Sometimes the fragrance lingers longer than the flowering branches. The pale soft white blooms from an apple tree bursting with flowers or the fuchsia flowers on the peach trees is always a wonderful delight in my designs.

    Reply
  86. Sara Coppler on

    Truly inspired by how to bring together the wild and cultivated. Thank you for introducing me to Ariella. I am just in the beginning of my journey with flowers, etc. Her book would be a daily reference as I travel on this journeyā€” if won.

    Reply
  87. Andrea on

    I recently discovered flower arranging last Fall when a neighbor asked if I would do flowers for her son’s memorial. I’m not sure what caused me to respond “yes”, but I never looked back. I walked my yard cutting weed seed pods, branches of purple smokebush and Harry Lauder walking stick branches, along with mountain laurel, zinnia, grapevine, dahlias and fern. My world became so much bigger and interesting in that moment.

    Reply
  88. Darla Shumate on

    I needed filler for a bouquet I was making and didn’t have any but scrounging around in the unmowed part of my pasture, I found some wild quinoa that was absolutely beautiful. It went well with the bouquet and lasted a long time! I was super surprised.

    Reply
  89. Becca B on

    My favorite wild ingredient to use it wild clematis! It has the most sweet romantic blooms in June, then in rhe fall there are amazing fluffy seed heads. It really is incredible and last so well.

    Reply
  90. Edy Hendrix on

    While walking around my 14-acre pasture one day looking for weeds and berries, I came across a patch of Euphorbia I had never seen there before. It was gorgeous and I took some for an arrangement but had to walk that way everyday just to see that special beauty in its natural state. It was like they were hand painted. It was an experience for me.

    Reply
  91. Jess on

    This past year trumpet vine, blackberry foliage and roadside asters have been the delightful little stars. Loved this interview.

    Reply
  92. Amanda on

    I really like searching my yard for mossy branches. I also love adding scented geranium cuttings and leaves to my bouquets in the summer and fall. For both their scent and foliage. Plus they keep well in arrangements.

    Reply
  93. Soma Dragland on

    A few of my wild favourites are, Clematis drummondii seed heads and wild pink and purple honeysuckle. Also love collecting wild flowering mint. Thank you for sharing this inspiring interview šŸ™šŸŒ¾

    Reply
  94. Kathleen on

    I have more recently added herbs (dill, thyme, basil) to bouquets. I love the way she uses color. Looks like a beautiful book!

    Reply
  95. Laura McCann on

    My sister has a pond in Chadds Ford, PA. Her water lillies bloom and eventually form brown pods of various sizes and shapes. She sent me a box of them one fall and it was the best gift I have ever received. I have enjoyed adding them to arrangements, table scapes or just observing this wonder of nature.

    Reply
  96. Irene on

    Two of my favorite bouquet ingredients are bunny tails and amaranth “red spike”

    Reply
  97. AndrƩa on

    The flowering branches got my attention! Beautiful!

    Reply
  98. Kim Erickson on

    This will be my first year growing flowers. I haven’t ever created my own flower arrangement but this article has helped me to see that when I begin, I can looks for the unconventional. I live near a wetland so I’m looking forward to see what I find there.

    Reply
  99. Rachel Kovacs on

    Iā€™m in Colorado and I love to include Aspen leaves in bouquets- green in the summer and a few weeks of gold in the fall . Perfect contrast to the colors of my dahlias and roses

    Reply
  100. Nanci Samek on

    I was having a summer party at my house and to make my table flower arrangements I gathered flowers and greens that grew along the sides of the roads. Unbeknownst to me, one of the flowers was Ragweed! Not such a good choice!! Itā€™s now years later and we still laugh about it! Iā€™m glad to know Iā€™m not the only one who checks out the sides of the roads! Home in Bloom looks like a beautiful book. Iā€™d love to add it to my collection.

    Reply
  101. Gloria W on

    Bupleurum in its different stages, from yellow to pink as it ages, as a filler

    Reply
  102. Lisa on

    Thank you for introducing her work to us. Beautiful! I love to use herbs and the flowering parts of ornamental grasses in bouquets.

    Reply
  103. Susan on

    When I clipped peach tree branches that were in full bloom, and they lasted such an incredibly long time and created this stunning soft yet architectural arrangement. Peaches as a fruit donā€™t mature well here so I actually grew the tree only for the flowers. They are my favorite spring arrangement every year.

    Reply
  104. Tiffany Ririe on

    One of my favorite unexpected bouquet ingredients is parsley flowers. I love letting some of my parsley from my garden go to seed and flower. They are airy and beautiful and because they are green they are the perfect complement to any bouquet. It might have been a little neglect of my herbs that led me to discover this but now it is very intentional every year.

    Reply
  105. Karen on

    What a beautiful book! My wedding bouquet was chive blooms from my momā€™s garden and arranged by my mother-in-law. I love to use sword ferns and salal from the wild part of my backyard, but am also careful to let some chives go to flower each spring in time for my wedding anniversary.

    Reply
  106. Leticia Fleischer on

    Kangaroo Paw in yellow. My plant outside was growing over 4ā€™ so I started using it in arrangements for the color and texture.

    Reply
  107. Jemi Adcock on

    Very interesting and earthy, her work with nature and flowers is awe inspiring. I love to clip laurapetalum (not sure of the spelling), with it’s deep purple foliage and bright fushia blossoms. Makes a great base to work from. It is brilliant this time of year. Would love to have one of her books!

    Reply
  108. Brenda on

    Poppy pods-i love the shape of the empty pods

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  109. Suzanne on

    Ohhh I must have a copy of this beautiful book!!! Thanks for bringing it to our attention :)
    I Loved This comment ā€œ To see what they love, what theyā€™ve surrounded themselves with.ā€ Such a poignant reminder to be true to our Self and what we have around us. Unique items Iā€™ve used are Basil sprigs, trimmed twigs from peach tree and kale leaves in my humble bouquets.

    Reply
  110. Elizabeth Betlejewski on

    I enjoy how Ariella refers to painting and art as a backdrop to the floral colors and pallets she creates. Iā€™ve always felt that art, gardening, and floral artistry go hand in hand. Thank you for the interview!

    Reply
  111. Anne on

    The wildest, definitely never expected ingredient I have found is Tumble weed! Yes! It used to fill an acre of my property when I first moved here before spreading lots of mulch from my tree prunings. Iā€™m sure there are seeds down in my soil but I do no tilling so theyā€™ll likely to stay there until I move on. Tumble weed is pale, stiff & prickly & irregularly round. Yet Iā€™ve known of it being shipped across the country. I have seen it used as armature but also as a lit specimen suspended in the air. Surprisingly spectacular.

    Reply
  112. Rhonda Kobylski on

    I loved the interview, especially seeing the ā€œnot so perfect arrangements!ā€ They were naturally beautiful. In my not so perfect arrangements for my kitchen counter I like to use Nandina greenery with blue hydrangeas. The greenery seems to freshly float in the air for a long time.

    Reply
  113. Cynthia on

    A wonderful interview! Thank you. I am inspired to embrace more of the beauty around oyr home through all seasons. To be more creative. !

    Reply
  114. Heidi Tate on

    I love using Poke weed berries, they look like small bunches of the darkest purple grapes, they drape and flounce beautifully in an arrangement!!!

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  115. Faith on

    Thank you for sharing this interview. It was definitely inspiring and reinforced my desire to create bouquets with the wilder, simpler ingredients from around me.
    One of my favorite ingredients has been Oregon Thistles. I just love them!

    Reply
  116. Brianna Carlson on

    I love the use of fruit in arrangements-pomegranate, pears-rich tones that complement more neutral palette of florals. The precise form and order of a tidy dahlia variety paired with fall ornamental grasses!

    Reply
  117. Zola Piccalilli on

    ivy, goldenrod, mountain mint, hesperis, baptisia, amsonia

    Reply
  118. Lori on

    Thank you for introducing me to Ariella today! I really resonated with how she says she “notices what’s growing along the side of the highway, along the railroad tracks, always taking in what’s happening on the side of the road”. That is me! I am always pointing that stuff out to others or if able, getting out and cutting it. My husband is always amazed at what I can see or find, things that no one else seems to notice. This book looks like a gem to not only look at, but to read and also give as a gift.

    Reply
  119. Tori on

    Blue grama grass in the wintertime! In the summer it is this golden green, but the cold saps it color into an ethereal gray-buff hue on such an interesting shape and texture for bouquets and wreaths.

    Reply
  120. Meg Smeaton on

    Pussy willows ! I have always loved them and so excited to see them in the floral department, harbingers of Spring! I bought a bunch a few years ago and put them in water rather than using them as dried flowers. They grew roots! I planted one and could not believe the huge bush it turned into. They are so beautiful to watch as they go thru their growing cycle . I now cut them to put into my flower arrangements . Such a nice compliment with the flowers and just as alive too!

    Reply
  121. Tawni on

    What a lovely interview and thank you for introducing Arielle. The book looks incredible and a beautiful testament to her work. Although hardly a surprising bouquet ingredient, I do very much enjoy adding my hops to bouquets when they are in season. I also enjoy berriesā€¦šŸŒøšŸ’–

    Reply
  122. Crystal Little on

    I like to use Honeysuckle vine in with my arrangements and flowering Dogwoods as well. I have 11 acres with alot of woods so I enjoy walking through those and gathering whatever I think would look pretty to go along with my Zinnias, Sunflowers and Dahlias that I have planted.

    Reply
  123. Acacia M. on

    I love the idea of incorporating fruit branches with fruit of them and vegetables into bouquets and floral arrangements. Also incorporating weeds and using both dried and live flower and foliage and even juat dried stuff tk make bouquets.
    These photos and interview are very inspiring. I love how she likes to have things not look so perfect. This is awesome and so me. In a world full of so ma y fake filters and people pretending to be perfect we need more rare and real things. We need more natural nature. This gives me so much peace and reminds me of God’s true creations and the beauty. This book looks amazing I am excited about it.

    Reply
  124. Tracy on

    I love to anchor arrangements with branches covered with lichen or moss.

    Reply
  125. Kathy on

    I live in Northern California and especially love the wildflowers that are available in late winter about the same time my anemones are blooming. I have used bear grass, houndstongue, forget me nots, California Bay Laurel, and Licorice Fern. I also love using fallen branches with fungi on them.

    Reply
  126. Heidi W on

    I love the idea of pairing a bold flower with a cluster of what we would call weeds. I often see a weed and think, ā€œThatā€™s really quite pretty,ā€ but then donā€™t do anything with itā€¦or I pull it and put it in the yard waste bin. Weeds are lots of places and if we embrace them, we may have the joy of creating such unique arrangements. Such a fun new way to look at it all.

    Reply
  127. Mimi on

    When I lived inland from Big Sur where mugwort grew wild, I would add this to locally cultivated flower arrangements.

    Reply
  128. GeneviĆØve Price on

    My mom used to make little fresh lavender bouquets from her small Southern France garden, and put one in my room when I used to visit in the summer- often with a homegrown rose in the middle. I will be growing lavender in my Colorado garden this year, and I hope to be making lavender bouquets too.

    Reply
  129. Amy on

    Love it! Definitely on my book list. Sometimes I like to use blackberry vines. They grow wild and invasive here in Oregon but I love having the berries right in my backyard (store bought could never compare) and they make a nice addition for arrangements if you avoid the thorns!

    Reply
  130. Lucy on

    Until today I had never heard of Ariella but Oh my goodness Iā€™d love to discover more. I was transported back to my childhood, wonderful memories of growing up in rural Norfolk, England. It was bliss, weā€™d pick whatever we could find in the garden, surrounding fields, down the country lanes and collect whatever we thought looked pretty to bring back into the house. We alway found something whatever the season. One of my most favourite things to pick was Cow parsley so delicate and it grew in abundance. I also loved picking the wheat & wild poppies, copper beach, rosehip & holly, Elder flowers & berries – just a few that spring to mind. Iā€™ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

    Reply
  131. Kay Stoecklin on

    Bittersweet, I’ve planted a drying barn and it’s now covered. Prairie grasses, we’ve planted 60+ acres here to forage. Blueberries, we have an orchard full. Roadside forbes and grasses. I’ve been designing since 1975. Grandma hooked me with peonies and magnolia.

    Reply
  132. Erma on

    I donā€™t have a larger planting area anymore but have found the roadsides have a wealth of material to elevate what I can grow.

    Reply
  133. Gwen Froh on

    Ariellaā€™s book would actually be gifted to my close friend Wendy, who is doing all the flowers for my sonā€™s wedding. This summer. Wendy shares a kinship with Ariella, harvesting her own garden and yard to make her bouquets exotic. Sheā€™ll incorporate lemons and oranges into arrangements, and anything that pops up seasonally here in Norther California. Recently, I went on a hike with Wendy and a Madrone tree had fallen down in a storm. The beautiful branches of the Madrone have a golden red color. Of course, Wendy wanted to scoop up several armfuls to add to her home bouquets! Wendy and I go back 25 yeara when we first co-chaired the Winter Faire fundraiser for our kidsā€™ school. Of course, Wendy led the transformation of the gym with garlands that included magnolias, plants with berries, and more local treats.

    I purchased Florets seeds that I will sow and that Wendy will harvest and use in my sonā€™s wedding. I would love to honor her by giving her one of your books! Ariellaā€™s book will provide immense inspiration that Wendy will cherish.

    Reply
  134. Maria Cecilia Mauriel on

    Ariella Chezar’s connection with nature and ability to bring out the beauty in wild and unexpected elements truly touched me. This interview inspired me to embrace the beauty of the ‘rough and tumble’ in floral arrangements, incorporating non-conventional elements from nature into my living spaces.

    Reply
  135. Sherrie Smith on

    Iā€™ve love using perennial sweet peas my grandmother planted that are deep pink combined with wild blue chickory. The contrast of colors and shapes is beautiful.

    Reply
  136. Jennifer Kuhn on

    It was nice to be reminded of when putting together a bouquet, to keep in mind the different textures, colors and scents of the flower bouquet itself , as well as, the location the bouquet will be placed to enjoy.

    Reply
  137. Robin Love at Greener Pastures on

    I love to add dill the bigger the head the better to my arrangement s in late summer I found yellow dill this past season and the combination with dark green nestled in my zinnias with a few sprigs of purple blue Sylvia made for many ahhhs from the recipient!

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  138. Darla on

    I like to use random herbs mixed in with flowers. I realize that might not be too wild or exotic, but it is nice to see/smell textures & scents blending together. A variety of mints are quite pleasant.

    Reply
  139. Heidi on

    Ariella has been an inspiration to me since I began my business in the wedding industry in the early 2000’s. Her stunning arrangements sent me over the moon when I first saw them. I’ve since closed my custom invitation business to be a mother full time, but I was so excited to see this interview on your blog as I remembered Ariella and being just smitten with her work and style! I now have a flower garden of my own and continue to be inspired by the natural “just picked” style that Ariella is famous for. This interview definitely inspired me to look more at everything growing around me, and not just flowers and the “normal” greenery! Thank you so much for having her on the blog! It brought back many happy memories from my wedding industry days and inspired me for the hobby I have today!

    Reply
  140. Jodie Brierley on

    I’ve been known to bring home a broken craggely & twisted tree branch from a walk that had such visual interest to use both in floral arrangements and in my garden. When they come with moss on the branches I really get excited. I have different branches I use in different seasons.

    Reply
  141. Heather Herbay on

    Although not completely wild, I have this fuzzy leaf apple mint in my garden and I love to use it with cut flowers from my garden in the summer time.

    Reply
  142. Courtney Carlson on

    One of my favorite unexpected Bouquet ingredients is broccoli flowers, they are pretty yellow little dainty things and they look beautiful with zinnias. Ariella in general inspires me, something about listening to her speak brings me to all the joys of nature and she inspires me or forage for new discoveries even on just a simple walk. I feel like I hear her voice just reading this interview! I enjoy bringing my little multi tool in my pocket on walks just incase I see something tough to cut that inspires me. Thank you for this interview it bought me great joy today, I was feeling a bit down and uninspired and this really lifted my spirits as spring is approaching knowing things will all bloom again soon. As will I just need to be patient. :) thank you for this light today.

    Reply
  143. Mia C. on

    Iā€™m inspired to appreciate the small things that people, that I, might take for granted. I love the way Ariella contrasts the big beauty with the small, natural wildness. The way she features ingredients that might normally be overlooked. Itā€™s an inspiring lesson for floral design and for life. Thanks for this interview!

    Reply
  144. Stephanie P on

    My favorite ā€œwildā€ ingredient is persicaria maculosa (redshank). Itā€™s invasive but it hardly gets invasive in my garden because I cut it for airy texture in bouquets in summer! I even put it in a friendā€™s bridal bouquet!

    Reply
  145. Paula Elliott on

    My best surprise addition to an orchid arrangement was to add some tall green leafy wires with fabric butterflies at the top. It added an element of whimsy!

    Reply
  146. Jolie Ann Donohue on

    I love the part of the article about color, especially this quote ā€œColor is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment,ā€ said Claude Monet, and I feel just the same.

    And I really appreciate the perspective about always seeing whatā€™s happening on the side of the road and how that influences floral design, grounded in place and season. I also love harvesting the wild plants and weeds for my arrangements.

    Reply
  147. Renee Marquardt on

    Blackberries ripening on a vine are the favorite unexpected summer add as they bring a sense of time and history to an arrangement. In autumn to winter, dried scabiosa and maidenhair grass plumes always find their way into my work as I love how they float with airiness over the deep autumn tones and denser blooms, layering elements that tell that seasonal story of that moment.

    Reply
  148. Joanne Crawford on

    I love the look of interesting bare branches added to an arrangement. Their simplicity is a nice counter balance to flowers and foliage.

    Reply
  149. Hattie Bourne on

    I feel the same way as the author about nature, am absolutely drawn to it! I loved her beautiful words describing her inner creativity, canā€™t wait to read the book!

    Reply
  150. Catherine Craley on

    Thanks for this inspiring interview! I love using cherry tomatoes in my arrangements, green or ripe in all the shapes and colors!

    Reply
  151. Jinah on

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful book. Itā€™s so amazingly artistic and things I dream in my heart of makingā€¦ itā€™s so nice to see it in alive in a book. I love walking around my garden in the morning gathering beautiful ā€œperfectā€ flowers to make an arrangement. I also find myself walking around for fillers which are usually the ā€œimperfectā€ things that nature provides that are seasonal and never used much in arrangements. I love using branches from my pink willow tree, pink helicopter seeds newly emerging from my Maple tree, Queen Anneā€™s lace from the field next to my garden, chive flower heads, the droopy long arms of bleeding hearts, and miniature tomato vines. These little ā€œimperfectā€ extras are what make my bouquets beautiful and come alive.

    Reply
  152. Amy Abelove on

    What inspired me about the interview is the general concept of “place”. I do a lot seasonally but the idea of playing with location and place is a new-ish, exciting one!

    Reply
  153. Cindy Harden on

    Unusual floral arrangement ideas are the mosses and fungi. Love the textures and color.

    Reply
  154. Michelle Trelstad on

    Ariellaā€™s comments about color were especially inspiring for me, especially, ā€œ the main mistake people make is putting too many different colors with too many different values together, and this always ends up looking like an argument, not a beautiful melody.ā€ Guilty as charged! I am new to flower farming and floral design so this is something that I have definitely done many times without understanding why it just ā€˜didnā€™t quite workā€™. I will make sure to follow her advice to layer when using colors. Great article, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  155. Karen on

    I love to add berries, especially the Himalayan blackberries that are the bane of farmers and ranchers where I used to live! They seemed to go with all colors & all types of flowers, but I especially liked them with roses and clematis. You can use them from flower to all colors of berries as they ripen. I loved your interview and immediately signed up for her newsletter. So much beauty on Ariellaā€™s website!

    Reply
  156. Donna on

    What inspired me was to look more in ditches for material to be used in bouquets. I want to try arranging bouquets using urns, chicken wire, weeds and blooming branches from trees. Love creating something to share with others,

    Reply
  157. Betty Szudy on

    I am inspired and amazed by the combination of materials and colors Ariella uses in her arrangements and installation pieces. Her sense of design and place and support of this approach is a good reminder of what can make an arrangement look beautiful and unique to itā€™s space. Some of my favorite materials to use in arrangements are horsetail, grevillea branches, and hardenbergia.

    Reply
  158. Diane on

    I am new to this field of flower arranging, but I like when she said the design is good when things are little off. I am very intrigued of combing beautiful flowers and brambles. Thank you for wonderful interviews and giveaways!

    Reply
  159. Jackie on

    Always inspiring to see how others use the beauty around us to make our homes more beautiful and peaceful.

    Reply
  160. Kimberly Kuppens on

    I love inspirational, creative people and would love to have her book. I have enjoyed reading the Floret story and watch your YouTube videos when I can. The most unusual thing added to an arrangement Iā€™ve made is a dragonfly that was passed and caught in my vehicles grill. Just glued to a pick and walla it flies free again!

    Reply
  161. RHealey on

    I love the freedom to use what is beautifulā€”whatever is beautifulā€”and not just perfectly coifed specimens. She is a master!

    Reply
  162. Sharon Rollinger on

    The photos that you showed tell me to be bold and try and step away from the ā€˜normalā€™ bouquet and I appreciate this! I live on a Concord grape farm so I use the vines or just the leaves in different stages throughout the seasons in my bouquets. Your bouquets are inspirational.

    Reply
  163. Sabrena Orr on

    Stunning and creative arrangements — Ariella’s eye for design is amazing! I love to use natural flora and fauna in my arrangements. I’ll use any branch, twig, hay stalk, and vine that is easily within my reach on our property (and maybe the field across the street!). I love to incorporate vines – blackberry, clematis, ivy – into my arrangements for a unique look with lots of layers and textures.

    Reply
  164. Pam Beavers on

    I loved where she said “Always notice what’s growing along side the road.”It reminds me of the feeling I get seeing wild chicory growing along the country roads, on a sunny summer evening. The blue color of those flowers growing with Queen Anne’s lace and other wildflowers is so simple but so beautiful, and stoked my interest in gardening and decorating . Great interview!

    Reply
  165. Emmie Seaman on

    I had a hosta blossom stem go to seed. I’ve saved the seeds to sow and see what comes up and used the dried stem in a small boquet of dried grasses and pods.

    Reply
  166. Suzanne Becker on

    What an inspiring interview, thank you for that connection!
    I am obsessed with birch bark and have searched forests for fallen birch branches. I have used the outside and inside of the bark in my floral arrangements year round!

    Although my granddaughter when making a bouquet last summer placed a number of shells in the bottom of the jar which was so sweet!! It is a favourite as well! Thanks you

    Reply
  167. Jenny Nicks on

    I have a rose that my grandmother saved from a ghost town in northern Door County, Wisconsin. Iā€™ve never seen another rose like it. Itā€™s got semi double white blooms no bigger than a quarter and they grow in multitudes along log arching canes. The plant can reach 5 feet high and itā€™s impossible to kill. The leaves are dark green and no bigger than my pinkie fingernail, so the whole effect is very delicate. The part that keeps them from being too sweet though is the hundreds of small auburn thorns that blanket the stems. I donā€™t let that hold me back one bit. Theyā€™re fascinating to look at and not everything beautiful has to be easy to work with.

    Reply
  168. Peggy on

    I like the look of using seed pods especially poppy pods and clematis seed heads in arrangements. From my neighbor I learned to use cedar branches in any arrangement. They always look good and add a great scent, too.

    Reply
  169. Mia on

    I have become recently obsessed with Silene flower. It grows wild down by the creek here in Colorado. It has the most enchanting shape and unexpected tonality with hints of silver and rosy-brown. If you are working with an otherwise all white pallet it adds the perfect touch of interest. As a former Interior Designer turned Florist I can’t wait to get my hands on this book!

    Reply
  170. Sara Miller on

    I have no woods to gather from and hubby loves to keep things mowed down on our property. I find myself in the herb beds, looking for contrasting shades and scents. I love the fluff of spent clematis blooms and will add those for texture. Interesting leaves from hostas or shrubs, or the houseplant in the corner, work their way into my designs. And if there’s an interesting berry on a stem, in it goes!

    Reply
  171. Lisa Rauh on

    The pictures in the blog post are stunning, they seem to tell a deeper story they are extraordinary, not ordinary, and they draw you in they seem to be a story that you wouldnā€™t want to have an ending to. Sometimes you have no idea what youā€™re looking for you just know thereā€™s a an idea in your head so thank you to the Florette team for another piece to the puzzle!

    Reply
  172. Carra S. Cripe on

    I like using grasses for their movement, soft, spiky, and even the cordyline strappy colorful, and drapey!

    Reply
  173. Estelle Marcoux on

    I love to add some wild sea parsley in the spring bouquet! it smells good!

    Reply
  174. Shirley Wild on

    When I first moved into my house a couple of years ago, a good friend of mine (who lives in Hong Kong!) sent me bouquet. The pink arrangement came with a couple of feathers as fillers, which made it perfectly whimsical!

    Reply
  175. Liz on

    I think I find some of my most valued treasures in my own yard. I love the airiness of the MOA (whisk fern) plant and how it pops up in the most unexpected places in my yard and in other yards when I walk my dogs early in the morning. It is indigenous to the Hawaiian islands and other tropical areas. I think itā€™s beautiful with roses and irises from my yard or on its own too.

    Reply
  176. Heather on

    Some of my favorite bouquets are the ones my daughter creates in the middle of winter for my birthday. Seed pods, red leaves and green sarcocca, grasses, and if we’re lucky, a few branches of scented Osmanthus or daphne.

    Reply
  177. Jamie Sammons on

    One of the most “wild” and unique bouquet ingredients I have ever used would be a hummingbird. Yup a REAL hummingbird.
    When I was in college taking Floral Design, one of my projects was to create a centerpiece for one of the clubs. I was assigned the wildlife club. I used turkey feathers, guniea hen feathers, deer antlers, moss, fern and anything else I could find that was “wild” looking.
    I walked into the floral cooler at the college and to my surprise, I found a perfectly preserved hummingbird. I had no idea how it got into the college and into the cooler of the floral classroom but it was a perfect addition to my “wildlife club centerpiece”
    I glued it so it perched right on top of a deer antler. It was one of my first creations in school and I often pull up photos to admire it, over a decade later.

    Reply
  178. Jan Reitsema on

    For a recent flower arranging workshop, my daughter and I hiked the trails around our home and collected the flowers of yucca and large thistles. We even asked neighbors if they would mind if we cut stems from their meandering money plant. These unusual additions made each arrangement wildly asymmetrical and unique.

    Reply
  179. Hannah Wead on

    I love the look of crab apple branches in fall arrangements!

    Reply
  180. Lara Welker on

    Berries are one of my favorite wild bouquet ingredients… blackberries, rosehips, crabapples. And Queen Anne’s Lace. Alder tassels are lovely too!!

    Reply
  181. Chris P on

    Using the leaves or dried seed pods from a blue Baptista plant can be very satisfying to mix into an arrangement. I take pleasure in finding filler material from around my yard.

    Reply
  182. Mary Berg Lass on

    Arielleā€™s book looks gorgeous & I love how she uses nature to inspire her. I am always looking in the ditch for interesting plants & fillers. A couple of years ago I provided centerpiece bouquets for a wedding that was in an old barn – I used a lot of wildflowers & ā€œweedsā€ along with my flowers and they turned out so pretty. The bride loved it! I was amazed how well the natives lasted in the bouquets!

    Reply
  183. Brenda Miller on

    I like the sculptural form of Rattlesnake Master. I’ve only had the opportunity to use it once, but it was unforgetable. Also, corn leaves picked off the green stalk in midsummer – the large size makes them a bit challenging and only for larger arrangements, but they’re a great unexpected element. I even had green corn leaves as streamers in my cascading wedding bouquet (picked from my family’s fields)!

    Reply
  184. Sarah Pring on

    I love her images. Especially where she combines abundance with decay. I love mixing in branches with tangled wild vines. Branches covered with lichen. Hold on I need to run outside in the rain with my clippersā€¦so inspiredā€¦need to forage and gather!

    Reply
  185. Ellen Lyman on

    What a special interview and a beautiful book! I love your use of “weeds”…they are such an under appreciated resource of loveliness that is available to all of us!!! Congrats and continued success to all of you!

    Reply
  186. Beatrice Pereira on

    I always love learning about people who take something so beautiful as flowers, trees and greenery and create art and beauty. I love seeing what they do with things out in nature and bring it to floral arrangements or a home landscape. That way it never gets boring. Thank you for introducing someone new to my eyes!

    Reply
  187. Jess Rosenberry on

    My favorite unexpected bouquets are the ones that I make from the flowers that my children pick for me. They usually always have dandelions in them and some other weeds but to my kids they are pretty flowers so to me they are beautiful!

    Reply
  188. Patricia Verdoorn on

    Thank you for this lovely and thoughtful interview. I love using ninebark branches – always interesting and delightful throughout the seasons.

    Reply
  189. Angela Paolantonio on

    Here in wild eastern Campania, Italy, fields of wheat sprout in early June and their dried tufted heads on long stems make it into many of my foraged bouquets, I also love finding wild black & chartreuse lady slippers like tiny orchids growing along roadsides or tucked under olive trees, tall, spiky lavender thistles, and wild garlic flowers ā€”

    Reply
  190. Debbie Fuller on

    I would never have thought to use a limb with apples in a bouquet! Thatā€™s the most beautiful floral bouquet I have ever seen! It changes how I look at and find value in all the plants in my garden.

    Reply
  191. Wendy on

    Oh my this book is a feast for the Soul! I am new to the idea of arranging with the seasonal abundance that surrounds our environments. This past holiday I used blue princess holly and bare branches from my humble garden landscape with store brought flowers. The arrangements felt so richly organic and elevated unexpected spaces in my home. The ā€˜bouquetsā€™ filled my heart in the early mornings when I moved through my home when things were still and sleepy. There is such blissful joy in surrounding ourselves with the glorious beauty of nature.
    Thank you for the opportunity to receive a copy!

    Reply
  192. janet hall on

    I love to add vines to my bouquets, especially honey suckle. It adds a wild look to the arrangement

    Reply
  193. Michele on

    What an absolutely beautiful book! So inspiring. Thank you carrying Arielleā€™s generosity by being so generous with all of us. Itā€™s almost Spring!

    Reply
  194. Sophia Kim on

    Her answers are just as natural and ethereal as her design. Her love of flowers and design shine through on the page. How inspiring.

    Reply
  195. Mac on

    Wow! The pictures are gorgeous. I love the elegant flowers interspersed with a common weed or bramble! It makes one approach, flower arranging in a whole different manner, and reconsider what is available in your backyard.

    Reply
  196. Rhonda on

    …how beautiful. I love using mint….especially as it has flowered.

    Reply
  197. Anita Vanberkom on

    I donā€™t have a favorite wild thing, but I like to make bouquets from the plants on the side of the road when Iā€™m supposed to be walking. They usually consist of various ferns or sticks (flowering or not), and anything else I find that is pretty or interesting.

    Reply
  198. Dorinda Olstad on

    Last year I grew Glass Gem corn and every cob I uncovered was like a treasure, glowing with beautiful rich colors from every kernel. I was able to use whole colorful cobs, they were about 4 inches long, in Autumn arrangements with a small amount of the stalk attached (to make it easier to use in a vase) surrounded by late season zinnias, dahlias, Amaranthus, celosia and a variety of wild grasses and branches. Oh I loved the look so much!

    Reply
  199. Susan Friedman on

    Her quote:
    ā€œ Anyone can put two dozen garden roses together and make a statement that way, and there is NOTHING wrong with that, but Iā€™ve always found it more interesting when those two dozen garden roses are tangled with a clematis vine or interspersed with a less-than-perfect cluster of weeds. Itā€™s not unlike a room.

    The ones that pull me in are the ones that contrast incredible pieces with quieter, simpler ones. I like when things are just a little offā€”and not quite so perfect. It allows for much more space to dream.ā€

    This stands out. No two flowers are the same, one may bend over a little far, the color may not be the shade you expected or two types ā€” weā€™re told donā€™t go together ā€” but they do. Not being perfect or whatā€™s expected, makes them all so breathtaking šŸŒø

    Reply
  200. Shelley on

    I’m inspired by the fact that everything doesn’t have to be a cut flower. Using a weed, in a bouquet!! It inspires me and I just know I’m going to be looking at weeds in a different way this season!

    Reply
  201. Kristin Gillan on

    Variegated sage and rosemary add a wonderful fragrance and texture to whatever is in bloom.

    Reply
  202. Jessica on

    Mahonia aquifolium is my favorite unusual flower for early spring floral arrangements, as long as you have enough of it to cut and still leave a lot for pollinators!

    Reply
  203. Shaun on

    I love using Goats Beard in all it’s many stages – the bright green-leafed branches, the fuzzy white blooms, and definitely the drapey green “flowers” leftover after the fuzzy white blossoms blow away. Such a fun and versatile plant!

    Reply
  204. Heather S. on

    I have been captivated by pitcher plants. They are so cool looking and come in such a wide array of patterns.

    Reply
  205. Sadie Stoltman on

    I like to use the fiery spheres of red hot poker to give drama.

    Reply
  206. Linda Hagler on

    I love the way she loves orange and apricot, my favorite colors that you don’t see that often.

    Reply
  207. Logan S. on

    I love using the Martagon Lily.

    Reply
  208. Carol Sammons on

    I love the beautiful arrangement in the abandoned NY mansion. Also, that she uses weeds in her arrangements of flowers since I have an abundance of weeds on my property.

    Reply
  209. Hema on

    I would love to view each and every dramatic floral arrangement in this book.

    Thank you!
    Hema

    Reply
  210. Joann on

    Loved reading the interview and what stuck with me was how she always pays attention to whatā€™s happening at the side of the road no matter where she is! I connected with that as Iā€™m always looking at what is happening in my neighborhood and paths as I walk our dog each day. Iā€™ve been known to carry fallen moss covered branches for several miles home just because I knew the perfect container for them and the flowers from my garden to addā€¦

    Reply
  211. Andrea on

    I love using dried and fresh ā€œweedsā€ as well in my arrangements. Bitter sweet and many different dried seed pods make interesting accents as well as fresh ferns, ect from the woods.

    Reply
  212. Ann Munson on

    There is a wild clematis that seems to be invasive in the Northwest, I wonder if it was the root stock of better behaved clematis. Anyway, it is prolific and produces fuzzy yellow green “flowers” that are airy and swirly is shape. When it blooms I quit whining about how pushy it is for space.

    Reply
  213. Amy K. on

    I am a retired teacher who volunteered at a local flower shop, that is where I found out about Ariella Chezar! I have followed her ever since! She is an incredible talented woman! Amy

    Reply
  214. Nuala on

    Would love to have this book for creative purposes. The images look like you could walk into a room and be so comfortable and content.

    Reply
  215. Candace Northrop on

    Ariella and Erin, you both inspire me to think outside the floral ā€œbox!ā€ I love your creativity, your enjoyment of all things floral, as well as your use of vases and branches.

    Reply
  216. Sandra on

    My friend was leaving the country and we decided to make a banner for a little going away party we had planned by the beach. My husband had just trimmed the giant weeping Willow so we had lots of flexible leafy sticks to make the letters of her name and also ā€œfarewellā€- each letter on a piece of paper. We strung it from the branches of that giant willow and it made for a meaningful expression through natural decor.

    Reply
  217. Lorraine on

    So many things to choose from in the woods. I like to add branches and if they have moss or lichens that is the best. Would love a copy of the book to add to my library and for inspiration.

    Reply
  218. Tara Amanna on

    I am learning to incorporate more unique flowers to my arrangements. But in the article, incorporating clematis into my arrangements is something I have never thought of but would love to try.

    Reply
  219. Sarah on

    I have a “field” of native currents in my neighborhood, I love bringing long branches into the house in early spring as a reminder that garden season is just around the corner.

    Reply
  220. Lisa on

    A beautiful flowering broccoli plant, over 2′ tall, made a quirky and beautiful display on a table in my living room.

    Reply
  221. Beth on

    I love using wild grasses.

    Reply
  222. Norene Giesbrecht on

    Her displays have inspired me to look more closely around our property. I like the wispy look of grasses and also the look of gnarled pieces of wood or driftwood or a mis-shaped limbs. We pick wild babies breath on the side of the highway for filler.

    Reply
  223. Jackie on

    Fir branches and pine ones find their way into my winter bouquets, hosta leaves in the summer make awesome fillers and crabapple branches with crabapples in the fall. Daffodils of every kind, small Tete a Tete to huge King Alfred mixed with my hardier whites all bunched up with nothing else are my preferred spring bouquets, ok maybe a forsythia branch or 3. I would love a copy of her book.

    Reply
  224. Bevin Keely on

    We just cut down a couple of alders in our yard, and I have a big bucket of twigs covered in gorgeous catkins just hanging out waiting to be plugged in to whatever arrangements I might make. Inspired by that choice, I incorporated some hebe cuttings this week, and this winter I brought in some cedar fronds that lasted a really long time- basically until I decided to swap them out. I love the idea of turning weeds into arrangements– have definitely used blackberry vines (with a little fruit on them!) to be dramatic. I now feel encouraged to do this even more!

    Reply
  225. dana waite on

    ” playing with improbable combinations” is that not the very nature of our exciting existence. I am reminded and have a renewed love and curiosity.

    Reply
  226. Kim kada on

    I love to forage in the ditches around my homeā€¦silvery willows, bright red dogwood, and the early blooms of a double flowering plumā€¦in the fall, cattails and seed pods

    Reply
  227. KJ on

    The inclusion of a citrus tree smallish blossom, such as lemon, lime, orange, kumquat, or other, adds a special sparkle of scent to my bouquets, especially when I get lucky enough to include a tiny baby fruit from an adjoining leafy branch.

    Reply
  228. Vilma on

    Marvelaus. It seems, that inside already knows that she is doing, as the path of my own journey started in the fields of the wilds…Thank you a lot for the sharing this mirracle. it remind me about me and myself and the old dream and silent path which is still calling me to come back.

    Reply
  229. Jennifer Castellini on

    I loved reading that Ariella went to Waldorf School. So did I. That experience does truly weave nature throughout your developing essence. Of course that informs her arrangements that magically bring forward wild beauty to be observed and adored intimately inside the home.

    Presciently ahead of her time, Ariellaā€™s work was has always shown just how luxurious wilder plants that serve ecological purpose can be. Floral design work that reimagines beauty and value as something less rigid empowers a rewilding of our cultureā€™s entire aesthetic. The stars of her bouquets are sustainable and donā€™t need chemicals for an outdated pristine appeal.

    The ripple effect of this artful showcasing of reemerging horticultural truths is much deeper than appearances, and in fact, serves to liberate the general audience into extending this approach beyond arrangements and into their gardens. The right plants in enough gardens can create a hopeful green corridor that does offer refuge to the flora and fauna she so loves.

    Ariellaā€™s astonishing work is proof that plants with purpose are beautiful. Her wildness welcomes our own and it resonates to the core. She has left us a treasure map to find the perfect union of motivational aesthetic to healing our cultureā€™s broken bond with nature. This specific type of voice can turn an entire tide.

    (Really cool that this book is being shared right as our Senate and House are considering making April National Native plant month. https://nationalnativeplantmonth.org/resolution-wording-for-national-native-plant-month)

    My favorite surprise bouquet ingredient is adding found feathers.

    Reply
  230. Katie on

    The rusty brown seed-heads of the dock that grows along our canals makes the perfect autumn ingredient!

    Reply
  231. Diane McElwain on

    Her flower displays; even though they seem so traditional, they are fresh. They are so romantic. It makes me nostalgic.

    Reply
  232. Leslie Davis on

    I can not wait to get this book. I loved her passion for florals IN interiors. I am inspired to collect more natural greens from the areas right around me!

    Reply
  233. Karen Hanrahan on

    a neighbor once gave me a small arrangement from her garden when i was sick. she combined her garden’s flowers and also included sprigs of hot peppers. i was really taken by the unusual combination.

    Reply
  234. JoAnn DiRico Trautmann on

    What a lovely interview! I Am currently in the Caribbean gazing at all the flora that is so foreign to me being from New Englandā€¦ no palms trees there except in palmerie conservatories but one thing I am observing based on this interview is to look outside of your comfort zone. I am seeing royal palms swaying in the breeze with a cool vertical spike growing out of the crown, which will become a palm frond. I like to see verticality in arrangements so that is pushing my envelope. Can be anything, a misshapen branch, a tall twig something structural to add interest & draw attention to what may be too roundy, chunky and predictable in a floral design..
    Thank u for allowing me to submit.

    Reply
  235. Gloria Harvey on

    Love your oranges, apricots, and greens! I often incorporate things from my garden, such as herbs, bolting cruciferous vegetables, asparagus stems, and okra pods. Goldenrod is a fall favorite to gather along Mississippi roadsides.

    Reply
  236. Christy Avey on

    These vines I have around my chicken coop, Western White Clematis have become an integral part of my bouquets. They grow like weeds on and around our property, but are wonderful for adding in to create variety!

    Reply
  237. Sherry Decker on

    I use bird nests & feathers that I discover on my property. The nests usually have horse hair & goat hair
    Intertwined. Also wild raspberry vines. šŸŒŗ

    Reply
  238. Christy Avey on

    These vines I have around my chicken coop have become an integral part of my bouquets- Western White Clematis. They grow like weeds on and around our property, but are wonderful for adding in to create interest!

    Reply
  239. Chere Tournet cfd fdi on

    The most unexpected naturally-grown foliage that I have used in floral arrangements is the Christmas Fern! We live on over 113 acres in the countryside of Vermont. I often scour the natural flora for interesting additions for my arrangements. (Once I found some equisetum growing over by our sand bank!) As you might imagine, I simply picked a few of the ferns as I had done with other locally growing onesā€¦but these newer specimen lasted so much longer in bouquets and arrangements. A friend who is a forester told me the name and then she pointed out how each frond section looked like a Christmas stocking! I smile widely whenever I can use ā€œwhatā€™s growing hereā€ vines, flowers, and more in my creations!

    Reply
  240. Marlana on

    I love using reeds I find down by the lake!

    Reply
  241. Kelly on

    We live in the Columbia Gorge, with its diverse flora and fauna just outside our door. I love adding native mahonia branches in arrangements. The leaves vary between green, to red in the winter. Sometimes the leaves are a deep purple and green combination. It all depends on its location.

    Reply
  242. Aruna on

    I loved the part where Ariella mentions ā€œ that they are stretched beyond the desire for cultivated flowers to the less spectacular and humbler specimensā€. I am always looking around my yard to use the unconventional items like Nandini berries and pine cones or thuja branches to fashion some simple arrangements!

    Reply
  243. Beth DelConte on

    Recently created a lovely little bouquet with succulents and white lenten roses. Certainly brightened a gloomy March day. Succulents are sooo easy to root in water or from petals and my small supply has become quite abundant.

    Reply
  244. Candace Andrie on

    Wow, can’t wait to go through her book.
    You’re right, she is inspiring!
    I live in the country, and I love using grasses, raspberry vines , herbs and even tomato vines to enhance my arrangements of zinnias, dahlias and roses.

    Reply
  245. Jenn on

    Branches of any description. Anything goes! I always have a plant identification app at the ready to avoid bringing home hitchhikers like poison ivy. These photos make me so so ready for Spring.

    Reply
  246. Barbie on

    I live in Marin County (Northern CA) and I am fortunate to have several fruit trees and to grow vegetables mixed with my floret flowers in one section of my yard. I love to use artichokes, pears, persimmon and herbs that I have intermixed throughout this part of the garden. I have recently added several roses to intertwine with all of this. Love to have wild unusual boutiques to change things up. Congratulation on your book….it looks beautiful, amazing and brimming with ideas.

    Reply
  247. Jo Wright on

    I have made so many arrangements and love doing it. But I think my most favorite are the ones I pick up as I meander through my garden picking one here and a couple there, grabbing what catches my eye in the moment. My grandsons and I had a cut flower business for a few years and after they’d made bouquets to sell and headed off to the market, I’d make bouquets for me grabbing bits of everything left over so to save them from the compost pile. Those bouquets were not carefully placed flowers but they ended up being spectacular teaching me to loosen up and let the flowers ramble a bit in my bouquets. I’m still learning and love every minute of it.

    Reply
  248. Robin Merriam on

    ā€œTo live with flowers as much as possible, and to marvel at their generous, ephemeral magic.ā€ So beautifully said and brings to mind artist Georgia Oā€™Keeffe and Monet whom she quotes. I also related to what she said about not planning her arrangements. That they more develope as she creates. Thank-you for this inspiring interview!

    Reply
  249. Nancy DeBusman on

    I like artichoke flowers. The color and shape make a good counterpoint to the more traditional flowers.

    Reply
  250. Rachel on

    So fun to have this full circle moment interview! Thanks for sharing! Humble grasses are a favourite of mine

    Reply
  251. Vicki Waters on

    I also love walking around our property looking at whatā€™s growing. Thanks for getting giving me the ā€œpermissionā€ to do the unconventional!

    Reply
  252. Karen on

    I live in NH and I hike a lot with my dogs. I am always picking up items to put in arrangements and to decorate areas of the farm. One of my favorites is bird feathers. I always seem to find turkey, hawk, and the occasional song bird feather. It’s a if they know I’m going to walking the trail that day. It a nice surprise and a little whimsy.

    Reply
  253. Lisa Shumaker on

    I think blackberries in the process of ripening, with the green-red and darkening fruit. The leaves are also beautiful and add another texture.
    Thank you so much for that gorgeous interview.

    Reply
  254. Lina Fletcher on

    I live on a couple of acres of prairie in central Colorado. Various wildflowers and short grasses bloom at different times of the year. I love to use the Liatris punctata, the purple prairie clover, native penstemon, side-oats grama, the short gaura and the myriad yellow daisy-type flowers that pop up throughout my prairie. They are short-lived in a vase, but I have the opportunity to be up close and personal with them. Perhaps my most interesting addition to a bouquet was the gift my sweet little grandson brought me from his home in Louisiana one year. I had asked for a few small, fallen moss and lichen covered branches to add to a small display. You can imagine my surprise when he pulled a three feet plus tall branch from their car! Initially stumped as to where I would place this treasure, it has since adorned a corner of my powder room. It sits in a large Italienate vase along with season additions.

    Reply
  255. L Kelly on

    I enjoy adding evergreen and even sticks to arrangements with cut flowers here around our home. This invitation from Ariella is so powerful: “To live with flowers as much as possible, and to marvel at their generous, ephemeral magic. ” I hope it will be true for me the rest of my days of life! MORE AND MORE MARVEL!

    Reply
  256. Lori on

    I used branches off our cherry tree with clumps of cherries. They really held up well & the leaves lasted a long time. They added a touch of whimsy to the bouquets I made that week for our farmers market.

    Reply
  257. Dorcas Peight on

    I loved her comments about color, about how it’s life!
    In our bleak winters, I like to look for twigs with red stems or branches with frilly lichens, or hardy ferns that somehow stay green long after everyone else is dead. Of course, berries and seeds heads are cheering too.

    Reply
  258. John Meyer on

    Just beginning to be inspired by Erin and the flower growers/arrangers to focus more on adding more flowers into my gardens. Just planted some of Erins originals!

    Reply
  259. brigette karlsven on

    I love when my 10 year old son looks at the side of the road pointing at a weed and says ā€œMom we could use that as a spike in our bouquets. ā€œ my 4 children are learning to see the world at times as a creative florist. Makes my heart happy.

    Reply
  260. Katie on

    I like moss, feathers, ferns and strings of tomatoes.

    Reply
  261. Alison on

    I love the dried stalks of Dock in the Fall, the burnt rust color is just gorgeous!

    Reply
  262. Christiana on

    Wow, so much to be inspired by. If I had to choose what stood out most, Iā€™d say her philosophy of ā€œseason and place, place and season.ā€ Such a good mantra to remind myself of. Also, ā€œfinding the element that is the star of that particular moment.ā€ I really love that!

    Reply
  263. Jo on

    Wild crabapple branches are one of my favorites!!

    Reply
  264. Ruby C on

    One way this book has inspired me is that I have had an idea to create artful living installations and this book looks like it will help me get what Iā€™m missing. We also have an invasive mustard seed in CA and it can be effective to use it as a part of an installation. Her vision for flowers is inspiring šŸ’• thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
  265. Brooke on

    As a wedding planner, I donā€™t often see florists who use more native plants to create a scenery. After reading this interview, my wheels are turning! Living in the mountains of WNC, there are so many incredibly beautiful native plants here that would make uniquely stunning floral pieces in some of our venues. I noticed in one photo her use of blackberry blossoms, and I donā€™t think I could love that more. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  266. Cari Harris on

    I live in Colorado, and we are blessed to live in a hikers paradise with many a trail decked out with the local flora and fauna. One of my favorites is the 401 trail loop close to Crested Butte. In late summer you will see corn lilies, aspen sunflowers, and purple tansy asters. In addition to these beauties you can see as far as the eye will let you muleā€™s ear, lupine, and larkspur. Now to me those are gorgeous ingredients that can make a bouquet šŸ’ sing.

    Reply
  267. Helen R on

    Everything about your interview with ‘the queen’ is an inspiration for me to look around for the unexpected stars of my next floral show. I’ve always been drawn to the myriad selection of wild evergreens here in the PNW, but I’ll admit I’ve not looked very closely at the lesser-noticed plants that grow so abundantly here as well. I have new eyes thanks to you and Ariella. Thank you both for sharing and for inspiring!

    Reply
  268. Lindsey on

    Hello,
    I love using penny-cress in my arrangements, the apple green stems and round budded seed pods add amazing texture and airy elements to the designs that I just love!

    Loved reading this article and learning about Ariella’s flower journey!

    Reply
  269. Charlotte Sauer on

    In summer, I love the combination of pink or white gaura with oat grass and maybe sunflowers. I like to place an Iceland poppy on a wrapped gift for a friend or family member when they are in bloom.

    Reply
  270. Erin Williams on

    My favorite “odd” bouquet ingredient is strawberries – I love how they hang down when they’re fruit and it’s the best when you have a bunch that still has a flower, might have a green strawberry and also might have a red one – all on one plant! They’re a happy little suprise in a bud vase or at the base of a bouquet.

    Reply
  271. Lindsey G. on

    Lovely interview! I made this very quirky, wild arrangement this past August & one of the ingredients I used was, Morning Glory! I also used Rose of Sharon, which does not hold up well in an arrangement, haha! But still fun, different & beautiful. :)

    Reply
  272. Sharla Jamison on

    I am most inspired by the photo of Ariellaā€™s Pink Oyster Mushroom and Moss Variety tablescape as I had purchased this type of mushroom for my husband to grow himself and we marveled upon every hour of growth throughout the days. I too, notice every plant along side the road and when we couldnā€™t afford flowers, my husband would bring home ā€œditch flowersā€, as we called them, to brighten our days. One of my goals is to have something blooming/living around our 10 acre property and in our home every month out of the year. Ariella has inspired me to go beyond my manicured backyard and into the wild beyond to dig up treasures with the sole purpose to connect with nature and to liven our rooms. What a joy, waiting to be found and adored! Thank you, Ariella, for your creativity, and Erin, for your beautiful and generous floral spirit.

    Reply
  273. Chanda on

    Being a good Midwest girl Iā€™ve loved using corn husks in fall tablescapes. The textures and colors are perfect!

    Reply
  274. Megan Davis on

    An unexpected ingredient I love to add in its delicate flower form, the pretty fall foliage, or even best of all the tiny star shaped seed heads is Gillenia triofata. Itā€™s a perennial jewel in my garden offering dancing gestural and happy moments in a bouquet. :)

    I so hope to meet Ariella some day! A true inspiration in flowering and way of living. šŸ’•

    Reply
  275. Jennifer on

    The hardest part about growing dahlias has been figuring out how to make bouquets with them. Last fall I was given a tip by a woman who judges floral bouquets at the state and county fairs. She said ā€œpeople almost always need to add more greeneryā€. So I looked closer at my yard, and at our pastures, and I ā€œadded more greeneryā€. I have lots more to discover on our farm but as I added more greenery my bouquets came to life and so did my enthusiasm. Ariella Chezarā€™s book has me excited to see what unexpected plant material I will find for bouquets this year. Thank you for sharing this interview.

    Reply
  276. Suzi Harbison on

    I was blown away about the use of wild roses in arrangements. What? Who knew but what a fantastic idea! I just spent the last couple days pruning our flower beds and came across multiple wild rose bushes. I will now be happily trimming them and bringing them indoors and bit by bit eliminating an invasive plant. Win-Win :)

    Reply
  277. Leanne Glockner on

    Great interview, as always. My 2 new favorite additions to fall arrangements are Virginia creeper once it has started changing color and Aji Cachucha peppers (Baker Creek Seeds). I am not that fond of the flavor of these peppers, they are ok, but they have quite distinctive leaves, and the peppers have assorted colors from reds to greens, to oranges to purples and they are on quite sturdy branches, perfect for adding to dahlias, zinnias, grasses etc.

    Reply
  278. Susan Rockwood on

    Excellent interview! Ariella inspires with her love of nature and dedication to seasonality. When she says she likes things just a little off and not so perfect, I want to learn more about how to achieve that look and freedom. Her comments on her approach to color and that it is intuitive to her was interesting. I admire her as a person and as the Queen. Thank you!

    Reply
  279. Siana on

    This is actually a story about my Dad when he and my Mom were newly married. He took longer than normal coming in from milking the cows. Coming in for breakfast, he had a big bouquet of wildflowers for my Mom. She had worked in flower shops, but Iā€™m guessing this was her favorite bouquet ever!

    Reply
  280. Tenda Tjoelker on

    I am inspired by the beautiful photos, and the way she combines the humble weed with the cultivated flower to create something that looks full and extravagant.

    Reply
  281. Alyssa M. on

    My favorite wild items to grab are invasives that haven’t gone to seed yet — like Queen Anne’s Lace. I “harvest” the whole plant and then use portions as actual stems. Double-duty win! =)

    Reply
  282. Carla on

    At my nieces wedding, us Aunties helped with ironing the tablecloths and setting the tables. The centerpiece was a white lantern with a white pillar candle. They were second hand so we went to quick work cleaning them up. So the look was white on white on white. Meanwhile outside the hall, the neighbour was trimming their hedge, I have no idea what kind of hedge it was but it was sort of vine-like and had mini green berries on it. So we took a little of the ā€œgarbageā€- wrapped the vine around the lantern like a horizontal wreath and strategically placed the stems of green berries in the lantern. Sent a photo to the bride and she said ā€œyes pleaseā€, so we grabbed more handfuls of greenery with blessing from the neighbour and greened up all the tables!

    Reply
  283. Nancy Sheeley on

    My favorite thing from the wild is to use pink pussywillow from my bush in the winter.

    Reply
  284. Susala Powers on

    Flowering Buckwheat in a big bouquet is beautiful!

    Reply
  285. Kristen on

    I love using peppers, Iā€™m up in BC so often the peppers donā€™t get enough heat to get big, so they are tiny and add some interest.

    Reply
  286. Marci Minnick-Heard on

    Thank You for this article it is very informative, and the photographic shots are beautiful. I have always used what was around and never really saw masses of color as fighting one another. I use invasive ground ivy, any grasses and weeds in both of my neighbors’ yards by the alley and frankly whatever pops up by the season. Goldenrod if not allergic is a fave and I love spirea bush twigs and fern leaves that I cut to shape. In the spring if I find Forsythia around town, I ask permission to cut a few branches and hunt the woods around our small town. I guess I am a scavenger floral gal sometimes!!! Weeds are just flowers looking for an arrangement!!!

    Reply
  287. Lacey Colmore on

    I spend six months in Southern Vermont on a 20 acre pond with a growing zone of of 4 and Southern California growing zone of 10. My floral arrangements tell where I am at the moment. I recently put together an arrangement with a green agave or century plant which I cut the base and nestled protea pincushion and queen and leucadendron in its leaves along with kumquats, oranges, and other small citrus. It was dramatic and fun and I could replant the agave after it use again. I have followed Ariella’s journey and like her my passion is color and flowers and to own her book would be a thrill.

    Reply
  288. Cynthia Gridley on

    I love going outdoors to find beautiful things to incorporate to arrangements. Fireweed thatā€™s gone to seed and Cow Parsnip after it has gone to seed as well. They dry so beautifully and add different textures in the fall

    Reply
  289. Sherri Y on

    The flowers that bloom from succulents are great unexpected additions to arrangements.
    Great sculptural shapes and interesting textures & colors.

    Reply
  290. Loi Laing on

    I love herbs, mini pumpkins, and vegetables interspersed in a bouquet!

    Reply
  291. Krissy Barr on

    I love that she connects to the simple natural elements of “what’s happening on the side of the road”…so many times I’ve been lucky enough to find some real treasure there and NOT get any kind of poison ivy or sumac (although some of those would actually work in a design…lol.) Thanks for the great interview :-)

    Reply
  292. Kristi Steffens on

    Just starting out and looking to turn my love of a good stunning arrangement into a side business. Reading and learning all I can about arranging and farming as I launch my little endeavor. Love playing with color and the creative way in which she utilized.

    Reply
  293. Sheila Y on

    I like to use rose hips. Orange from a wild variety that I have and red. From Rosa Rugosa.

    Reply
  294. Shirley B on

    I don’t have much of a flower garden on my tiny little home lot, so I love combining flowers from the market with any greenery I can find around the place. Citrus leaves, geraniums, boysenberry branches, tomato leaves — they’ve all had their moment!

    There’s so much to love about this interview, but as an artist with a small side gig teaching workshops, my favorite line from this interview is this: “…I love connecting people to that tender, often unfamiliar place of creativity.” Amen to that.

    Reply
  295. Mare on

    I really loved how Ariella spoke about “obsession, joy, and torment” regarding color, as it can almost feel agonizing at times (whether it’s color combining in art, decor, or flowers). I, too, am drawn to oranges and peaches. What was also really interesting to me was her reverie regarding the use of natural and often overlooked grasses and “weeds” in her arrangements; this is quite thought provoking. I would not ordinarily have considered doing so. Thank you for sharing this interview with us. It was truly inspiring!

    Reply
  296. annabelle on

    “favorite unexpected or wilder bouquet ingredients”
    Of course, it depends on the season but I really like vines and branches for their wild woodsy touch. Honeysuckle and fringe tree will be in season soon where I am and they are lovely for bouquets!
    Thank you, for sharing this beautiful new release!

    Reply
  297. Janet on

    Beautiful pictures and interesting ideas. I love using fall grass panicles in arrangements! Nice to see such support Erin!!! Love this.

    Reply
  298. Tess on

    One of my favorite things to use is dill…I love the airy character it adds and it’s fun to surprise people with something they never think to put it a bouquet! Anything in the garden is fair game when looking for inspiration!

    Reply
  299. Jennifer on

    I use privet hedge occasionally and in the South it is plentiful! I’ve only just begun my flower journey so I have more things to think about after this article!

    Reply
  300. Kathleen from Seattle on

    Grasses along the side of the road, white pine that breaks in the wind, and mossy branches from an old lilac. Thanks for the inspiration and sharing!

    Reply
  301. Mimi E. Wisnosky on

    To embrace the wild and create with its natural flow is like a dance. Living in Hawaiā€™i where wild and green is 365 days a year, I find seeding palm branches and dried palm branch ends to be beautiful in arrangements – an ode to the future and the past. Even taking whole fronds with attached coconuts has been the base for recents explorations. The palm is a sign of strength and tenacity so a silent nod to nature.

    Reply
  302. Christine on

    I love uluhe fern tendrils as theyā€™re just starting to grow. Theyā€™re tall and furled and are a rich eggplanty color. If you catch them a little later in their growth they have chartreuse leaf tendrils popping out of the furl. I canā€™t help but smile at their playful beauty and uniqueness.

    Reply
  303. Deb Weinberg on

    In the winter months, I pull from my garden golden Cyprus, juniper branches with the blue berries, branches from kousa dogwood for the amazing structure, dried allium heads, and weave in dried strawberry blonde lavender. My window geranium blossoms provide the pops of color. Erin’s videos helped me to see that shrubbery belongs in my arrangements.

    Reply
  304. Nana Marcia on

    A generous florist introduced me to a glorious filler that she identified as “mullet.” I was immediately smitten by the whimsical movement and wispy texture of this new found obsession! Numerous online searches were futile in finding background information on mullet. In desperation, I resorted to carrying around photos of my precious stems for identification. Not one single farmer, florist or shop owner could ID my specimen.

    One fortuitous day, I was delighting in reading Erin’s Cut Flower Garden. It is a stunning, provocative and cherished volume! I turned to page 225. Voila`! There it was! My beloved Mullet is not a fish or rocker haircut but is indeed deemed to be “Millet!” My mysterious, magical millet was found! So there you have it…Millet is my favorite filler!

    Abundant thanks Erin and Ariella for your most generous sharing of your exquisite creative gifts and talents!

    Reply
  305. Sammy on

    I like the uniqueness of her arrangements.

    Reply
  306. Kari Winter on

    What a fabulously inspiring interview & glimpse into Ariellaā€™s innate connection with the beauty of flowers!
    I love to mix wispy fronds of dill or asparagus in with my flowers & am game to try any combos.
    ā€œHome in Bloomā€ looks like a jewel of a book.

    Reply
  307. Kathy Watson on

    I love the idea of combining ornamentals with wild vines/ weeds etc. I am definitely inspired!

    Reply
  308. Cheryl Bela on

    Queen Anne’s lace and arugula spring up all over my veggie garden and have lovely flowers to use in bouquets. Lichen, moss and pussy willows from my walks make wreaths and nature vignettes at home. Dried money plant and teasel are other weedy favorites. I think this author and I might be unknown soulmates!

    Reply
  309. Lisa on

    I love any beautiful sticks to add to frame an arrangement. If there are buds on there, all the better!

    Reply
  310. Karen O on

    Ariellaā€™s work is so free, natural and inspiring! And what a lovely interview.
    Iā€™m loving wild carrot/Queen Anneā€™s Lace right now – so airy and lovely in bouquets.

    Reply
  311. Claudia casebolt on

    We have a meadow filled with Queen Anneā€™s Lace and I love using it in arrangements. Late in the day itā€™s so nice to sit on a bench and gaze at the sun shining through the lacy flowers.

    Reply
  312. Donna Johnston on

    I’m just beginning my journey into the world of flowers. I am reading a lot of books on the subject, and I’m so impressed with authors who are so passionate about sharing their knowledge and expertise with the world. Along with their love of the beauty of nature and flowers, I think this is the most precious aspect of what these authors are doing. I’m so anxious to embark on this journey! Ms. Chezar’s interview certainly shows her commitment to these values.

    Reply
  313. Shauna Rawlins on

    Wow! Iā€™m in awe of her talents and gifts. Canā€™t wait to read her book. I live in the high desert of Central Oregon so I love incorporating sage and pine branches in my home. Smells lovely too! šŸ¤—

    Reply
  314. Liese on

    What a fantastic interview! Thank you! Her quote “When people talk about staying ‘on brand’ with a particular palette that they do over and over again I just canā€™t relateā€”I think I might die of boredom.” went straight to my heart! Staying “on brand” in anything is zzzzzzzz.
    PS I love to put artichoke leaves and artichokes (in all their stages) in arrangements.

    Reply
  315. Marlo on

    One of my favorite “wilder” floral arrangement ingredients is Alectoria sarmentosa (aka witch’s-hair lichen) strung on branches. I love the subdued color and unique structure/architecture that it lends to an arrangement.

    Reply
  316. Jackie Victorson on

    I loved the interview! I also travel with a bucket and pruners:-). I love using herbs in my arrangements, grasses, seed pods, shrubsā€¦all the shades of green and different textures.

    Reply
  317. Lori on

    I like using herbs in my bouquets.

    Reply
  318. Joan F. on

    What an artistic talent, gorgeous book, and wonderful interview. Thank you! I am inspired to try some different, more unusual elements in my arrangements!! Canā€™t wait to get my hands on this book and start creating!!!

    Reply
  319. Laurie on

    Oh my, I love her designs and her ability to see her designs. I live in the Pacific North West on 11 acres. I love walking around collecting moss and sticks, branches, rocks and anything else I find interesting. I just donā€™t know how to decorate with it. There are so many possibilities after reading the interview. Please keep inspiring us. I would love to have her book.

    Reply
  320. Tina on

    As a now retired peony grower, I was blessed to live in PNW where year round I could gather roadside twigs, pine cones, blooms, and wispy branches to round out arrangements. In my smaller garden now, often I use herbs, leeks, and my neighbor’s discarded vegetation as part of my home decor. My clippers are always in my trunk for those “just in case” wonders of nature I spy discarded. Bravo and congratulations on your newest book Ariella!

    I’m embracing retirement the same way you treasure your floral material; I’m just taking in this season and place of my life and loving every minute!

    Reply
  321. Brynn H on

    There are so many wild elements that I love, itā€™s hard to choose.
    What inspires me the most about Ariella is her true love for nature and its inhabitants; and how that is reflected in her design work <3

    Reply
  322. Pat MB on

    My favourite memory is of a bouquet of tiny wildflowers brought to me in the fist of my four year old son. He had thoughtfully selected some of the smallest, most beautiful wildflowers I had never seen during our walk in the field, and presented them to me with love on his face. Twenty years ago now, but I recall the moment like it was yesterday.

    Reply
  323. Giselle Fillion on

    I love that people are starting to shift their general perspective of beauty… myself included. Why spray the dandelions in our yards with toxic forever chemicals that have lasting effects on the living soil , the animals and humans alike. Medicinal properties aside, I have started to enjoy seeing the little pops of colour in what little grass I have in my yard. The bees love them and they’re one of the 1st sources of food for them here in Zone 3. This article is inspiring people to look at overlooked plants in a new light. Rethinking what defines beauty. I love that. That type of thinking can have a massive impact on getting people to think about the environment in a new way as well. In my backyard I have a golden elder tree and a purple elder tree, this article has inspired me with the desire to use pruned branches from them in my bouquets this summer! šŸ’›šŸ’œ

    Reply
  324. Patty H on

    Love eucalyptus branches in a bouquet

    Reply
  325. Kerin on

    I love using herbs from my garden. Lemongrass, Thai Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano with blooms, Thyme, etc. They are beautiful and smell amazing!

    Reply
  326. Alejandra Hudon on

    One of our wildest arrangements to date included thornless blackberry branches- with blackberries- lined with peach colored tuberous begonias, and within all the greenery we had lots of hidden fuchsias. It only lasted for that one use thoughā€¦ But it was gorgeous!
    I love that this is the way to enter the book giveawayā€¦ Fun memories and lots of creative ideas to draw from :)

    Reply
  327. Beth Tillberg on

    My brussel sprouts weren’t very large and wouldn’t be ready for Thanksgiving, so I pulled the stalks up and used them whole in the flower arrangements. They weren’t expected and there were many comments. I loved their structure, colour and complex shapes of each sprout on the stalk. Never throw anything away; just look at it differently. That’s what I love about Ariella’s work. So unexpected and utterly breathtaking.

    Reply
  328. Shirley Gross on

    I love adding a bit of whimsy to my floral arrangements. I am fortunate to live on an acre with a charming historic home. Neighbors tell us that the original owner was an amazing gardener who provided floral arrangements to the local church every Sunday. She created a diverse palette of trees, shrubs and flowers on this land. I use branches from the Japanese maple trees, crabapple and even the spiky Hawthorne to my arrangements. Grasses, ivy and burning euonymous are often used. Let nature inspire!

    Reply
  329. Angela on

    I love using arugula seed pods for Fall arrangements.

    Reply
  330. Kelli Jayn Nichols on

    I live in a city, and itā€™s challenging to find space that isnā€™t owned by someone or part of a park. But after a windstorm I go foraging for greens that have broken loose from the trees: anything on the road is fair game, and I always find lots of pretty bits that just need a quick rinse before using.

    Canā€™t wait to read this book!

    Reply
  331. Sharon Starratt on

    I love incorporating local wild weeds into bouquets, such as Yarrow, Lupin and Viperā€™s Bugloss. But my favourite unexpected ingredient would be Thornless Blackberry. Even the unripe fruit adds a textural and colour element that adds interest and whimsy. My customers love it!

    Reply
  332. Landen on

    I really love using grasses. I grew a few this year and they were unexpectedly delightful!

    Reply
  333. Liana Haubrich on

    Many thanks for sharing Ariella’s artistry with us all! She’s most inspiring! Nature’s ‘wild & wooly’ elements that are often the amazing treasures that we discover unexpectedly are truly the parts of floral design (for me) that connect us back to our Source. Many years ago I fell in love with
    phytolacca acinosa (Wild Pokeweed) in all its colorfully dripping, berried stages of magenta, lime & black racemes.
    It will give most any arrangement a ‘high note’ to make it sing! Here in northern VT. it grows wild in fertile, but forgotten places making it very easy to collect en masse. (The only note of caution is that some parts of it have poisonous elements.)

    Reply
  334. Nan on

    My favorite surprise addition is bunny tails. I love the soft little white puffs that make you want to touch them and get involved with the bouquet. You can save the bunny tails after the dahlias and other flowers have faded and keep them on the window sills in little vases.

    Reply
  335. Anne Munch on

    I use whatever I can find in my garden: arching rosemary branches, lichen covered branches that have fallen from trees, conifers, the plentiful moss I harvest from everywhere (thank you rain), fruit or veggies that failed to ripen. I force branches like Japanese quince, forsythia and corylopsis. Shiny leafed magnolia and camellia last for a month. I enjoyed hearing about Ariella foraging beyond one’s own yard and viewing the amazing color combinations of her bouquets.

    Reply
  336. Colette on

    I love using clematis in my bouquets, for itā€™s Simplicity, and beauty. I have it growing everywhere on my property. I especially love the bell shapes.

    Reply
  337. Anne kaplan on

    I love the look of wild rose stems with rose hips. Also snowberry. The book looks brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  338. Liana on

    Just starting my journey, but so far a glass jar of three to four leaves of different variegated hostas from our garden has been my favourite ah ha! It was so elegant, simple, architectural all at the same time. And it lasted a good long while.

    Reply
  339. Laurie on

    I’m inspired to go out along the local bike path and cut some of the invasives and use them in arrangements before discarding of the cuttings in the trash. If they weren’t beautiful, no one would have brought them here. Too bad that beauty comes with a thuggish desire to take over the world. Looking at you Japanese Knotweed.

    Reply
  340. Darla on

    Her love for nature and the not so “perfect” arrangements are what I love about her design style! I am inspired to create outside of the box and let what’s growing outside my door be more of a guide.

    Reply
  341. Erika Close on

    Fern fronds are not very unexpected but I love the structure they bring to arrangements I have made. Probably the wildest thing I have used are the amazing branches of the Madrone tree that have fallen from the one growing in our backyard. The bark it sheds is also very beautiful and I have collected that and filled a large cylinder vase just to enjoy its colors and curly structure.

    Reply
  342. Kristin Province on

    I LOVE using the lichen and moss covered tree twigs I can find walking down my lane in the Pacific Northwest to add a little bit of outside to my inside!

    Reply
  343. Taylor on

    I live in a rural farming area and most farmers have dread pokeweed getting into the fields, but I think the berries of it can be such a fun addition to floral arrangements!

    Reply
  344. Tammi Loving on

    I love experimenting with the wild ones~ pokeweed, in its green shade, before it turns purple, is a favorite. Also using wild raspberry foliage gives a bright green, happy hue to the lovely flowers. Elderberry and ninebark are useful and so colorful, also. Love Ms. Chezar, I came across a couple of videos on You Tube that won me over!

    Reply
  345. Tammy on

    My favorite unexpected ingredient is weeping cherry tree branches. Also forsythia and long branches of driftwood.

    Reply
  346. Renee Espenel on

    I once did the flowers for a forest themed wedding and I specifically chose to use native plants from our area. I was able to collect from my yard so many different plants; deer fern, sword fern, mock orange, mosses and bark. It had a lovely wild, fairy forest effect.

    Reply
  347. Alicia D. on

    This was a great post, a treat to read really. I can’t wait to flip through Ariella’s book. “Season and Place. Place and Season”, is such a rooting sentence and position. I’m inspired by the fungi! Inspired doesn’t cut it; more like obsessed…

    Reply
  348. Becky on

    I am truly inspired after reading your interview, and grateful that you shared Ariella with your readers! I live in the Sonoran Desert, which has abundant color, foliage and amazing plants that can grow in our extremely harsh environment. Ariella’s new book will inspire me to look beyond my backyard to incorporate more of the natural desert flora in my home. I already use herbs and citrus tree foliage along with garden flowers when creating small bouquets for my home. I will treasure new and interesting ideas found in the pages of Home in Bloom!!

    Reply
  349. Jane Anne Gibbs on

    One of my wilder bouquet ingredients I learned in a class my daughter took me to for my birthday present in 2023. Instead of a frog to help arrange and anchor the flowers we would use, we used a white mop-head hydrangea. I thought that was so unique and such a great filler for the small arrangement.

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  350. Barbara Davies on

    I garden in a few small courtyards around my home and am exclusively critter-centric in my choices. Everything I have planted on what was a blank ā€œcanvasā€ must serve the needs of hummingbirds, bees & hoverflies, and/or butterflies & moths. Everything must be native to California or native/compatible. My garden is full of the many Salvias/sage family plants you can imagine, making it look like an airy, exploding Easter basket, with so many flower colors & something in bloom year ā€˜round. There are many other wonderful flowering plants there, too. I leave things messy, so dried stems can be home for stem- burrowing insects, who need that in their life cycle. It can sometimes look a bit unkempt, but that is by design. I rarely cut the flowers for indoor display, because I will be depriving g some critter of nectar-food. I have regularly been dive-bombed by worried hummingbirds. My ā€œfloralā€ arrangements are almost always made with foliage & stems or viney bits. My favorite is to walk across the street, by the railroad tracks, where I can cut a few pieces of our native Toyon, a big evergreen bush, looking good all year, with its medium sized dark green leaves & winter clusters of deep red berries. It is often the anchor element in my arrangements, giving gravitas to the airy or more delicate pieces.

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  351. Mary Beth Hunt on

    I am a Craftsman Style person, so natural displays are how I usually do it! I love milkweed pods and pinecones and ferns and miniature roses for filler. And sticks. I learned about filler from you! This sounds line a fantastic book.

    Reply
  352. Eli S. on

    love reading this talk between you too! and feel very close to her words and feelings aboit nature as only inspiration!
    always been inspired by random i found in nature to play with at home! dried agaist full bloom, or mix of greens, or just going with the shape and curve of a branch to mix with wild flowers or fruit nuts or pods! there is part of me wanting to cut all blooming or fruiting branches to bring in and make something! but also to not hurt the tree or bushes and stop them from their natural cycle process of coming to fruit! so i look for broken pieces after storms or the pods left after their full cycle!
    figs and pomegranete and almonds branches mixed with blooming stems are my all time favorite pieces when in season!
    again thank you for your work and this inyerview!

    Reply
  353. Teresa Hart on

    I loved the last sentence referring to Ariella’s hope that people who read the book would be motivated ” To live with flowers as much as possible, and to marvel at their generous, ephemeral magic. ” Words to live by for me.

    Thanks Erin!

    Reply
  354. Judy on

    I love incorporating the wild and rugged green lichen on twigs and branches of pine trees from my forested backyard in Montana. I also love the contrast of smooth whitish aspen and birch twigs against rough dark pine. It works in any season with or without flowers.

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  355. LORETTA EPP on

    My favorite foliage is golden chinkapin! The lovely laurel shaped leaves have bright gold undersides. They last for weeks in a wreath or outside bouquet as long as they are not in direct sunshine. It is a native evergreen bush or tree in the pacific northwest. It is hard to find but available at Burnt Ridge Nursery.

    Reply
  356. Barb Miller on

    Thank you for the inspiring interview! We have lots of salmonberry that grow plentifully in the forests bordering our neighbourhood, and also pops up in my garden under a cedar. Bright pink flowers in late winter/early spring, the jewel tones of its berries in early summer, and green leaves that look like butterfliesā€¦ when I think seasonal and local, the salmon berry is forefront in my mind and is always there for an impromptu arrangement and worthy companion for my cut flowers. This interview opens my eyes to also appreciate its arches of bare spiny stems in the winter.

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  357. Phoebe Hanson on

    Red twig dogwood in its dormancy for wintertime arrangements.

    Thank you for this interview, its oh so inspiring!

    Reply
  358. Ashley on

    I love bringing wild beauty into the house. Some of my most eclectic additions have been using dried daylily and crocus foliage to weave a miniature basket that covers a small glass vessel that was once a Petit Pot yogurt cup :) a new side obsession has been weaving baskets with garden materials in different patterns and shapes to complement my foraged bouquets!

    Reply
  359. Michele Coady on

    I am lucky to live on a 1/2 acre about an hour from Seattle so I am close to the salt water and the mountains and I draw from both environments for my decorating. I have access to lots of interesting downed branches in the winter forests and unusual nature offerings almost always pop up on the beach walks. My property gives me a lot of moss options as well.

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  360. Jen on

    My favorite unexpected bouquet ingredient is a cut from my weeping birch tree. It adds interest in every season!

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  361. Chessy on

    I have always loved using wild forage ingredients but have struggled with the conditioning of them so they hold up so if there are any tips please let me know! I do love using bittersweet and there is lots growing wild in my area. Being in tune with the seasons has always been an important rhythm in my life so Arielleā€™s comment about always taking in whatā€™s happening on the side of the road speaks to my heart. Thank you

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  362. Linda Hovgaard on

    I am so grateful for my Astoria, Oregon vacation home that is nestled onto 3 acres on a river with old growth trees and a ravine full of wildlife. I love to collect lichen and moss, chunks of bark, red and yellow twig dogwood, ferns, wildflowers and shelf mushrooms (which dry beautifully to be preserved and can even be carved or drawn on with design). Since my little piece of heaven home is near the coast sometimes I will add driftwood, beach rocks and seashells. There is something about walking through the woods or on the beach and finding these wonderful elements right at your fingertips for creating a centerpiece or bouquet of natural beauty. I also am an avid gardener at my home that is inland and grow an abundance of vegetables, fruits and flowers there also. Nature is my best friend! What a treat it would be to win a copy of Home In Bloom! I love thinking out of the box and would treasure this book with all my heart! Thank you for interviewing Ariella and letting us know about her gift to the world!

    Reply
  363. Gail Glover on

    I don’t think this is really wild,but my very favorite bouquet addition is clematis rooguchi.The graceful stems and blue,purple flower bells are enchanting.

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  364. Beth on

    While reading this interview I am transported back to when I was a child and me and my sister and cousin would play Charlieā€™s Angels by our families lake cabin in the woods and at the end of each ā€œmissionā€ we would always pick wild onions and honeysuckle to bring back to our ā€œlairā€ to prepare a meal and discuss our next adventure. I love the magic that foraged weeds and branches bring to a bouquet and I will be adding more of these to future arrangements. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  365. Dulcie Macdonald on

    Iā€™m lucky to garden on a small, sandy island in British Columbia which has a unique climate. Itā€™s warmer and dryer than the nearby mainland and we have several large bushes of Spanish Broom. I use both the spiky foliage and the long stems with vibrant yellow, pea shaped blooms. It is an early summer bloomer and is very useful in a bouquet adding in structure and colour to bouquets with other softer early bloomers.

    Reply
  366. S on

    I have not ever done it, but I think it would be really cool to see how a prayer plant would look within an arrangement. The plant is beautiful and it would be fun to play around with it and experiment with what compliments it the best. Neat interview, thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
  367. Andrea Grout on

    I just love working with raspberry canes that I’ve thinned, or any of the zillion different grasses or weeds we have growing here on the farm. I also really love when I prune the apple trees in spring/fall and using the branches in my arrangements for events in the house. It all adds such a wonderful dimension to the designs.

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  368. Kimberley Howell on

    I love to forage for foliage in my local forests in southwest Washington. We have so many native plants that add amazing texture and make uncommon companions in a floral arrangement. My favorite to add is the fiddleheads of a Deer Fern. In the spring they grow tall, slim and delicate and towering in a cluster above the florals in an arrangement, they create the excitement of new growth, ready to unfurl – just like they do in the forest!

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  369. megan bryson on

    I like to add rosemary – one of my favorite scents & blends well with my roses

    Reply
  370. Tammie Lenz on

    My daughters and I have really focused on sharing our garden space and growing flowers the past few years with the influence of you, Erin. This interview has inspired us to look around our countryside and plan to include some of the ā€˜beautiful weedsā€™ in our arrangements! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  371. lisa tough on

    Beautiful interview, so many inspiring photos. Season and place, place and season. Using what is available creates unique arrangements. I will be searching the nearby ditches and valleys to see what is popping up over the growing season : ) I find myself turning to my garden, dill is so interesting and it is a plant that changes with the seasons. I often include it in my arrangements. Thank you for sharing this interview!
    Lisa

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  372. Lauren on

    I ran out of greenery and filler when I first began growing flowers, so I looked in my vegetable garden and found some dill that had gone to seed and it was perfect!

    Reply
  373. Sue on

    Barely budding branches of any kind I can find, love those subtle color shades and textures.

    Reply
  374. Chris Bunce on

    I have been designing with my own garden flowers for a couple of years now. Ariella has inspired me to look further into my yard, pasture and riverside for elements to add to my bouquets. Excited to see these new designs!

    Reply
  375. Holly on

    My favourite is pearly everlasting. I happened across them while on a back road and they’ve been one of my go-to’s for dried bouquets ever since!

    Reply
  376. Karen Mazzei on

    I love making the tiniest bouquets in tiny jars with my nieces… In early spring we go hunting for them.

    Reply
  377. Jenny on

    I love when a plant or flower comes up (always so healthily!) as a volunteer from a previous planting season. It’s delightful to use them in arrangements and without any struggle or expectation on my part of what they are supposed to look like or be. They just ARE.

    Thank you for this interview!

    Reply
  378. Chandra on

    Where I live there are wild sweet peas that grace the sides of the road. Adding a few curly pieces of those to my bouquets and arrangements make the whole thing so friendly and whimsical. Thank you for sharing this beautiful interview. Ariella’s books have a home on my bookshelf. Time to add one more.

    Reply
  379. Gerry on

    I like using wild Oregon Grapeā€¦.the shiny leaves, the bright yellow blossoms, the dusty blue berried branches.

    Reply
  380. Hillary E. on

    Here in Washington State, I love to include spikes of our native fireweed to arrangements year round. Often chasing the light on the forest edge, stems curve beautifully to bloom for foraging pollinators in early Summer. Bendy stems add a whimsy flourish to garden arrangements while closed buds present like a more delicate form of lupine. When in flower, its light pink/violet flowers offer a lovely complement to drumstick alliums, pale pink sweet peas, and sprays of cream colored astilbe. It contrasts beautifully with anything orange and looks magnificent in a technicolor gathered table bouquet. Over Winter, its fluffy seed heads add a feather like quality to wreaths and dried arrangements and its dried petals provide a comforting tea. Its flowers and leaves dry well and can be used for craft projects, and I imagine its plentiful Spring shoots can be used to accompany small bulbs in addition to being edible. Fireweed is an incredibly beautiful and functional plant that is also an important first food to the Coast Salish peoples of this area.

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  381. Shari Froelich on

    This interview is exactly what I have done in the few years that I have grown cut flowers. I forage every season and it brings surprise and sometimes whimsy to my arrangements. While I donā€™t have the art of arranging what many with more experience have, this interview and book have inspired me to pursue foraging even more and also make it my hallmark in my work. Thank you for validating what I have always loved doing. šŸ™šŸ»

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  382. Debbie Woodbury on

    One of my favorite surprise elements is hops. No matter how spectacular the dahlias, sunflowers, lavender or other blooms I pair with them, the hops get all the attention and comments!

    Reply
  383. Jan Weakley on

    I am inspired and validated by the creativity of the author as she uses Godā€™s gift to us with weeds and brambles. I am 86 and now living in a Washington senior community in my own home which boarders the woodsy calm of nature. I love to incorporate this beauty with flowers but just thought I was wild and perhaps unruly in doing so. Thank you for posting your interview.

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  384. Cheryl Jardine on

    Wonderful interview Erin – very excited to buy the book as I lean toward the brambles mixed with the flowers in a loose design. My daughter and I just started flower farming last year and my goal is to acquire floral design in a loose flowy style. We appreciate you introducing your readers to those who contribute so much.

    Reply
  385. Jessica Duus on

    I like to use blackberry vines when the berries are still green. I have a wild bush that grows in my backyard and they look beautiful cascading out of a vintage loving cup.

    Reply
  386. Mary Gehling on

    I love to add branches and twigs to flowers from our garden. I appreciated what Ariella said about using the quieter unexpected plants as well, and that she likes her arrangements to also contain an air of ā€œsomething being a bit offā€. Gorgeous, inspirational book and wonderful interview Erin!

    Reply
  387. Christy on

    Oh I just love honeysuckle!! It smells sooo good!! I also love wisteria!! I love when spring arrives and roll down my windows while Iā€™m driving down the back country roads late in the afternoon and let the smell come in!!

    Reply
  388. Janelle on

    I really enjoy a stroll through the woods on our property, and finding pretty, unique and unexpected beauty even in what others call weeds. Although Iā€™m very inexperienced and just started to try my hand at arranging in the last year or so, I look forward to the 2024 season and hope to use the tips Iā€™ve gathered from more experienced florists to arrange this summer!

    Reply
  389. Annette Goolsby on

    Love grape vines incorporated in drapey arrangements the shape of the leaves are interesting to me.

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  390. Suz on

    Sprigs of mint as greenery! My mint loving daughter calls it an “edible” arrangement and it only lasts a day inside before she eats it all. LOL

    Reply
  391. Carrie McCuaig on

    I live on the central Oregon coast and love to walk around my yard and take clippings of whatever looks great at the time, some of my favorites are the lacey maidenhair fern, or black Mondo grass, or silvery dusty miller. I also love to use some of my herbs (cilantro leaves and their bloom).

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  392. Robin on

    I loved reading this! I especially love that she is drawn to the humble elements of florals. I live in a suburban area, but when I take my daily walks I always forage whatā€™s available. There can be beauty even in the weeds, which I often use. I like things a little off as well.
    Thank you for sharing this interview with usā€”-truly inspiring!

    Reply
  393. Annette on

    One of my favorite unforgettable memories of roadside surprises this southern girl traveling in Colorado and seeing the asparagus sprigs shooting up singularly here and there from old homesteads of years gone by.

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  394. Sarah on

    I love using cherry tomatoes in my arrangements, anything that drapes heavy from the vessel.

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  395. Leslie on

    Fern fronds, ammis majus flowers, and branches from abelia.

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  396. Heidi Klammer on

    I love mixing dried weeds of all types in with living flowers (well living until I cut them). Where I live, in the alpine steppe at the base of the Eagle Caps in NE Oregon, there are so many beautiful field weeds. And they are free if you don’t mind the occasional barbed wire fence breach! Of course one would have to be careful about not bringing in allergens to yours or someone else’s home. But there are always challenges, right? The photography is so inspiring in the article and a real tease to buy the book. The floral art is frozen in time at its absolute best. What’s not to love?

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  397. Jenni Sanchez on

    Over the last 3 seasons Iā€™ve been connected and inspired by Mother Nature and all she has to offer! Iv felt a little reserved in finding my design style but as I continue to grow, Iā€™m attracted to a more natural form with lots of foliage and textures. Reading Ariellaā€™s interview itā€™s giving me confidence that Iā€™m on the right path and that I need to follow my gut when it comes to creating. I too, am always taking in whatā€™s on the side of the road! I recently love using the raspberries and blackberries foliage in designs and as I move forward Iā€™m ready to start incorporating more branching and woodies to help translate that narrative of nature!

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  398. Jill H. on

    In the busyness of life, raising a large handful of kids for the past few decades (now ranging in ages 13-33), I always longed to pause for more organic & beautiful floral design to display in our home, but I often just resorted to quick renditions with bouquets my husband or I brought home from the store or things the kids brought in from outside. I rarely combined them! I kept waiting for the day when things would ā€œslow downā€ enough for me to really explore floral design in a way that equalled my dreams of how things should look. Looking back, I wish I hadnā€™t hurried through any floral ā€œarrangingā€ that I did (if it could even be called that because it lacked in true creativity); but Iā€™m grateful for fresh starts & new beginnings, & Iā€™m grateful that somehow in my lackluster approach as I tried to juggle all the things, my kids still somehow inherited a love for floral beauty from me. Thank you for introducing me to Ariella. Her books will now be must-haves for our homeā€¦ especially since one of my younger girls is considering pursuing floral design, & I want to feed that passion for her now instead of waiting!

    Reply
  399. Susan Rode on

    love foraging for tule..redbud…teasel pods….grasses…bindweed…whatever is along our country roads and lake side shores
    brings so much interest…

    Reply
  400. Kathryn Besser on

    I almost always check our Nandina bush for elements to add to a bouquet or arrangementā€¦ creamy white bud sprays, red leaves or red-tinged green leaves. Even the spent flower branches are interesting! I also love the dangling leaves of jasmine vines (works year round). I love foraging for bits to add in!

    Reply
  401. Kate C on

    In winter, I love bringing in a tangle of bare branches and propping them in an oversized vase. Even in the seemly bleak, bare months, Iā€™m learning that there is beauty to be found.

    Reply
  402. Cheryl on

    This book looks wonderful!! I can only imagine how inspiring it must be! I canā€™t say Iā€™m that adventurous but I would like to learn. Lately Iā€™ve been bringing in just a few large branches of something in the garden and letting them be the arrangement alone. I love using herbs too. Like I said nothing to adventurous but this book looks like it could fix that lol

    Reply
  403. Linda Vollertsen on

    I, too, am so connected to our Mother Earth and enjoyed this interview immensely. When I am out walking with my dog, gathering inspiration for my art, I ask the trees and the grasses if any of them have a story to tell. Invariably I get drawn to certain plants to photograph. If we listen closely they want to be listened to and appreciated for their beauty. I love using wild ferns in my flower arrangements or table decor.
    Thank you for this book and all you two do to share beauty in our world. -Linda Vollertsen

    Reply
  404. Marci Kay Kentch on

    Loved the interview…thank you so much!
    One of my favorite items to include in bouquets is not unique, but I love it all the same. I somehow came up on some seeds for “Blue Spice Basil” and planted them in my garden. They came and have stayed ever since! I love the way they generously self sow and all summer through fall add a beautiful scent resembling a huckleberry patch! They have nice blooms, but the fragrance they add to a bouquet is what I appreciate the most!

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  405. Kayla on

    The mushroom log is so cool!

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  406. Cheryl on

    I also live in a wild area outside of town. I loved the advice in the interview to always be aware of what is growing on the side of the road. And then to use that in modicum, since some are invasive weeds. I also glad to find out that it’s okay to put weeds in arrangements.

    Reply
  407. B.A. Woodland on

    Many of us here were inspired by our home gardens, yards, and the nearby countryside. My mother and Aunt Betty were massive gardeners, both culinary and landscape. Such a talented pair. Today I was reminded of my Aunt’s huge patches of rhubarb. Those leaves would be awesome in a huge bouquet. As a former National Park Ranger in parks like Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, Mout Rainier, Crater Lake, and Denali, I could identify pretty much any wild plant that I met. Of course, no collecting in the protected parks. Now that I have my home gardens, I am learning about domestic plants and it is an education. Thank you for the amazing interview and for sharing your knowledge and talents with this huge fan following. Congratulations and here’s to your continued success! B.A.Woodland, Author of “Ranger Heart.”

    Reply
  408. Katie on

    I haven’t done a huge amount of floral arranging but I really love to bring in forsythia in the early spring after pruning it to force. I don’t have any fancy vases but I usually put it in a jar on the dining room table. It’s gorgeous.

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  409. Lauren Strach on

    I loved Ariella’s comment about looking along railroad tracks! In a rural area that is a wonderful microcosm of plant life!

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  410. Michelle on

    Apple branches from our Apple tree are completely unexpected but meaningful and beautiful

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  411. Candace Minster on

    Such a lovely interview! Her mention of her love of nature and the deep worry at the greater disregard for the natural world hit home for me. I find it’s a daily weight on my heart as well. Also, I’m a sucker for any species of cress that pop up around the farm and in the driveways.

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  412. Suzanne Mortensen on

    Comfrey leaves! They are a bit rough to work with, but they are sturdy and maintain their lovely green color.

    Reply
  413. Tomi Williams on

    Wild sandhill plums in the spring. They are one of the first things to bloom in the mid west in road ditches and pastures. They are delicate and smell wonderful!

    Reply
  414. Cayce on

    I love adding a few sprigs from my nandina bushes into my arrangements. My grandmother had nandinas growing in front of her house and whenever I use them in an arrangement I feel a connection to her energy.

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  415. Kat M on

    I have a Japanese maple in my yard, and when it finally turns brilliant red as the days get longer and nights start to hint of frost, it’s time to bring a bit of that flame inside. As a child, my favorite tiny 1-2″ bouquets (in salt cellars, tiny bottles, and etcetera) were whatever I found around our wild yard in New Hampshire, especially the tiniest fragrant little white violets, which I think are Viola macloskeyi.

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  416. Katie on

    I think branches of berries are so fun. And I really enjoyed Arielleā€™s discussion about color in this interview.

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  417. Blake on

    I love using young crabapple branches and even wild blackberry vines in my late summer/early fall bouquets!

    Reply
  418. Melissa Luttrell on

    Loved this interview and discovering your show on Magnolia recently! Iā€™m so inspired and canā€™t wait until spring! (I live in northern Michigan.) One of my favorite bouquets I created included false solomon seal I found near our woods. I wish I could include a picture, I was so proud of it. I also love to drape Virginia Creeper here and there and everywhere in the fall. I find it on some local trails where it seems to be invasive.

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  419. Zarah on

    I haven’t done a lot of floral design yet, but it was so gratifying last year to look at all the invasive mugwort growing around the garden and chose to use it at foliage… I know artemisia family is a common foliage, bit it felt inspired to be using “weeds” to get the silver and green. Reading this interview feels like a kind of permission to keep doing that. It feels very close to home for me, and I have always appreciated the wilder arrangements more. This was very inspiring, thank you for doing this interview and sharing! I love knowing about another magnificent designer out there! This book will be an amazing addition to my collection of inspirational books.

    Reply
  420. Angi Whitney on

    I have always loved finding moss, bark, an old bird nest, interesting sticks in the woods. Now combine that with the beautiful colors of flowers and I am in my happy place. I just need to learn how to put it together to make beautiful arrangements and I would be ecstatic! Hopefully one day I will be able to grow larger amounts to share and to be able to bring in to enjoy all throughout the day! I am so thankful God gave us so much beauty to enjoy! It truly is a mood boost!

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  421. Rosa Veldkamp on

    I live in a big city, so finding wild bits can be a little challenging. I’ve found a little spot in an industrial area at the edge of the city where there are little pockets of green interspersed among the buildings. That’s where I go when I want to add something extra to an arrangement. Willow is a staple (I live on the Canadian prairies) as well as all manner of weedy wildflowers.

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  422. Alice Johnson on

    I live deep in the Rocky Mountains with beautiful white snow all winter season. My creative eye never stops even on snowshoes. The beauty of whatā€™s left after growing season is amazing.

    I share the red berries still attached in branches of trees, with the chickadee birds,. The yellow and purple colors of dog wood bark willows along the frozen river banks. Variety of pine bows that havenā€™t lost their baby pine cones.

    Never leave your home without a pair of cutters. Youā€™ll return home refreshed from exercise and a unique seasonal combination to arrange. I always find a treasure that nature provides. Thank you Mother Earth.

    Reply
  423. Sandy Van Dyk on

    I have a joy of putting an arrangement on my front door, using ingredients only from my yard. It was a COVID challenge to not buy any flowers. I usually take a photo of it and put it on Instagram for my friends and family. For my birthday last year, I received a bouquet of flowers from Hawaii from a friend of mine who gives the most unusual of gifts. I arranged all these unfamiliar botanical items into a straw bag and put it on my front porch door. The most interesting of the flowers is called Heliconia. Itā€™s waxy and bright colored. I think the common name for it is called lobster claw. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and it was the most one-of-a-kind of all my door arrangements!

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  424. Irma Lagomarsino on

    To celebrate late winter here in Portland, Oregon, I’ve brought in branches of native currant from my backyard. I have a beautiful vintage metal urn on my mantel that displays these gorgeous harbingers of spring –“forcing” the blossoms open! The beauty and simplicity makes my heart sing!

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  425. Gretchen Kowalick on

    When I have run out of filler for friends weddings I go foraging along the road and forests and use weeds, bark, lichen covered branches, moss and various fungi! Even an abandoned bird nest or two! The unexpected elements of nature always start a sweet conversation about using whatā€™s right in front of you and seeing the beauty in the natural.

    Reply
  426. Wendy Bedrosian on

    One of my go to ingredients is Mint. The first time I used it was because another crop of filler hadnā€™t bloomed and mint was taking over a part of my garden, so I improvised. It has a long vase life and smells great, And It grows freely all summer!

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  427. Julie Rodriguez on

    Arrangements with fruit and vegetables have always captivated me. Artichokes, orange blossoms, even pistachio bundles but to see weeds in these images give you a whole new perspective of beauty. Your images took my breath away. Thank you for sharing. I am an artist that would love to learn from her compositions.

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  428. Hillary G on

    I find that the plumes from ornamental grasses inspire me. Thank you for the lovely introduction to Ariella.

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  429. michelle on

    I like adding fresh herbs for some interest – mint, oregano, verbena, whatever is overgrowing and needs a bit of trimming back.

    Reply
  430. Jeannie Cydrus on

    One thing that has inspired me in the interview is that she lets her imagination run wild for the things she can work with and be inspired by and to think outside the box. That is going to make me look what is outside in a whole new way.

    Reply
  431. DeeDee on

    Nature offers us an endless supply of plants to work with, I love creating a symphony in green!

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  432. Steffanie on

    Sorry I misspelled Ariella’s name in my last comment. Autocorrect šŸ¤­ her name is so pretty and deserves to be written properly lol.

    Reply
  433. Janet Kelley-Vail on

    The most wondrous addition to any gathering of flowers, for me, is always sweet fern. I live in an old farmhouse in N.H and years ago, I successfully transplanted a clump from the side of the road, and it proudly occupies the corner of my kitchen garden. I brush past it and its fragrance I find dreamy. I use it in all its stages, even its bare twigs in winter , with the promise of the tiny bud sitting boldly ..I am swooning writing about it. Itā€™s mud season here now, a lovely moment to be writing about plants, thanks for the opportunity to reflect a bit.

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  434. Jane Bitz on

    I have couple of patches of oregano that have escaped the herb garden and I love to add the long stems, in bloom or not to flower arrangements all summer long.

    Reply
  435. Megan Kim on

    For my wedding bouquet we added feathers that were found on our hikes while dating. I love reading all the added items previous posters shared!

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  436. Terry on

    I always look forward to forcing forsythia in my spring arrangements. I recently planted a pink blooming cultivar and it adds such a delightful spring vibe to my arrangements. This book looks like a beautiful inspiration. Thank you for sharing.

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  437. Susan on

    I saw a beautiful arrangement that included dried fern fronds. The addition of the fronds made the arrangement magical and unique.

    Reply
  438. Lori Vellinga on

    I had never thought of basil as a possible floral arrangement ingredient before following you. But the purple variety adds a lovely shade to them, and I love that it has a dual culinary use!

    Reply
  439. Delora Lalande on

    I love the look of cherry tomato branches at the flowering or newly formed baby tomato stage feathered through a floral arrangement. Such a divine and delicate look and they add a wonderful summer garden smell too!

    Reply
  440. Anne Schopf on

    This interview so reminded me of my stepmom who was a garden club judge in upstate New York. Her designs were inventive and free spirited, pulling from the vast gardens and surrounding orchards of her home on Lake Ontario. I never saw a greenhouse or commercial flower in her home. The arrangements she made were always pulled that very minute from outside her kitchen door and from the flora lining the roads and orchards. 5 years ago today she passed. I miss her so much.

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  441. Stephanie Kingdom on

    I am crazy for flowers and I know I will be inspired by this book! I have a small farm in the Santa Cruz mountains of California. As I write this I realize I must get out in my greenhouse today and start planting seeds, even though the weather is rainy & gloomy it’s still a beautiful day! The only thing with big blooms in my yard right now is my almond tree. I am clipping some branches today to bring that gorgeous pink into my home. Just reading about Arellia has inspired me for today, thank you!!

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  442. Renee K on

    I love your Floret blog and how generous you are with your rime and talent. I have a tiny city garden and I have combined numerous wild growing elements with my garden flowers. My favorite combinations have been budding mulberry branches with pink parrot tulips; flowering horseradish with Festiva Maxima peonies; fruiting pokeweed with bumble bee Dahlia and pink Sonata cosmos; and just coloring wild goldenrod with zinnias

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  443. Marseile Amadou on

    to witness women and connection to our natural, shared world, in itselfā€¦is beautiful. reading her voice on colour versus ā€œeating glassā€ and as well, the gorgeous act of honoring the truth of all it means to be alive – fullness, vibrance entwined with decay and our homeā€¦earth. itā€™s a consistent acknowledgement of the cycle of a lived experience, this life and expressed in array of an arrangement, homage to mother nature. therefore, oneself. and its all so very beautiful ā€¦ thank you ladies, for sharing yourselves with we readers within the above. i feel truly inspired, seen and alive

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  444. Teresa Hart on

    I love adding raspberries, blackberries, crabapple’s, tiny tomatoes, etc. to my arrangements to add something unexpected.

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  445. Gretchen Boyce on

    I studied herbal medicine and love adding herbs to arrangements. The bouquet for my wedding included mint and rosemary springs, which felt so comforting to have with me on my special day.

    Reply
  446. Karen Teasdale-Simpson on

    I love using dried milkweed pods, and any tall wild grasses that I can find around the property.

    Reply
  447. Steffanie on

    This truly moved me and started my day just right, so thank you Erin for the share. I have a green belt in my back yard and I know I’ll be foraging and using nettles,berry vines and any wild part of nature that captures my heart and soul. Wild plants/flowers have always been my favorite because like me they are unapologetically themselves, resilient and truly understated. Its time to stop,look at the beauty in every form and delight in the unknown. There’s so much magic in nature and it’s inviting you to come and play! I myself look at the sides of roads too and ones growing in the cracks of sidewalks. I really like Red Clovers and will definitely be using more in my arrangements. Thank you Arielle for being such a beautiful spirit and filling us with grace. Looking forward to reading your books. Have a great day everyone, it’s a beautiful life!!

    Reply
  448. Mag Ferniuk on

    Oh those chives! They forever multiply and sometimes frustrate. But they have the most beautiful, papery lavender blossoms! And they make quite a statement in a vaseā€¦ alone or with other garden greens! You can eat them too!

    Reply
  449. Linda on

    I love to wind some clematis seed heads into bouquets.

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  450. Lynsey Burke on

    This winter Iā€™ve sprung for tree branches – scraping my way through the front door with an armload of long, spindly limbs. Something about the depths of winter when the architecture of a bare tree can suddenly be seen, itā€™s a different, humbling kind of elegance that brings so much warmth indoors during our long New England winters.

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  451. Shelley Sims on

    Finding floral farming late in life as a way to unravel from a corporate experience, the natural wild elements have always drawn me in. It began with adding native species to our home garden. As my flower variety grew I needed more greenery than I had planned. That first bit of rogue unconventional black tomato vine added such whimsy that I was hooked. It became a game to go out and look for foliage and blooms that no ever sees in a bouquet. The perfectly circular flat yellow Tansy blooms add a spark of sunshine to any bouquet.

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  452. Bobbie Broyles on

    One of my favorite tables scapes was a split leaf philodendron or elephant ear, which I topped with a section of an oak limb that had fallen out of our live oak. The limb was covered in moss and fern. I scattered a few small vases of whatever fresh flowers I pick from the garden along the curve of the limb. It felt as though the garden had moved inside!

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  453. Suzette Blackstone on

    I am a novice flower gardner at best but have been inspired to grow various flowers as my 85 year old mother grows a variety of plants and makes the most gorgeous arrangements.

    After a visit with my mom last year I was inspired to go home and make a flower arrangement using what I had growing in my yard, I started with a variety of colorful hydrangeas, added some colorful roses and clematis leaves but when I added small blooming branches from my black lotus tree, the elliptical shaped leaves with the stunning purple blossoms created something unique, playful and beautiful. If you donā€™t have a black lotus tree, their beauty is stunning!

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  454. Sarah on

    I’m not even sure what the ingredient is, but it’s dried and delicate and beautiful. It looks similar to an allium and I know right where to find it on my fence line each year! LOL

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  455. Walter Ray Jr Davis on

    Thanks for the reminder that there is beauty and inspiration everywhere in nature!

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  456. Kerry on

    Ironically it was despite being nearly 50 years ago as mere students in floral design class, there were instances we had to leave the classroom, go out of doors, & actually collect raw or growing wild plant material to incorporate into our floral arrangements. At the time I thought it improper use of school funds but after reading this equally lovely as her arrangements composition, I can after so many decades better appreciate what our teacher wanted us to grasp & better understand.

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  457. Stephanie Mills on

    I love when vines are incorporated in to arrangements, it makes them seem wilder

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  458. Brenda Kerton on

    I needed some foliage for an arrangement and noticed some soft yellow snow peas in the veggie garden. Them with the pea foliage was perfect. Itā€™s led me to look at my veggies in a whole new light!

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  459. Sue H on

    I have discovered the use of wood vine (it goes by different names in various regions) and keeping the stems and foliage of sweet peas very long, as lovely trailing accents in flower arrangements. The book looks beautiful, dreamy.

    Reply
  460. Lauri-Ann on

    What a lovely interview to brighten-up the rainy day we are having!
    Lately, I have found myself drawn to the elements of dried and discarded nature. My favorites bouquet items at the moment are dried poppy seed heads, inserted with delicate strings of dangling angel hair moss. I am also a huge fan of stones, fossils and wood, and find water-sculpted drift wood pair in an unexpected glorious way with robust, beautiful blooms.

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  461. Jessie Zanella on

    Bead Fern stems were my favorite ingredient for wreaths this year. I used them as they were in more organic wreaths and painted them for the ones with metallic elements.

    Reply
  462. Jane Myers on

    In my winter bouquets I love a base of Heavenly Banboo Berries and adding mustard green flowers, Lambs ear in spring, Hosta and Ferns in my summer bouquets, Coleus in Fall Bouquets –

    Reply
  463. Jeanne Marlatt on

    I really love the look of hops and thornless blackberry stems in arrangements. My favorite though is when I owned my home and had two huge planters on either side of my driveway. I would traipse around my 1 acre cutting branches of whatever was in season or just greenery, but the main ingredient was always pampas grass and create huge seasonal arrangements that I let age and dry. When there was enough variation into the next season, I would start all over. Often neighbors would stop when they saw me on my step stool creating these massive displays and tell me how much fun I brought to our country neighborhood. Those were fun times.

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  464. Kathi Graves on

    I watch for the wild thistles along the railroad track in a nearby office park to bloom in the summer. It’s prickly business, but their pale purply goodness makes the most gorgeous display in my house. For someone who supposedly “hates purple,” I’m happy to make this exception.

    Thanks in advance for making me one of the 5 winners…šŸ¤­šŸ¤©šŸ’

    Reply
  465. Sandy on

    Some years ago I grew cilantro in my small garden. I was surprised and delighted after that first year to realize that the plant reseeded itself! Now, besides enjoying it in our food, I love the delicate stems with sweet tiny white flowers snuggled into bouquets! It has become so fun discovering where it is going to pop up each season!

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  466. Christie on

    I love mixing in edibles and herbs to my arrangements and highlighting that my customers can pluck from their fresh bouquet throughout the week when cooking or for tea. Basil, tulsi, oregano, rosemary, sage, and tiny tomatoes. Gives an unexpected sensory layered relationship to their experience and connection to the flowers and foliage.

    Reply
  467. Elizabeth on

    I was most inspired by how Ariella views color – I totally relate to the desire to bring in vibrant colors rather than just sticking with white and green. It made me think of the floral arrangements at my wedding and how thrilled I was to have colorful bouquet instead of the typical shades of white.

    Reply
  468. Sandra Knauf on

    Thank you for this interview. I became very excited when I saw the dinner table display with the golden oyster mushrooms and other gorgeous fungi and moss! Oh, those jewel tones! Taking it to the kingdom fungi is definitely expanding to another beautiful level of nature and heightened awareness . . . I loved it so!

    Reply
  469. Deborah Lemmer on

    I was inspired by the photos in this interview – so natural and soothing somehow. I appreciated how she encourages not to stay stuck in one tone or color group. Too much of that now in my opinion. Grabbing things from nature, watching for them as we walk through our livesā€¦just as it should beā€¦bringing the outside in.

    Reply
  470. Daryl S. on

    These photos. Wow. I am just getting started on my flower girl journey, but boy am I so excited and inspired to create.

    Reply
  471. Marlo Roberts on

    I love adding pearly everlasting and wild yarrow to my bouquets.

    Reply
  472. Laine Golden on

    My husband and I have recently moved to Snohomish, Washington from Florida. I am delighted everyday with what nature has to offer here. Manicured florist arrangements have never spoken to me, while arms of wildflowers have filled me with joy. Finding Queen Anneā€™s lace along my cycling trail gives me a quilty pleasure as I clip a few to bring back home to fill a bud vase. Your interview with Arielle Chezar has me looking at our property with new eyes. I am now anxious for what wildness will bloom here this year that I could bring into our home and attempt to creatively arrange in Arielle Chezarā€™s style. Thank you Erin for bringing this person into my world. I have been smitten with you and your farm since viewing your first series. I fell more in love with your second season, your story of Nancy and her rose garden. I have one of your books and some seed packets and am hopeful Iā€™ll be able to grow a few of your beauties. I am now further inspired to be able to bring the outdoors in all year long after reading this interview. Thank you. Best, Laine Golden

    Reply
  473. Darlene MacDonald on

    Thank you for sharing your love for the natural; look to nature & enjoy whatā€™s surrounding you. How enlightening; I will take more time to enjoy & notice whatā€™s in the pastures & ditches close to home. Sounds like great therapy!
    Thank you. Canā€™t wait to purchase your newest book!
    Thank you Erin for sharing this interview. I love how you connect & share others success!

    Reply
  474. Peggy Hill on

    I love making arrangements even though I’m not very good at it. I like using hydrangea flowers before and after they change colors. I also like to add the flowers and seed pods from Black Berry Lilies.

    Reply
  475. Janet Dillard on

    My three easy to find fillers are asparagus fronds, rosemary and oregano. In the winter I often use my dried flowers left for bird hiding spots to add a dark rice color to a bouquet.

    Reply
  476. Kathy Parks on

    I almost always find a way to incorporate herbs in my arrangements… thyme, rosemary, tarragon …the scent, texture and sweet flowers just add another dimension to the bouquet in my opinion.

    Reply
  477. Sara on

    Thank you so much for this lovely interview! I want to read all of Ariella’s books now! I love using the wild honeysuckle that grows along our back fence and helps feed our bees. Also, anything growing in our vegetable garden is fair game, as well as the treasures that my children find. I was actually inspired by Ariella’s deep concern for the future of our beautiful natural world. I share her concern and find great hope in the fact that Mary chose to use Castilian roses for the winter miracle on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico in 1531. I have faith that beauty and goodness will prevail! That shot of the mushrooms is just spectacular and may we please talk about Ariella’s beautiful hat?!

    Reply
  478. Jill Wittig on

    I like to use thistles and rose hips. They are so numerous here it is not unusual to see them in arrangements. They are wild and beautiful and add a spark

    Reply
  479. Michelle Enns on

    I love using the dried elements from the southwestern US desert. It’s possible to make a very beautiful bouquet using only desert ingredients. And right now the spring flowers are just starting to bloom in the mountains and I can’t wait to go pick handfuls and make bold, wild bouquets of wildflowers.

    Reply
  480. Jill R Ruskamp on

    One of my favorite and unexpected elements to add to arrangements are sticks. To elevate them, I should call them branches, but to many they are “sticks” because I use the downed old wood ones too. This book looks amazing!

    Reply
  481. Maura Balog on

    Love adding dandelions to my Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley windowsill vases, and to gather small cheery late summer bouquets from the golden rod, purple asters and daisies (flea bane?) that grow in my back field! Youā€™ve inspired me to look into working in some grape vines and berry branches too, that grow along the border of my property!

    Reply
  482. Susan on

    Iā€™m so excited to be introduced to Ariella! Her work aligns perfectly with what I love about a life filled with nature and flowers. Thank you for giving us all a peek inside her new book!

    My favorite wild elements are raspberry and blueberry branches that I add to bouquets overflowing with floppy garden roses, cascading catmint, and variegated mint that I mistakenly let loose in my garden. Iā€™m inspired to find more vines and trailing plants to swoop all over the place and Iā€™m curious about so many possibilities described not only by Ariella but also by all the comments here!

    Reply
  483. Martha Bryan on

    I live in Vermont, and we have lovely native milkweed, goldenrod, asters in the fall, and blue vervain, which is just so fun! I love using the flowers that grow in the meadows all around my flower farm, especially the Joe Pye Weed! Iā€™m so thankful for people that use native plants in their arrangements that help people see beyond shipped flowers!

    Reply
  484. Kait on

    Mushrooms! Would have never through, but they look so insanely beautiful! Love it! Thank you for this interview. ā¤ļø

    Reply
  485. Kathleen on

    Ariella inspired me to forge ahead with my spring flower garden. It can be a daunting task-getting all those seeds sewn and moved out to the garden. But sheā€™s excited me with the idea of adding in some nontraditional elements to both my garden and my bouquets. Canā€™t wait to get started and would love a copy of her latest book!

    Reply
  486. Jennifer McClendon on

    A favorite ingredient of mine is certainly thornless raspberry. It can be used at all stages of its growth, from when it has blossoms, to green berries, to mature raspberries and of course its foliage.

    Reply
  487. Debbie Dowling on

    The most fun elements to incorporate into decorative floral arrangements has been have been finding half hickory nut shells that the squirrels leave behind in my yard. Also I love using cotton stems blooms that some of the farmers in our area are willing to share before their crop is harvested

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  488. Marnie Morris on

    This book will join Floretā€™s Cut Flower Garden on my coffee table. I will definitely be ordering a copy and am so excited to thumb through these wild, unscripted, grounded and breathtaking images. I love how she incorporated mushrooms into the table centrepiece. My favourite additions to arrangements in the summer are the cat tails, pussy willows and spent dandelions that grow just outside our home. What a beautiful interview and a beautiful book!

    Reply
  489. Cheryl Mayr on

    I love this book, especially for its wild ideas. In the fall I make about 50 arrangements in pumpkins, I tell people just harvest whats in your yard, I love what peonies give me, jester hats that are amazing, cattails, oak leaves, bittersweet curly branches, eucalyptus, coneflower dried heads, wheat, and beautiful mums, gerbera daisies, and one of my faves lisianthus.

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  490. CJ Wilcox on

    I love putting herbs in arrangements, especially in the winter–oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint. They work both when alive or dry/brown and lend a beautiful fragrance to the room, too. Thank you for this beautiful interview ā¤ļø

    Reply
  491. Heidi Barnett on

    I have always loved incorporating anything that grows wild into arrangements. Every time Iā€™m out in nature Iā€™m constantly seeing ferns, grasses, berries, and unique leaves I want to use in arrangements. Probably one of my favorite things to utilize is seasonal berries. People are always surprised and so excited when they see ripe blackberries or raspberries in an arrangement.

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  492. Bethany S on

    Iā€™m newer to making bouquets but herbs was a new one to me. Sage and Apple mint!

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  493. Brett F on

    Dried golden rod blooms! Many people probably think it’s just a dead weed, but you can’t beat that bronze/gold color!

    Reply
  494. Elizabeth Tovar on

    Spring branches of choke cherry are my absolute favorite unexpected arrangement inclusion. People are amazed by the variation of color in the leaves and by the sweet little stems of choke cherry buds.

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  495. Sharyn Sowell on

    I love long trailing wispy clematis and cherries dangling from a bit of branch.

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  496. Alida aka Missdaisy on

    I am always thrilled to read interviews like this: where people are going above and beyond the normal. I love arranging with whatā€™s out there too. I found new interest last Summer in the endless supply of peas in my garden and sweet peas: such a fantastic filler in a beautiful table scape. And then thereā€™s nasturtiums too! Oh, they were so sweet: opening each little flower on their trailing stems. It decorated many spaces in our home with their friendly faces and long arms. Go smell them again and again. Thank you for beautifying your own little world – and teach/inspire others to do the same šŸ™ŒšŸ»šŸŒ»šŸŒ»

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  497. Catherine Dean on

    First I snip around my yard anything wispy and green. When the bushes pop and are full of bees I take the tips of fragrant young branches of early spring growth, forsythia always adds grace. The early sprouts of climbing roses gathered during pruning add drape and color. Even leaves from irises add color and texture without ruining the plant.

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  498. Kami on

    I love adding sea lavender from the garden to homemade arrangements! It is a gorgeous perennial that blooms towards the end of the summer up here in Canada, and dries beautifully. Thank you for this amazing interview – it looks like a stunning book, canā€™t wait to read it!

    Reply
  499. Christina on

    Being from the southern U.S., it was natural to clip and use the lovely Crape Myrtle branches that bloom abundantly through our summer heat in my home arrangements. The vivid color was pure joy.

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  500. Brenda on

    Love in a puff is so whimsical, also love raspberries and their foliage as well!

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  501. Meg King on

    Lovely interview! My favorite unexpected plant in a bouquet is cannabis sativa! Such a beautiful plant and I love the reaction people have when they recognize itšŸ¤£

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  502. Katie on

    I love using lichen covered sticks!

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  503. Kaitlin on

    I like adding in branches of Autumn Oliveā€¦ itā€™s actually an invasive species where I live so the few that are growing naturally on my property are kept very pruned and short by my constant cuttings!

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  504. Kandy on

    I enjoy adding wild grasses, branches that look like sculpture all year long along with lot and lots of magnolia varieties! āœØ

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  505. Jan on

    Most unexpected-my daughter came home early, yesterday, to bring me an arrangement in my sisterā€™s favorites. My sister passed away yesterday.

    Reply
  506. Suzanne Niedrich on

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful book. Full of inspiration and the “space to dream”. Just yesterday I trimmed 3 branches from my tulip magnolia tree that is already in bloom and put them in a pretty vase – each bloom was at a different stage so I can watch them open! Thank you.

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  507. Martha Carrington on

    “Combining colors has always been intuitive for me.”
    “Whenever I am allowed to be creative, I am happy.”
    “the natural world that binds me to all the things that I adore and treasure. Trees, flowers, grasses, weeds, the animals that live amongst themā€”they are my constant inspiration, my love.”
    All of these statements deeply resonated with me.
    As a mom of 4 and on the very edge empty nesting, it’s creativity in gardening and interior styling for myself and others that has buoyed me along these decades. I am beyond grateful Nature will continue to carry and lead me through this next big shift.
    Creativity is my favorite way to contribute to the world. And it all started as I began tending to old peony beds I inherited with the property where I live on a family farm. Whether it’s continuing love on those stunning peonies, restoring the farm garden area through the pandemic or helping home owners love their spaces,…now at age 54, I’m understanding and trusting more my *creative intuition.*
    My soul is soothed and lifted whenever I encounter others who inspire me to keep creating,…like Floret and now Ariella.
    Discovering her through this interview is pure joy for me! Thank you!

    Reply
  508. Lynn Bryant on

    While family camping for a week in Northern MN we found a dead butterfly on one of our walks. The butterfly was perfect. We picked many wildflowers and the butterfly was the highlight of several arrangements during the week on our picnic table in the screenhouse.

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  509. Beth Borchers on

    I find the entire interview inspiring and would melt to own her book. I am new to flower farming but not new to my appreciation, adoration, and love of the Miracles we call flowers.
    The part I found most inspiring was being aware of what’s happening around you. Good advice for life! But that she is always seeing, viewing, pulling in inspiration from what’s growing along the side of the road.
    Thank you Erin. Your generous, gentle heart is so apparent in all that you do. I am blown away by the amount of information and beauty that you GIVE away through your library of information. I deeply appreciate you!šŸ’–šŸ’šŸ¦‹

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  510. Sue on

    I was in college and happened past some wild sweet peas on the side of the road. After picking a huge bouquet for my apartment I brought them home and placed them in a vase. What a thrill to have a free flower arrangement! The next thing I saw walking past my sweet peas was a huge swarm of ants that came in on the flowers. I had to laugh, got rid of the ants and enjoyed the sweet peas for days.

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  511. Robin Lensi on

    I love incorporating branches from my garden intertwined with flowers when creating bouquets. Thank you for the interview. Fascinating

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  512. Amanda on

    Wow. Her work is beautiful. I love the wild and rugged nature- this marriage of the wild and the more tame flowers in her bouquets. I feel inspired to do a walk about gathering the unexpected. One of my favorite ingredients to put in my bouquets are willow branches. In each season they provide such interesting colors and lines. In the spring they have a beautiful lime-yellow green, but in the fall their changing leaves offer such little bounces of different hues.

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  513. Pauline DeCloedt on

    My walks will never be the same after reading your blog. Iā€™ll be looking for inspiration along the roadway and in the ditches of our country road. Iā€™m making large displays of branches this winter which is new and exciting for me. My coffee table is graced with forrced daffodils in clay pots surrounded by moss. Iā€™ve previously incorporated blackberries with my garden flowers but will now be inspired to think ā€˜wildā€™. Wild, crazy wild. Thank you.

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  514. Kelly on

    Thank you for sharing this lovely interview and for highlighting such a fresh and inspiring book! I feel like I am forever scouring ditches, woodlands and bogs for fresh ingredients to integrate into my floral design and accompany my other grown flowers. In the Spring, I am often looking to raspberry or blackberry canes for texture and greens, but in the heart of summer I have fallen in love with “Swamp Verbena”. It is this highly textured cluster of blooms branching off of one stem with a subtle yet fierce pop of purple set against brown. They definitely give off a witch’s fingers vibe and create a world of movement in arrangements. The range of colours it can be worked in with is also outstanding! Keep exploring!

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  515. Becca on

    Iā€™ve been loving using tomatoes. I grew a variety last year that were a gorgeous deep shade but took forever to ripen and didnā€™t taste very good. They looked phenomenal in bouquets!

    Reply
  516. April on

    I love using clusters of green berries from my alpine strawberry patch – they are such a fun little surprise in boutonnieres, bouquets, flower crowns and bud vases. And the flowers look just like feverfew or tiny daisies.

    Reply
  517. Christy Lin on

    To be able to get my hands on a cherry blossom branch and bring such a beautiful piece of nature indoors is probably the most joyous experience Iā€™ve had with blooms to date! It elevates the space and your mood along with it, and I canā€™t stop looking at it. Definitely therapy for the soul :)

    Reply
  518. Sandra Meinen on

    I love to incorporate evergreen magnolia leaves into arrangements as the copper tones underneath add an element of surprise to the project.

    Reply
  519. Cynthia Boyd on

    Leading up to fall in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada), my garden and the surrounding woods and common-land spaces become rich with dogberries, rose hips, and red and yellow dogwood stems. On a few occasions, I have combined these with spent Clematis Nelly Moser seed heads, Ninebark, and a few small cones and stems of Alder in a large, matte black Wedgewood vase (inherited from a rose-gardener friend); sometimes I have added sunflowers and/or hydrangeas to add interest to the somewhat, entangled wild theme of these fall arrangements, mostly for myself to enjoy in my home (and the cats who also love dabbing at the whispy stems and tendrils!). Thanks Erin and the Floret Team for an amazing, inspiring interview with Ariella.

    Reply
  520. Anne on

    Now I know what to do with the weeds and the brambles!

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  521. Reena on

    Thank you for this beautiful conversation and book recommendation! My favorite surprise element these days are Nigella transformer seed pods!

    Reply
  522. Renata Shakirova on

    Thank you for the interview it was very interesting to read for the next questions!
    Itā€™s very inspiring and supportive to know that such a professional has the same ideas that Iā€™ve had in my head since childhood: observing nature and imagining how a field violet could grow on my table. I always return from a walk with an armful of branches covered with moss and I have always been concerned with the question of how to extend the life of ā€œweedsā€ or wild wildflowers in a composition. I hope in Ariella’s new book she will reveal her secrets ā˜ŗļø
    Thank you once again for the inspiration, with love and appreciation, Renata

    Reply
  523. Amber Abele on

    I have Arielleā€™s other books and was not aware this was coming out so Iā€™m very excited! I spent a 10 hour day making over-the-top arrangements and bouquets for my wedding 7 years ago and have never wanted to do anything else since! The creative freedom in flower arranging is inspiring and therapeutic. One of my favorite things to arrange with are branches of my Bridalwreath Spirea, in every season!

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  524. Rebecca Allen Lamptey on

    Such an inspiration to see Ariellas work in this interview! Personally I have always loved to walk out into the forest and pick branches, moss, blueberry bramble and colorful brush that is growing in the wild and added that to my table decorations with flowers. I also love to walk through a vegetable garden and find leaves, stems, seeds pods, and vines to pair with my flower areangements.

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  525. Kristen H on

    I love using “dead” branches right now – dried out wildflowers, dried out sunflowers, unique sticks or wild grasses, or anything that looks brown and dead. I love the life and dimension that brings as you add it to florals that are healthy and colorful.

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  526. Heather on

    Last fall just before a frost, it was my turn to create an arrangement for the altar at St. Markā€™s. A friend had planted an old vegetable garden entirely in zinnias when he became tired of the neighborā€™s peacocks and peahens pulling up his vegetables. We cut every single one of them and filled two enormous standing brass urns with zinnias and trailing vines from my wisteria. For one glorious Sunday it was astonishing. The next day the wisteria vines wilted and the arrangements had to be pulled apart and remade into smaller arrangements to go home with parishioners. Lesson learned..when playing with new plants, test them first for vase life! thanks Erin for sharing your experience with the vase life of flowers with us.

    Reply
  527. Sarah Head on

    I really love the unexpected surprises of foraging – last year it was a beautifully striking cabbage raab from a neighborā€™s field, a patch of perfect lunaria, and a wild legume that had the loveliest twisty dried pods.

    Reply
  528. Julie on

    I live in Eastern WA and love to use all different types of tall brown grasses in bouquets. What a beautiful interview, book, and person!

    Reply
  529. Maureen A. Conner on

    I love mixing in wild golden rod before the buds open for my arrangements. I dry it at that stage too. Thank you for this opportunity, fascinating interview!

    Reply
  530. Carmen Peachey on

    Herbs and vines or shrubs around the property are great!

    Reply
  531. Kassie on

    I live in the city, but back when I drove regularly to the country, I kept flower clippers in the car as I passed interesting roadside ā€œweeds.ā€ I discovered one of my favorites, Joe Pye Weed, this way. I still keep clippers in the glove compartment. When the car was broken into two weeks ago, my first thought was, ā€œ Did they take the clippers?!ā€ They did not! Yay!

    Reply
  532. Candace Everts on

    I live on a small farm with so many trees and Iā€™ve been completely focused on planting & growing flowers. I enjoy the ā€œwildā€ but havenā€™t really thought to pull them in. Erin has been my inspiration:). Iā€™m excited to use some of what I have and put less pressure on myself after reading this interview! Iā€™m also going to put some scissors in my truck in case I pass a great ditch! Lol As always, thank you!

    Reply
  533. Lori on

    ā€œ Whenever I am allowed to be creative, I am happy. There are many, many experiences I feel deeply grateful for, but it is the connections that stand out above all else.ā€

    These sentiments speak to me like nothing else. How true they are! Our souls are starving for creativity & connection. Gratitude, humility, creativity, connection and nature. Sounds like the perfect recipe for happiness.

    Reply
  534. AndrƩe-Anne Mahoney on

    Never thought of adding weeds or clematis vine to a bouquet. Will definitely be experiencing more of the Ā«Ā humble elementsĀ Ā». Canā€™t wait to get the book. Thank you for this interview.

    Reply
  535. Lindsay on

    I love the idea and practice of bringing in a little bit of the more wild or untamed elements. I dabble in making arrangements for my place, but the last couple years have tended towards sending simple hand tied bouquets out to friends and families. I’d like to incorporate a few of the more unique elements into those bouquets to add a touch of charm and personality. What a beautiful book and interview; thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  536. Renee Fisher on

    I have a neighbor who has a huge curly willow tree right in the middle of her backyard. Every year, in early spring, she allows me to prune it for her, and I get to keep all them branches. They are fabulously curly and add so much interest to a large arrangement of flowers or even just as stand-alone bundle in a large vessel!

    Reply
  537. Amy on

    I like using wild rose hips late in the season. I also have enjoyed using herbs that have gone to seed like cilantro and dill.

    Reply
  538. Robyn Sowers on

    I love foriaging on the side of roads or when we are out on adventures. I cut flowering branches, Eucalyptus, wild flowers, pompas grass, olive branches, pine branches anything beautiful and inspiring.

    Reply
  539. Jillian on

    What beautiful work, so inspiring! Thank you for sharing this lovely book. I love adding wild rose hips and late season grasses that can be found on my daily walks in autumn, the time of year when the world of flowers is starting to wind down. I love when I find something new, itā€™s like a treasure hunt!

    Reply
  540. Suzette Salmon on

    Iā€™m inspired by wild flowers. The springlike temperature is revealing nettles in bloom a reminder that these weeds emerge before most bulbs.
    How lovely it is to walk with nature šŸƒ

    Reply
  541. B. Steward on

    I love the beauty and blooms in the garden so much that I can’t bear to cut them and shorten their lives. I attempt to be very mindful of which things are blooming when and create, walk amongst, luxuriate in, and be a part of outdoor rooms.

    Reply
  542. Renee Zarate on

    I was very inspired by her interview to pay attention to my surroundings and try to notice what natural beauty I’m blessed with. My ” unusual” (to some people but not here) floral arrangements are generally fresh herbs mixed with whatever flowers I happen to grow. I love mixing herbs into whatever I have, they’re especially precious when in flower. I mix the herbs and flowers into salads.

    Reply
  543. Laurie Taylor on

    I love foraging for unexpected elements in my designs. Some of my favorites include various grasses, solidago, milkweeds, herbs, flowering branches, and brambles. I am a farmer-florist and very much live and celebrate the seasonality of nature. Our offerings at farmers markets and to florists and designers evolve week to week through our perennial plantings and foraging. This was a great interview and very inspirational. Thank you!

    Reply
  544. Clara on

    Floret has made me want to change my career to be closer to nature. Thank you for interviewing Ariella. She too is an inspiration, although I didnā€™t know who she was until you featured her. I love your account and I thank you for letting me live vicariously through your posts.

    Reply
  545. Eileen Rust on

    My favorite part of the interview was during the question of colors – ā€œ The easiest way to combine colors is to layer them and to work tonally, something you do so beautifullyā€ – and where using too many colors of different values looks like an argument. This so true!! When I plant my dahlia cutting garden I try to visualize the colors that will come from the photos on the website but then I am always surprised by which blooms show well together. Itā€™s magic!! Thank you for this wonderful interview.

    Reply
  546. Amy Aiken on

    Wow! I love the idea of using more local blooms. We live near Great Smoky Mointains National Park & the dogwoods and rhododendrons are my favorites in spring!

    Reply
  547. Debra Whitesel on

    I love to incorporate branches from our Bald Cypress trees. Their wispy, fern like leaves fill the vase with a fairy like ambiance! Tree branches have a lot to add to bouquets!
    Canā€™t wait to see the book in person!

    Reply
  548. Lorna Corso on

    There are no weedsā€¦it is all in the eye of the beholder. You will often find a weed or ā€œundesirableā€ in my flower arrangements at my table, on a kitchen counter, or welcoming a friend in a guest bedroom.

    Reply
  549. Wilma Vreeswijk on

    Thank you for featuring this book. I love the wild gardens married with the cultivated gardens. On our farm we are increasingly cultivating the beauty of the naturalized meadow. And the birds and butterflies have responded with enthusiasm! I love the beauty of dahlias, roses and lavender in my cultivated beds but equally the milkweed, daisies, achilleas, goldenrod, blue hyssop in the meadow.

    Reply
  550. tanya wilhelm on

    The shrooms! Have taken photos of their fascinating architecture and textures but had not considered them for floral work. But why not?!

    Reply
  551. Barb Anderson on

    I love taking photos of nature. I especially love using the changing autumn colours as a backdrop. This year I’ve been inspired to grow my own cut flower garden with seeds I ordered from you. I can’t wait to get some beautiful golden hour photos with my grandkids in amongst the flowers in the natural green backdrop of my acreage.

    Reply
  552. Laurie Pitsenbarger on

    I love to walk around my yard even in cold winter Minnesota and use the hibernating stems and seed pods. There is so many nuances of color and texture when you start to look really close.

    Reply
  553. Amy on

    Viburnum opulus is one of the plants I use the most in my bouquets with its white flowers in the spring and gorgeous fall leaves and red berries.

    Reply
  554. Theresa Rounds on

    For me, I find great joy in creating seasonal arrangements for two antique cast iron urns near my front entry from what is growing in my garden. This past fall and winter I used dried stalks from my Bear’s Breeches, seed heads from my Crocosmias and seed pods from Baptisias and dry Hydrangea flowers . I love watching how the arrangements change from the colors when first out together to how they age as they experience the arrival of the seasons weather. Like the white hydrangea that had changed to a chartreuse green before being cut for the arrangement that then faded to beautiful shades of ivory and caramels…allowing the entire arrangement to age gracefully taking on a sepia tonal beauty like a still life piece of art. Yes taking parts of what you’ve worked with nature to grow and give it yet another way to show it’s beauty is very gratifying and joyous indeed.

    Reply
  555. Cris Jilk on

    What inspired me is how she looks at EVERYTHINGā€¦weeds, grasses, things along the side of the road. It means endless possibilities for arrangement and total immersion in your environment. This combination along with her unique creativity is magic. It inspires me to try this in my unique place and space.

    Reply
  556. Heather L on

    I am most inspired by the encouragement to make things ā€œa little offā€¦ for space to dreamā€. Recognizing imperfection as a provocation for creativity is an energizing way of seeing the world. Thank you for helping bring Ariellaā€™s magic to all of us!

    Reply
  557. kelly on

    your favorite unexpected or wilder bouquet ingredients…

    arrangement of low scented flowers and then tucking in beautiful herbs. the thrill and unexpected scent they play on the mind is very intriguing.

    thanks for the opportunity :)

    Reply
  558. cynthia monahon on

    nigella pods and garlic scapes have worked to make some arrangements interesting for me!

    Reply
  559. Maddy on

    Simply stunning! Lovely in every sense of the word.
    I enjoy when someone has a creative gift to see and think outside the box…in an unexpected way because nature is like that. No two flowers are exactly the same. Uniquely singular and yet a work of art in and of themselves. Ariella has the gift of putting them on a living canvass for us to enjoy. I was blessed.
    Thank you for sharing the interview.

    Reply
  560. Heather Blackburn on

    I really connected with Ariella’s comment about noticing what happening on the side of the road. I am always scanning the ditches for native ingredients. I challenge myself to a weekly “foraged flower” arrangement during the season with some of my favorites being: goldenrod (at every stage of bloom, but I particularly love the chartreuse just before it blooms), bladder campion, and wild lupin. Sometimes if I’m lucky the beach will have wild sweetpea. Cattails add lovely texture to mixed arrangements. I can’t wait for spring….

    Reply
  561. Elena on

    I do not regularly make arrangements, but itā€™s something I want to spend more time doing and learning about. I go crazy for moss, mushrooms, tree branches. I got so excited when I saw the photograph from your new book with exactly those elements! My heart bursts with excitement and happiness when I look at flowers, trees, and all things nature. I look forward to reading your book!

    Reply
  562. Annabelle on

    Just seeing the amazingly beautiful and colorful arrangements was inspiring to me! My sister has asked me to grow the flowers for her wedding this summer, so I am trying to soak up all the information I can get. I like to use any cool textured plants I happen to find in the woods for my arrangements, though I donā€™t know most of their names!

    Reply
  563. HHill on

    Nine Bark branches and wild grasses, also wheat looks so beautiful in fall arrangements.

    Reply
  564. Donalda Gale on

    I live in central Manitoba in Canada. While I am very new to floral arranging I will always remember visiting a friend in Churchill. She added yarrow to her bouquets and this has stayed with me. I love that touch of yellow they provide. Thank you for sharing more about Ariella through the interview. The way she uses ā€˜wildā€™ aspects in her arrangements is appealing to me.

    Reply
  565. Jamie Gentry on

    Iā€™m inspired by the creativity and reminder to think outside the box.

    Reply
  566. Jennifer on

    Last fall I found swamp rose mallow seed pods that look like dried flowers themselves that are slowly opening. I loved them in arrangements for interest and a different texture.

    Reply
  567. Alison Weidemann on

    My favorite wild ingredients have branches and pods, or wild Iowa prairie grasses. I also love willows.

    Reply
  568. Susan Dittman on

    From my young young years of childhood for the love of flowers that I’ve always had, learning of horticulture and flower gardening has always been a vocation for me and working educating and teaching and decorating with flowers all my life,,
    Foraging and seeing things from the roadside as a child and even to this day as you described I always look forward to that seeing different things growing each year of the seasons and using them in floral decorating arrangements and little vases big vases that it interest an unexpected turn to the normal floral design is the most rewarding.
    As I teach others Master gardeners and horticulturists and the closest of my friends and family as well They are intrigued by that.

    Being self-employed and decorating flowers for clients in their own homes as you described I do the same as well, educating others. And to see the joy on their faces when everything looks so beautiful that is the most rewarding feeling anyone could give someone else.

    The beauty has surrounded me my whole life and I share that with others just as you have a beautiful story and a beautiful book,
    I’ve only wished to do the same and spread that to others as best as I can.

    Thank you Erin, I purchased some of your seeds plant in the garden and use for Cornell cooperative extension in Nassau county for our cut flower garden,
    I give and do so much as part of a team everyone loves to learn new things and there are so many gardens of interest at the farm that I can cut and use flowers and branches etc for all the bouquets that we make everyone loves them!!!

    Reply
  569. Kelsey hazelton on

    I love incorporating horseradish leaves. Someone planted them years ago on my property and the large light green and sometimes feathered leaves evoke curiosity and wild whimsy.

    Reply
  570. Judy Olson on

    I like to use berries and their blooms also, tiny tomatoes on the vine, seed pods, branches. I am always looking for treasures on my walks. I bring home interesting branches that have blown down in a wind storm and incorporate it or pieces of it into my floral arrangements.

    I love this Interview and canā€™t wait to own this book.

    Reply
  571. MaryAnne Flynn on

    Thanks for sharing this interview, especially at this time of year when Iā€™m itching to start working in my garden. My dad liked to make bouquets out of what some people might think was almost nothing. He did this by combining many textures of leaves and flowers and displaying them in a beautiful vessel of some sort. I see that in Arielleā€™s work and Iā€™d like to incorporate that in my flower arranging this year.

    Reply
  572. Donna Palmer on

    I live on a farm and have used small corn plants for greenery in arrangements. There are so many options from nature when making floral arrangements.

    Reply
  573. Lauren Jansen on

    Iā€™m taking away how grounded Ariella is in and with nature, how enveloped she is. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  574. Anne Koski on

    Dyers woad is an invasive weed that I work hard to pull and keep from spreading on my propertyā€¦but i will put it in a bouquetā€¦.its so airy and dainty.

    Reply
  575. Debbie on

    I love using unexpected elements in arrangements. I grow a type of kale that has a lacey blue green type of leaf and love using this in arrangements. Iā€™ve also used dead cholla branches as well.

    Reply
  576. Shawna on

    This interview is so inspiring. I love the conversation about choosing and working with color. I will watch my color values much closer. I also love the importance of connection and I will be looking for some wilder elements to incorporate into my arrangements. Thank you for sharing this beautiful interview with us!

    Reply
  577. Jolene on

    I have loved using this airy, whimsical grass that I find near our downspout. I wish I knew its name, to intentionally plant in my cutting garden. Also, greenery from the perennial asters that have taken over a corner of my garden.

    Reply
  578. Sally on

    Beautiful and inspiring interview! Loved the snippets you shared on IG and here in the interview. Mother Nature, in all her glory has beauty. Love the thought that our experiences and internal monologue plays into our arrangements and garden experiences. Last year I started experimenting with herbs (dill, ornamental basil, kirigami oregano) and fruiting branches (raspberry, blueberry, beauty berry). Love the unexpected fillers. Thinking outside the box to create a fuller, unusual arrangement, to encourage taking a longer look to discover what is hidden within.

    Reply
  579. Jane Hess on

    When I was young and first married, we lived in an apartment complex that was surrounded by open fields. I used to walk those fields with my camera to photograph little vignettes and gather bits of grasses and small flowers to take home. Sadly, those fields have all been built upon and city dwellers rarely have the opportunity to explore wildness in their own neighborhood. Nature has always been a calming, mysterious comfort for me. As a child, I roamed the alley behind our house and gathered sparkly rocks. Once home, I opened them with a hammer to find the amazing minerals inside. I hope these books will help people see the beauty in natural, less staged, home beauty.

    Reply
  580. Jamie Lee on

    We have a few acres of forest so I love going though and finding branches, fruit branches, wildflowers, whatever it may be. I also love to add mint to my bouquets which has inevitably grown everywhere from my garden. Seed heads of wild carrot can be cute too!
    Thank you for sharing this beautiful interview, I love the creativity of this floral artist šŸ’—

    Reply
  581. Jan Fritz on

    This year, I experimented for the first time with the pods of a golden raintree. We have a historical mansion in our town which has an arboretum. My local garden club, of which I am the president, was privileged to have a private tour of the arboretum and description of the trees. It happened to be in the fall when these magnificent pods were in their glory, and I got permission to cut some. What fun it was to add them to all kinds of arrangements, though they are tissue paper fragile to work with! They are just magnificent and totally unique to me. It was wonderful to play with them.

    Reply
  582. Kimberley Hoskin on

    lovely interview and beautiful work!

    My favorite ‘sauce’ for arrangements:

    I love to use fallen branches that have moss on them in arrangements giving them height, variegated color and texture.
    It provides a harder element juxtaposed against the soft flowers
    Using my garden debris helps to clean up and find a place for repurposing!

    Reply
  583. Cynthia Sobczak on

    What a beautiful and talented woman.I love how she shares her compassion towards nature and the unfortunate effect man has had upon it .
    Where I live , Bull Rushes are plentiful, gorgeous on mass, but difficult to incorporate in bouquets.
    It would be wonderful to be a lucky recipient of this amazing book..
    Thank you for introducing Arielle to me and her passionate work.
    Cynthia

    Reply
  584. Allison on

    My favorite “weird bit” (as I call them) to add to arrangements lately has been *sticks with moss & lichen* on them! I especially love a good twisty, gnarly branch… it’s so fun to pair softer delicate flowers and wispy foliage with a funky branch covered in moss & lichen <3

    This was a wonderful interview, thank you!

    Reply
  585. Denise on

    What a wonderful reminder to view your morning walk, your backyard or your neighbors yard;) differently! To really open your creative mind and see beauty that can be sourced in unexpected places.

    Reply
  586. Nichola on

    In the deep summer here in the south, the weeds produce a lot of beautiful filler pieces. I love walking into the wilder parts of my property and finding new things to add interest to my usual arrangements. It was really neat seeing the photos where Ariella had used similar branches in ways I hadn’t thought of.

    Reply
  587. Davia on

    This interview has inspired me to not look for the obvious ingredients or ā€œsafeā€ ones that I know how to work with well but to start trying new things.

    For bouquets I love mixing in fruit or tomato vines for that wild unexpected touch

    Reply
  588. Maureen on

    One of my favorite bouquet ingredients has been branches of Kerria japonica. Cute yellow pom pom flowers on beautiful arching branches. Always a gorgeous result with any focal flowers!

    Reply
  589. Amanda on

    I love to use branches off our lilac tree, I love greenery and looked around the yard at what we already had, it added so much to my bouquet!

    Reply
  590. Amanda W on

    My favorite moment of unexpected wild ingredients was for my wedding bouquet. I was growing the flowers for my wedding and bouquet myself, but the weather did not cooperate at all; I was using sheets to cover things up in the middle of May as snow was coming down! Needless to say many varieties didn’t bloom in time for my mid-June wedding, but the wildflowers and weeds came to my rescue! None of the Queen Ann’s Lace or Bells of Ireland I’d so carefully cultivated were ready, but I sent my father out to drive along the side of the road until he gathered a couple buckets of the hardy local queen Ann’s lace variety. A beautiful tall, yellow spike wildflower was growing out of a crack in this sidewalk leading up to my house, which I was also overjoyed to add to my bouquet.

    By the time I was done forging and harvesting the things that did bloom in time I had an absolutely spectacular bouquet. When I look at my wedding pictures the memories of putting together my bouquet always bring a smile to my face, even more so than if everything had gone as planned!

    Reply
  591. Loretta Heard on

    I loved Ariellaā€™s comments, ā€œSeason and place. Place and season. . . Pay attention to whatā€™s happening outside the window, to whatā€™s growing along the side of the road. . .ā€
    Being thankful for the beauty already around us every day that our Creator has given us is so important and not to be taken for granted!

    Reply
  592. Gayle Wilson on

    All kinds of seed pods that I find on walks or in my backyard. I especially like the seed pods from Indian Blanket flowers.

    Reply
  593. Meg on

    Wild clematis! Whether in bloom, budding, or drying and becoming pods!

    Reply
  594. Leslie Trice on

    When the garden gets really growing, I hate to toss the bits that have gotten out of control. I cut them-the strawberry vines that went from the growing bed into the lawn, the natives that have lost their blooms leaving seed pods behind-and blend them in with the old garden roses. She is right-the traditionally beautiful blooms look so much better with a touch of wildness. But this article is really going to make me take a second look at the weeds in the field adjacent to our home.

    Reply
  595. Katie Shull on

    I live in the high plains desert of Colorado and in the fall my pasture is washed in yellow with rabbit brush blooms. I love to bring some in and arrange it with flowers from the market giving the arrangement a sense of place.

    Reply
  596. Jen on

    There are some funky dried weeds that grow in my area and once they dry they look like the dr. Suss seed pods of climatis but they are a golden tan color. They arenā€™t right for everything but I love them in ground meadows and wild feeling arrangements.

    Reply
  597. Terri McBride on

    It was Thanksgiving and all of our children and their families were coming home, and we had one very long table that my daughter and I were setting. I like the centerpiece to be low enough so we can all visit with out looking around tall flower arrangements. We went out to my postage stamp yard and gathered what was left from summer; dried hydrangeas left for the birds, leaves still clinging to the trees and even roses not wanting to let go of spent blooms. We took these and arranged them down the center with candles and seasonal fruit and it was the prettiest table In all the years of hosting thanksgiving. Thank you for this opportunity her book looks fabulous.

    Reply
  598. Ashley Laabs on

    My favorite ingredient is the wild polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal) that grows behind my house. It looks beautiful year-round, it seems.

    Reply
  599. Jodena on

    Iā€™m new to flower arrangement and I tend to lack fillers. I need to grow more of them this year. An arrangement just doesnā€™t look as good without the fillers.

    Reply
  600. Carla Hanson on

    One of my favorite things to use as a filler is a few branches of asparagus. The fine frilly branches of the plant after it grows left unpicked are beautiful and airy in any arrangement.

    Reply
  601. Stephanie Barley on

    Stephanie on March 5th 2024
    I also live for nature, love the solitude and this is the place where I am my unique self.
    My most unusual ingredients in an arrangement are lichens tucked in to little spaces, some mosses, & especially fallen branches covered with muted gray lichens. I have also used black raspberry (blackcap) canes, in the early spring, when the small thorns are lavender, and native wineberry canes, flushed in burgundy.

    Reply
  602. Meredith Brown on

    Wow – Iā€™m inspired by the variety of ingredients & the unexpected way they come together! Iā€™ve never seen anything like this – simply breathtaking!

    Reply
  603. Katy on

    I Ike using dried dock in fall bouquets. That rust colour is lovely. Wild grasses can also add a nice element.

    Reply
  604. Lori Merrill on

    Such a great interviewā€¦thank you for sharing Erinā€¦I love to use mint in most of my arrangementsā€¦it has spread in so many places in my yard..

    Reply
  605. Sarah on

    I love to add just about any herb and hyacinth branches w/ the pods after the flowers have fallen.

    Reply
  606. Polly Wick on

    I live in Scottsdale Arizona year round. I donā€™t leave in the summer because of my garden. I come from lush Washington state where on walks Iā€™d always come home with some bounty. Here, the prickleys are less appealing. But still I am always looking for the silver dollar eucalyptus or a pepper tree when driving or walking. Also olive branches or magnolia trees. My home grown garden favorites for arrangements are Queen Anneā€™s lace and bells of Ireland, lavender and jasmine.
    I loved the article.

    Reply
  607. Dana Cohen on

    That was a beautiful interview and very inspiring to use what grows naturally all around me in addition to my farm flowers. I bought a new house last year and to my great delight there are two weeping willows on the property, many crab apple trees and about 20 pussy willow trees. I’ve been incorporating all those into my bouquets and it’s been really fun.

    Reply
  608. Sherrill on

    Twigs, moss and stems with seed pods collected on a woods walk. From my garden I love to add shrub clippings, ornamental grass blooms, and large hosta leaves.

    Reply
  609. Shelley Winship on

    I am fortunate to have an ample supply of a native clematis on my property, and I use it often for its vining greenery and delightful seed heads.

    Reply
  610. Brianna on

    I have a love for incorporating fresh cut herbs for my arrangements. Variegated lemon thyme being my latest crush. Wild raspberry greens always seem make their way into every single one too. Lovely & beautiful book!

    Reply
  611. Norma Sisemore on

    Living on a farm with a rustic old barn to use as a backdrop for guidance and inspiration on all things natural gives me such joy and hope for our earth I love to forage around on the farm to bring beauty into my home

    Reply
  612. Pam on

    Amazing interview! I do live in the country with 4 acreas of nothing but wild weeds & schrubs. When I first moved to this home, I wanted to pull the weeds & remove all the wild, unruly schrubs. However, after experiencing the 4 growing seasons, I have obsderved the power of Mother Nature and her beauty! Thank you – Ariella for sharing your expierence with all things beautiful.

    Reply
  613. Lynn on

    As someone who always has a clipper in my glove box and a 5-gallon bucket with water bungee corded in the back of my car, I find kinship with someone else who finds beauty on the side of the road. I’m also a sucker for a beautiful book so I can’t wait to dig into this one. Thank you Erin for introducing me to Ariella!

    Reply
  614. Stephanie Goodrich on

    I really enjoy using herbs as fillers in bouquets and arrangements they add fun textures and they smell heavenly.

    Reply
  615. Julie Melilli on

    I love hiding a few beautiful feathers from my backyard chickens into my bouquets. (Iā€™m not plucking their feathers; they lose them naturally.)

    Reply
  616. Susan Gilmore on

    I picked up some beautiful small logs that had fallen from mature trees after a windstorm. They were knotty and covered with lichens. I used them as centerpieces with moss hiding the water tubes. The structure of each log was unique. I love to forage!!

    Reply
  617. Ellie Barker on

    I love using fruits in arrangements! The aroma of citrus and the bright pops of colour they bring is fantastic.

    Reply
  618. Lou on

    I too am a ditch watcher! I commuted on curvy national forest roads for 16 years and I incorporated lots of native plants into my landscaping. I was too busy expanding my cut flower growing area and hadn’t mowed my ‘weeds’. I was walking by the area once again thinking i have to get that mowed before they go to seed and noticed these little seed pods that looked like hearts. A little research told me they are called sheperd’s purse. So adorable and dainty, a version of cress. I tried to get my wholesale florist customer to use them and they just couldn’t get it. So now the weeds grow and I use those little heart wands for my customers!! I also found pennycress and explosion grass in there so now it will live on as a native area not weeds to be mowed!

    Reply
  619. Peggie Smith on

    I recently taught a floral arranging workshop to incorporate succulents. There is of course a trick to it as you have to set the succulent in such a way- the results are amazing. The shapes, color and texture really add almost a special-effect quality. Plus you can take the succulent out and stick them in cactus soil when the blooms are done and they will root and grow. How cool is that?

    Reply
  620. Colleen on

    I have always loved on my walks. Using flowers and vines thank you for the inspiration

    Reply
  621. Tamra on

    In our woods we have wild raspberry vine, it has a beautiful reddish purple stem, I like to harvest it before the leaves come on and wear gloves to strip the tiny thorns off to make little wreaths and wind around in an arrangementā€¦also have used sumac blooms and the young leaves from it.
    My favorite thing to do is to notice all the sweet details of nature and be inspired from it!
    Thanks for sharing your talents!

    Reply
  622. Julie C on

    When I have time I walk my yard for ingredients, mainly I like to add twigs.

    Reply
  623. Aubrey Manspeaker on

    Humble bare branches that have already fallen to the ground, just waiting to be utilized, or Juniper branches in winter! Lovely interview, thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  624. Jennifer R on

    What a fabulous interview and gorgeous book! I love incorporating herbs and berries into floral arrangements. Hypericum berries always look lovely with flowers and herbs.

    Reply
  625. Elizabeth Ferreri on

    These are amazing displays of beautiful combinations of florals and natural elements. I love the oyster mushroom idea. Thanks for the inspiration from Ariella!

    Reply
  626. Mary on

    My favorite most unusual addition to an arrangement perhaps is Apache Plume . It adds weightlessness !

    Reply
  627. Amy Koehn on

    I love scouring the ditches as I drive along….a couple of my favorites are rabbit brush and wild asparagus….and cattails…and….I really don’t have any idea what the rest of em all are called…I think most people call em weeds.šŸ˜Š

    Reply
  628. Karen Toreson on

    Dandelions are such an unexpected surprise to be tucked in an arrangement.

    Reply
  629. Nikki Ray on

    The mushroom šŸ„ arrangement was so cool! Iā€™m totally gonna do that for my Easter table! Great interview, yā€™all.

    Reply
  630. Judi Ross on

    Have a false indigo bush and really like to use the branches big and small for greenery.

    Reply
  631. Cathy Jackson on

    Absolutely love using many different species of plants and trees in my arrangements. Having 3 acres with many hedgerows and a creek, its always an adventure to see what you can find. My favorite is always the plumes of different ornamental grasses I grow or any type of cool vine to add that drapes down the container. Once I used some concord grape vines with green and purple grapes cascading from the bouquet.. Pure awesomeness love šŸ‡

    Reply
  632. Natanya Piper on

    Absolutely loved reading this interview!! I love using the seasonal and unexpected! I have used many things such as rose hip or wild honeysuckle to herbs and lettuce I let bolt. It has the cutest little flowers. Sometimes we miss the beauty to come by keeping our plants in their expected little boxes. I love letting things go to seed to see what else they have to offer besides the expected. Just like asparagus..sure you can cut it and eat it at the appropriate time but let it go to seed and look at the beautiful, airy, wispy foliage you would have missed. šŸŒæšŸ’•šŸŒæ

    Reply
  633. Diane Maniscalco on

    I have loved flowers and working in the garden as long as I can remember. When my oldest daughter was young I encouraged her to spend time with me outside in our gardens. She loved it all. The vegetables, flowers, grassesā€¦ One day she decided to make a bouquet of flowers using her dadā€™s old boot as the vase. Together we cut Queen Annā€™s lace, Lillyā€™s, flowers from the yard and even the flowers from the dill. It was magical to see her get so excited about creating and I love that we connected and continued to have conversations about flowers and planting we are doing, even though we now live on opposite sides of the USA.

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  634. Dorothy on

    The comment from Ariella that reasonated the most for me was ā€œā€¦. Looking like an argument, rather than a beautiful melodyā€. I now save plant stems that have decayed to create a wonderful still life. Thanks Erin for this wonderful interview. I so appreciate your generous sharing of your work and highlighting others who are likeminded.

    Reply
  635. Nicole R. on

    I love the enchanting and humble umbellifiers. Most notably, the Queen Anneā€™s Lace. She is an ornament of beauty and blooms in the fields where she grows.

    Reply
  636. Elsa on

    Fruits and vegetables are elements I sometimes use when feeling daring. Grape tomatoes on the vine, lemons with leaves and buds attached make such interesting bouquets. Totally unexpected.

    Reply
  637. Beth on

    I really related to her astonishment about floral designers using dyed flowers. There are so many beautiful colors in Nature it just doesnā€™t make sense to me

    Reply
  638. Suzy A on

    Here in New England every season brings opportunities to incorporate into my flower arrangements. Although the winter seems bleak the holly and conifers with their berries and cones bring the season into the house. At the first signs of spring forcing forsythia and magnolia and adding pussy willow stems brings colorful cheer and anticipation of flowers blooming. Summer brings all sorts of wild elements to add including porcelain berries, four square rose, and ferns. As the fall chill sets in the air the seed pods of milkweed along with burning bush leaves brings a certain warmth to my table. Thank you for introducing me to this creative and inspiring woman.

    Reply
  639. Julie on

    I am drawn to the one step off expected- the slightly unusual, even a little messy!

    Reply
  640. Mary @flowermillfarm on

    I am blessed to live in a place where I can easily forage….I am amazed that I continue to find things I never saw before! I love using wild fruit branches…brambles, grapes, crab apples, mulberries, elderberries, gooseberries…in all stages from buds to blooms to fruits to seeds!

    Reply
  641. Alice on

    My arrangements are of the more basic style…. but I enjoy using herbs and sweet autumn clematis in them. Thanks for all the inspiring content you send our way!

    Reply
  642. HollyAnne on

    When my dog was younger she would bring me sticks and thicker reeds. It can be a unique way to add something sturdy and some height to an arrangement. Beautiful images and I love the concepts shared here!

    Reply
  643. Nicole B on

    My friend introduced to me to wild sage in the ditches here. What a gift. I took a walk on my property and found it. Why I had never seen before it I donā€™t know, as Iā€™m always spying around for new foliage. I love natureā€™s surprises.

    Reply
  644. Katrina S on

    These arranged spaces are all so beautiful! She has such a gift for combining and corraling the different elements to make a lovely place. As for a favorite bouquet ingredient, we have a lot of wild yarrow here and the delicate fringed green plays beautifully in arrangements.

    Reply
  645. Jackie Klisuric on

    We live on the shore of Lake Erie and have a wild bluff sloping down to the rocks of our breakwall. We hydroseeded it with a wildflower and native grasses mix. I love discovering what comes up each year. The pollinators adore it and my favorite time of year is when the crickets and katydids start singing!
    I like using the unusual grasses, the wild asters and love the partridge pea with its ferny foliage and delicate yellow flowers.
    Iā€™d love a chance to receive this beautiful book!

    Reply
  646. Sue Pettit on

    I love how she describes using ā€œhumbler, quieter flowers and weeds.ā€ I find in the autumn weeds have a wonderful airiness to then for arrangements.

    Reply
  647. Charlie on

    I already posted, but just needed to add that, in addition to Ariella’s ideas…now I have about a million other positively lovely ideas from all of the other commenters! Yay, community!

    Reply
  648. Chelsea Tippett on

    I have always felt ā€˜less thanā€™ and somewhat unsophisticated when creating bouquets for customers because I cannot stick to a recipe-look. I absolutely love how you embrace the wild and untamed of each season, it feels like thatā€™s how flowers truly want to be portrayed to the world. I cannot wait to read this beautiful book.

    Reply
  649. Kathryn Johansen on

    Until this year I have lived in a city and relied mainly on what I could buy in the grocery store… A favorite extra piece was stock – I love the movement and touch of whimsy they add :)

    Reply
  650. Bridget on

    I love using herbs in my arrangements. I have to always have some special fragrance like lemon verbena, scented geraniums, rosemary, oregano and many others.
    I giveaway many bouquets and I want that person to rub the leaves and enjoy the amazing scents. I also just walk my yard and see what I can find. It is like an adventure to see what is growing.

    Reply
  651. Kate Gillis on

    Gaillardia seed heads! Similar to Scabiosa seed heads, but more globe shaped. Gaillardia pulchella is native to wide swaths of North America and incredibly easy to grow.

    Reply
  652. Mary Combs on

    My friend and I did weekly bouquets for a B & B. Kathy would always ā€œditch shopā€ on her way to my house. We put some great outdoor plants into our cutting garden arrangements.
    My favorite that I had never seen or used was the Buttonbush. I loved putting its branches with white pompoms in with our flowers. When she passed away I bought myself a bush to make sure to get the right time to cut and tuck it in. I smile of the memories of Kathy whenever I mow by it. It has also delighted me with adding the ā€œbuttonsā€ from the green stage all the way to just past the full bloom stage.
    Bring nature in because there is always a memory of the foraging. Itā€™s not something you walk down a row and cut yearly!!

    Reply
  653. Katherine Leppek on

    The wild and native plants that bloom I my garden and nearby in our Oregon wilderness inspire me to stop and appreciate each moment in time. I love the art of creating beauty from natural materials.

    Reply
  654. Jane Windham on

    I love the idea of combining the wild with the cultivated! I tend to showcase individual plants such as forsythia and quince but I can see how they would be beautiful combined with florals. Thanks for the opportunity to win Ariellaā€™s new book!

    Reply
  655. Charlie on

    Recently, I was outside on my deck and a large branch had just fallen off of the oak tree overhead. On it were tons of chartreuse oak blossoms (hello, pollen!) that are ubiquitous during Spring. I snipped off some of the smaller branches and arranged them in a vase with some pale pink roses that had green on the edges. The combination was glorious. Those fringy little chandeliers, contrasted with the velvety pink petals, and the rough bark of the branches delighted me. Albeit, there was a soft little shower of yellow on my countertop underneath my arrangement, so I guess it’s a good thing I’m not allergic to oak pollen.

    Ariella’s words and artistry are truly inspiring! I can’t wait to buy the book to share it with my mama. (My great-grandmother had one of the oldest florists here in Tampa, FL, and I remember sitting on the floor on Saturdays, as a little girl, while my mama worked there.) My sisters and I would be given a small daisy on a stem and some wire to learn to twirl around it. To this day, I cannot walk into a florist without the smell of flowers and floral foam taking me right back to those days as a little girl. My mama is an 80 year old master gardener and has a lovely yard where she lovingly toils pretty much seven days a week. I got her some more of your flower seeds, Erin, and I’m heading over there to see what has already sprung up here in sunny Florida. Thanks for your generous spirit and helping so many of us grow and learn alongside you!

    Reply
  656. Angela Hawkins on

    When I first started gardening and didn’t have a lot of blooms, I did have tomatillos and red peppers, so that is what I used! Surprisingly, the zinnias looked right at home surrounded by their zesty garden friends.

    Reply
  657. Karla on

    Wonderful interview. Thank you for sharing. I love to use branches from a cherry tree. Beautiful pops of bright red.

    Reply
  658. Pud Kearns on

    I live on a small lake in the woods in East Texas and thereā€™s almost always something surprising I can find at any time of the year to add to a bouquet: jonquils, swamp irises and redbud branches in the Spring, Queen Anneā€™s lace and wildflowers in the summer, beautyberry (maybe my favorite because of that wild magenta color) and paperwhites my grandmother planted 80 years ago in the winter. I always think of those as her love letters to me across the years.

    Reply
  659. Cassy on

    I liked it when she said ā€œI like it when things are just a little off and not quite so perfectā€. What a great way to design and live!

    Reply
  660. Jeanetta on

    I adore when my redbud tree blooms because I cut the branches and arrange in vases throughout my home!!

    Reply
  661. Carmen on

    Staghorn sumac leaves, cones, and berriesā€¦glorious!

    Reply
  662. Robin on

    I love seeing the unexpected weeds and seed pods intermixed with elegant flowers in a lovely bouquet.

    Reply
  663. Karen on

    Growing up in northern Michigan the winters were long, but when the spring & summer came around what beautiful flower we had. This interview & the pictures reminded me so much of my mother. She would forage our yard and surrounding woods and mix florist flowers with natural elements and make the most beautiful arrangements. What happy memories this created for me! Thank you! Beautiful!

    Reply
  664. Kristine on

    The mushroom arrangement absolutely blew my mind! I love the wild things and some of our native flowers are my favourites. Spirea douglasii is amazing in arrangements. The colour is beautiful and it lasts forever.

    Reply
  665. Claudia Clement on

    I once picked a bouquet of dried milkweed in late fall.
    The architecture of the seed pods were stunning!
    Some open with their seeds billowing out like white fairyā€™s and other pods empty strong structures.
    I put them in an antique crock on the floor which only added to their magical beauty

    Reply
  666. Lyn Peterson on

    I like to add curly willow branches to arrangements
    They add another dimension to what is in the arrangement

    Reply
  667. Theresa on

    I live on 1.5 acres with a woods out back. Iā€™ve never thought to wander in there to perhaps find some brambles or branches that would be suitable for incorporating into my dahlia bouquets. I canā€™t wait for this upcoming season to give it a try! This interview gave me the idea to do so.

    Reply
  668. Barbara on

    Most of my bouquets are simple but I do like to add Queen Anneā€™s lace when I can. Her comment about a tonal approach really hit home with me. It also opened my eyes to looking more closely at the natural beauty that exists among the cultivated. Lastly I loved reading the quote by Monet (my favorite gardener and artist). Thank you both.

    Reply
  669. Susan Kornemann H. on

    Great conversation!
    As a child and still to this day – when out on daily walks, out in my gardens or hiking I am always bringing in bits of nature to place around my liv8ng spaces . Branches, pinecones, leaves , bark, rocks seed pods etc … I just love it all . šŸ’•

    Reply
  670. Jean Healy on

    I love using herbs to add scent and wild grasses for texture.

    Reply
  671. Jeremiah on

    The beauty of how connecting with nature carries into the design and creation of floral arranging.

    Reply
  672. Michelle on

    I love seeing branches used in arrangements – bonus points for unexpected shapes!

    Reply
  673. Teresa Yang on

    I love adding branches of my burgundy Japanese maple in the fall. The color really sets other lighter colored florals off with a beautiful contrast

    Reply
  674. Mair Frederick on

    I love to add Wooly Lambs Ear to my snapdragon arrangements. So excited to see more of Arielleā€™s new book!

    Reply
  675. Samantha on

    Iā€™m a new hobby farmer-florist, and last summer on my vacation to Michiganā€™s Upper Peninsula, I was blown away by all the different varieties of grasses growing on the roadsides and in the forest. I gathered up a whole bunch and popped them in a vase with wild daises, and they were gorgeous! I was able to create a cascading effect with the seed heads – I wonā€™t sleep on forage grasses in arrangements again!

    Reply
  676. Lynn McClure on

    Forsythia branches. There is a huge forsythia bush located along the side of a road I travel often that is on a piece of property that has been vacant for over 30 years. It gives me such joy to cut a few of her branches every year right before she blooms and her branches fill my house with a wild exuberance that us quite fetching and catching

    Reply
  677. Kimberly Mitchell on

    I am inspired to try to find ways to use the vine that I dread, greenbrier. It is the tormentor in my garden, but the thought of using it in an arrangement is intriguing.

    Reply
  678. Tina Redden on

    My favorite is the wild daisies. Although not uncommon, I have fond memories of bouquets in bottles when I would go walking in VT

    Reply
  679. Ginevra Hill on

    I love branches — in flower or just architectural in form. And anything lacy and ethereal, like nigella or even the little flowers on the snake root that has invaded our garden.

    Reply
  680. Courtney on

    I appreciated very much Ariellaā€™s love for teaching in her field. Being very new to the beautiful, floral world, it is encouraging to see the pros like Ariella (and Floret of course!) more in love with sharing their passion than hoarding the wealth, so to speak. Thank you for sharing this interview!

    Reply
  681. Stephanie McClenny on

    As a jam maker, I am drawn to fruit tree blossoms and unexpected natives such as mexican plum, texas red bud, and prickly pear. Early spring is an exciting time to walk in nature and take it all in. xo

    Reply
  682. Lenda on

    This information has inspired me to look for the the unexpected when making an arrangement – it is okay to pull something unexpected right from your own back yard – I want to try using my vitex blooms. Lovely interview!

    Reply
  683. Ruth on

    I think fall is my favorite time for gathering time. Spring and summer has allot of variety also but there are so many flowers blooming it is hard to see beyond them. In fall the golden rod is blooming and the leaves of various plants have such interesting colors. The wild rose has rose hips on it’s stems and I love that punch of red.

    Reply
  684. Maureen Rowland on

    Toy dinosaurs peaking out from between leaves. Something fun for children to see. Itā€™s definitely wild!

    Reply
  685. Esther Maria Keyes on

    My chuckle as I consumed the conversational interview___”I’d rather chew glass, than wear black”.

    Reply
  686. Vica on

    I love to use wild grass or branches in my bouquets. They tie you back to the land and helps to showcase the natural beauty of what you have in front of you.

    Reply
  687. Patty Barnes on

    Wild sumac, red twig, and birch branches add to a beautiful evergreen arrangement in winter.

    Reply
  688. Betsy Spencer on

    One of my longtime favorites to include in a vase is borage. I adore the lovely blue color, the delicacy of the flowers, and the blue-green foliage. The best part though is how it naturally curves and drapes itself into the arrangement.

    Reply
  689. Robyn Anglebrandt on

    I love making little bouquets out of the foraging of my daughterā€™s hand pick flower bouquets. She picks the greens and wild grown lawn flowers and we create perfect little bud vases out of her in season choice ingredients! Life doesnā€™t get better than that! May we all see the little gardeners as wild beauties that God also sees in each plant growing outside in the wild. So many possibilities in each design!! Love that you allow wild plants and flowers to be loved as much a gift as planted flowers are so loved. 8 AnchorsFarm~

    Reply
  690. Jodi Allen on

    I love to add quirky found objects to my flower arrangements such as bird nests, feathers, eggs (already hatched) and sometimes even skulls and bones I find in my yard or the woods!
    Home In Bloom looks like a beautiful book!

    Reply
  691. Jeanne campbell on

    I am very lucky to have many assorted vines and colorful branches on my property, they add so much interest to a flower arrangement. I love how Ariella designs her arrangements are so they have a great sense of movement. And her color choices are beautiful! I loved the interview and will remind myself to be free with my flower designs and always experiment with color choices.

    Reply
  692. Brenda Ayers on

    Wow, this interview has inspired me to look at our recently purchased 5 acres of mostly forest so differently.
    I look forward to exploring your new book for inspiration.
    Thank you to both of you for this interview and adding color, texture and adventure to our world.

    Reply
  693. Marisa Zaneis on

    Such a wonderful interview! I love using astilbe in my fall and winter wreaths. They dry out beautifully and are a nice textural addition which take up a good amount of space.

    Reply
  694. Peg Chapin on

    Excited to incorporate more nature finds with flowers along with using more herbs. Canā€™t wait to read Home in Bloom! How about a hidden jewel or momento tucked in for special occasions.

    Reply
  695. Amber on

    I like ivy in arrangements!

    Reply
  696. Britny Eley on

    We learned Different kinds of tree twigs add to the texture and visual of more rustic homemade bouquets. We truly hope to have Jewels of Opar this year! Last year birds ate the seeds, that was a bummer. Our teen daughter loves flower gardening, so Iā€™m sure sheā€™d learn much from her book!

    Reply
  697. Glenne Stoll on

    our native milkweeds, buds, flowers, seedpods, all are spectacular from something many see as a weed

    Reply
  698. Mitzi Davis on

    Normally at our county fair, the flowers used in the floral arrangement class had to be grown by the entrant. Last year, a group of children entered arrangements made with foraged flowers, weeds, and grasses because they didn’t have any ‘normal’ flowers in bloom in their own gardens on the day of the Fair. What a wake up call to us all that what we have growing along the roads and ditches and fields can make wild and beautiful arrangements. This year, we have added a floral arrangement class specifically using foraged flowers, weeds, grasses, seed pods. I can’t wait to see the entries from both the children and adults!

    Reply
  699. Diane Nichols on

    Her 2 connections and drivers….People and nature šŸ¤—šŸŒ³ And this: I notice whatā€™s growing along the side of the highway, along the train tracks. In fact, I am ALWAYS taking in whatā€™s happening on the side of the road. šŸŒ¼ā‡ļø Me too!

    Reply
  700. Patty on

    Some people love flowers and that is lovely but others have a passion in their hearts that when expressed releases and ignites creativity, love and passion in others. This interview was the ladder. Canā€™t wait to read Home in Bloom! It stirred my heart and made me smile just reading the interview and seeing a few of the beautiful pics. One of my favorite quotes includes the phrase ā€˜the fruit of my life lives on others treesā€™ ā€¦ thank you again Erin for sharing so openly more of your gifts.

    Reply
  701. Georgina Dyck Hacault on

    I love snipping branches from my smoke bushes to add to my bouquets. Wild cattails are beautiful in fall arrangements too!

    Reply
  702. Lindsey on

    I was NOT expecting a fungus for a table runner. Iā€™m intrigued. šŸ„ You got me wondering if Lilly pads can be in a bouquet!

    Reply
  703. Evelyn on

    I was inspired by Ariella’s appreciation for the imperfect. So often we expect perfection in our life, including our flowers and arrangements. The imperfect, and simple, things are beautiful too!

    Reply
  704. Kristy on

    What an inspiring book! I so enjoy using the wild grasses on our farm and on the side of the road as airy elements in bouquets and arrangements.

    Reply
  705. Suzanne Cerrone on

    I love to tuck Burnet into my designs. The sweet little red pokers just dance above an arrangement and add that touch of wild, whimsical movement. They are airy and alluring, smitten. Excited for this book!

    Reply
  706. Annaleise on

    What a fun interview! I enjoy adding blueberry branches in all seasons to bouquets!

    Reply
  707. Leisa Meade on

    I always walk around the yard and woods looking for that unique fallen branch from a tee that will add structure.
    Also, ferns are a fabulous filler. In addition a nice piece of bark with lichen is alway and unexpected surprise.

    Reply
  708. Katherine Hogan on

    Ninebark! Its bark shedding branches. Itā€™s leafy branches for filler. And its seed pods. I also enjoy using Madrona branches that have broken off from the tree and lie along the forest floor.

    Foraging for floral arrangements began for me more than 50 years ago when my mom would send me out to the neighborhood forest to find moss for her floral arrangements and gum tree pods for wreaths in winter. My mom didnā€™t impact the entire florist industry but she did make a big impression on our community when she opened her flower shop – one of vert few woman-owned businesses at the time.

    Reply
  709. Roshni on

    This was a lovely interview and looks like an even lovelier book! I love the challenge of using only whatā€™s in the yard, something Iā€™ve labeled #yardhaul on insta. So glad to see the seasonal flower world becoming more popular, so much thanks to these two women. Choosing a fav is hard, but branches from trees or shrubs are a must. Especially the dogwood when itā€™s blooming or has its fall colors, canā€™t beat it.

    Reply
  710. Deanna Scroggin Nihill on

    This time of year I love bringing quince branches into the house and placing them in vases in every room.

    Reply
  711. Andrea on

    I often volunteered to decorate my daughter’s school for an event, and the budget was minuscule. So my friend and I would wander the woods and meadows, for branches, vines, and grasses; laughing and dragging armloads of all sorts of things. We’d hang and twist and string them together, adding the pops of color of flowers we were able to obtain, making it up as we went along. I wish we had had this book for inspiration.

    Reply
  712. Marcee Whitley on

    Love this interviewā€¦itā€™s very inspiring to see the use of creative, unexpected materials indoors. I like using vines in my arrangements.

    Reply
  713. monique on

    J’adore le fait qu’elle soit aussi passionnĆ©e. Le feuillage du framboisier est l’Ć©lĆ©ment qui m’inspire le plus de ses arrangements. J’en cultiverai c’est certain!

    Reply
  714. Anna on

    Iā€™m not sure I have unexpected ingredients (yet!) but I was really encouraged by her intuitive approach and encouraging answer to your questions about color. It seems to me that color might be the most important thing to get right in a floral design, which can make it intimidating. But the advice of slowing layering color is so intentional and special. What an exciting book!

    Reply
  715. Tara Newboult on

    I love to use immature fruit still on the branch. The book looks gorgeous, excited to read it.

    Reply
  716. Jacqueline on

    I love foraging for branches that will hold up well in a vase yet provide some movement and drama in a design. Smoke bush and Ninebark are among some of my favorites.

    Reply
  717. Lindsey Sanquenetti on

    Iā€™m looking forward to trying herbs in my bouquets after reading your book! Iā€™m planting some purple basil just for this purpose.

    Reply
  718. Hertha Hines on

    I love driving the back roads looking for the unexpected green or flower. Queen anneā€™s lace grows wild in the South where I live and is beautiful in arrangements. I use it when I can find it. I also use pine cones. Anything from nature makes me happy.

    Reply
  719. Hazel Drury on

    My thrill was including seed pods in an arrangement. The one that was the greatest memory was an onion flower head.

    Reply
  720. Beth Cameron on

    I’ve always been a fan of using wilder elements but she has taken this to a new level. Can’t wait to get her new book.

    Reply
  721. Madelyn Filomeno on

    I love incorporating branches with unusual textures like mushrooms, lichen, or empty pods like ones from praying mantis. I love hiding them amongst my arrangement where they add texture and cause you to look deeper and then be surprised! I add them depending on the occasion..during harvest time I might add a long flowing branch of mini tomatoes. Them more natural to the season, textures and design, the more beautiful the effect.

    Reply
  722. Charlene Lentini on

    Iā€™d love to experience the art of flowers in this book! Iā€™ve grown grass as the base for a Spring arrangement. Keep sharing! Itā€™s a gift to us all!

    Reply
  723. Barbara Cairns on

    Thank you for yet more inspiration and the chance to ā€œmeetā€ such a talented and generous designer. I like to find whispy material to add a little ā€œmagicā€ or movement as the final touch in an arrangement. My latest find is sea oats. Beside that the dangle, I love the layed texture.

    Reply
  724. Janice Cox on

    Love all the beauty in this interview. I like to share flowers as gifts and often have to use what I find. I live in Oregon so blackberry vines, ferns, Mossy branches and rose hips.

    Reply
  725. Summer on

    Where I live, Queen Anneā€™s Lace is invasive. When I first got into flowers, I was surprised to see Ammi seeds for sale. I thought, ā€œThatā€™s a weed! Why are they selling weed seeds?ā€ Then I saw it in bouquets and itā€™s magical!

    Reply
  726. Rhonda on

    I love this interview! I have used canadian thistle with its huge purple bloom ( and very prickly stems) in bouquets along with grasses, wild goldenrod and wild daisy. The more wild the better! Thank you!

    Reply
  727. Pam De Ruiter on

    Love the wild look
    Iā€™ve been using the dried out clematis vine loosely bundled through my arrangements because we are at the end of winter. Our wild Pusey willows are starting and Iā€™m making structures with them , then adding flowers!
    So much fun to find things on my walks and put in with my fresh flowers , looking at nature a different way depending on the season šŸ˜Œ

    Reply
  728. beccy on

    I think my ultimate favorite moment was walking into my grandma’s house to discover she had decorated with a branch with an empty hornets nest hanging from it. It was so structural and beautiful and unexpected. She really was and continues to be an inspiration to me, even though she has been gone a while.

    Reply
  729. Liz McMeekin on

    Loved this interview and was especially taken with Arielleā€™s comment to watch what is growing and blooming along the roadways. Being a beekeeper, I am always tuned into what native and wild things the bees are feeding on. Love dandelions but incorporating them into an arrangement could be a challenge! Haha. Thank-you Erin and Ariella for such an inspiring article.

    Reply
  730. Georgia W on

    What a fantastic interview! Thank you sharing with us. I loved that Ariellaā€™s work is a disruption of the bubble effect: ā€œPay attention to whatā€™s happening outside the windowā€. I have attended countless events and the floral design made it feel like I was transported to a whole different dimension. Ariellaā€™s work and interview makes me think that the experience would be drastically different with a sense of place, enhanced local beauty. I love that she says ā€œThe ones that pull me in are the ones that contrast incredible pieces with quieter, simpler ones. I like when things are just a little offā€”and not quite so perfect.ā€ Just like it self, perfectly imperfect.

    Reply
  731. Anna Camporese on

    Last month, walking with my son, I noticed a large branch in the gutter. It must have broken off an old magnolia during a recent wind storm. The three branches had beautiful, wind-swept lines and were covered in lichen. Once secured in a vase, the lines and textures of the branches were so arresting , no flowers or foliage were needed ā€” it made such a pure statement on its own.

    Reply
  732. Mishel Stonely on

    I love how she talks about being intuitive with color, trusting yourself. And the nod to season and place, place and season speaks to me. We live so much in an instant gratification kind of life, that using what is seasonally available should be more embraced and to me, is spot on and I appreciate that so much.

    Reply
  733. Melinda on

    After reading this, I am encouraged to look beyond the obvious in the flower border. Must take in the entire landscape!

    Reply
  734. Shawn Vieth on

    At almost anytime of year you can find a bouquet growing along the road here in Wisconsin. Ferns, hops, lupine, chicory, teasel, hawkweed, and cardinal flower all grow wild here. Whether or not it is a weed or a wildflower is all in perspective.

    Reply
  735. Jillian Galloway on

    I’m very new to flowers. I like the simple touches as much as the big arrangements. Pick a flower some see as a weed, and put it in a container, and see the beauty in it.

    Reply
  736. Peg on

    I love to put dock in arrangements…but only if the arrangement is going to a non farm family. Midwest farmers are very familiar with this weed.

    Reply
  737. Amber on

    In the summer Iā€™ll forage the honeysuckle growing along the edges of our woods and mix them into arrangements! :)

    Reply
  738. Hedi Lee on

    I found some lovely red stemmed grasses by the roadside last July and incorporated them in some of my bouquets…i couldnt in the end get a definitive id on them but they were lovely. Sadly they were far enough away from home thst i wasnt able to return and harvest the seeds. I also love raspberry and red currant although neither of those are native. Look forward to enjoying home in bloom. I believe every room in a home needs to have a spot reserved for a vase of fresh flowers.

    Reply
  739. Karen Mary on

    I’m planting a forsythia bush this spring because I love adding its branches to my bouquets. Maybe I’d better plant two! I have a small cutting garden and a perennial flower bed, but I need to plant more greenery to include in my arrangements, too. Ariella’s work inspires me to experiment with more colors than my usual palette of pinks and yellows! Thanks for the lovely interview!

    Reply
  740. Janel Knightly on

    My husband takes lots of long woods walks and always brings me back a bouquet of foraged elements to grace our table. I love using those in elements in a bouquet. I also love using herbs as others have said, particularly Thai basil – it adds the element of fragrance to the bouquet and I love that!

    Reply
  741. Leigh Ann Hasley on

    Vines, vines, vinesā€”my favorite wild thing to incorporate into my floral work. Jasmine is what I have plenty of and my go to in my neck of the woods. The fluidity is something that speaks to me. I canā€™t wait to read her new book! Thank you for sharing this interview.

    Reply
  742. K on

    I live in NYC but one of my favorite things to do when visiting friends and family outside the city is to make arrangements from the plants growing on their yards/land, even when they think ā€œnothingā€™s growingā€ out there. Itā€™s so fun to bring together subtle color and textures from unexpected ingredients. I love what Ariella creates and her whole philosophy behind it!

    Reply
  743. Kirsten on

    I frequently tomatillo vines and they add texture, color and a wild element.

    Reply
  744. Vanda on

    Turkey feathers! yes, the stripey ones dropped on the ground by a passing flock. They are so beautiful with narcissus and little daffs, here in Santa Fe at the end of a long brown winter as we wait for Spring!

    Reply
  745. Kendra Novick on

    In the fall, I love using eucalyptus, miscanthus and various wheat grasses in my arrangements of dahlias and cabbage rĆ³ses.

    Reply
  746. Megan on

    I’m inspired to use herbs and marigolds in arrangements and bring some of my beloved vegetable garden inside! What a lovely interview! Thank you!

    Reply
  747. Nena C Williams on

    Wow this interview just about knocked me out!!! I have so many options here in rural Western Montana what with all the “invasives”…. but I have always noticed that they are beautiful too in their way and are a plant in the plant kingdom just like the most lofty flower (roses, peonies, and such…)…I have used some grasses and a few elements from trees and shrubs growing around my house, but this interview has inspired me to go much further and try out all sorts of plant material that I can have at my fingertips so to speak! Thank you Erin for this interview! I felt a chill when I read how Ariella feels afraid for the plants and creatures all around us and on this planet…I see daily what we are doing to them. It’s sad and depressing and I really can relate to a fellow soul feeling this too…

    Reply
  748. Terri W. on

    I loved reading the interview and relating to her as a creative person. We just canā€™t be that organized like often the people we choose as our mates. Creativity is a thing that happens in the present and surprises us often. We can let it get snuffed out at times, but it needs the space and freedom and enthusiastic welcoming energy. She inspired me to keep being who I am.

    Reply
  749. Alexandra Mudry on

    I love adding wild asters to late summer arrangements. They are all over our meadow and give that lightness but also fullness that is hard to find at that time of year with such a delicate flower. Also dried ostrich fern fronds – invaluable in fall work and for wreaths!

    Reply
  750. Angela on

    My favorite bouquets are always the ones my little boys hand me on our walks in the woods or while Iā€™m standing at the sink washing dishes. They are always wild and unexpectedā€¦dandelions, grass, sprigs of herbs like dill, clover, pine boughs. They are experts at appreciating Godā€™s beautiful creation.

    Reply
  751. Christina on

    Looks like a beautiful book. I enjoy adding wild flowers to my arrangements, for example yarrow and dogwood and evergreens as well.

    Reply
  752. Patty Grove on

    My more interesting bouquet ingredients often involve adding an off-season dried flower with the in-season blooms. Leads to unexpected contrast. Lovely book & interview.

    Reply
  753. Mary Paliath on

    I love grabbing things from the yard that catch my eye due to color, texture, shape, etcā€¦. Iā€™ve used grass seed stalks, parsley, oregano & thyme – leaves and flowers, fennel leaves and flowers, honeysuckle ā€œfruitā€ and lots of weeds I donā€™t even know the names ofā€¦

    Reply
  754. noreen riordan on

    Once I was rambling through a nearby field in the fall looking for ingredients for an arrangement. I found this gorgeous vine with tiny white berries and took it home to use. Come to find out it was poison ivy. Oops!

    Reply
  755. Sue Baker on

    I have fallen in love with native plants and incorporate them in my wreaths and arrangements. Recently I used honeysuckle to make a chandelier.

    Reply
  756. Linda on

    Thank you for such a special interview! I have built and lived on a farm with my husband for 35 years and love nothing better than the nature that surrounds me everyday. My very humble but rewarding cut flower endeavors fuel my yearning to create. I walk through my property everyday with my dog looking for the seasonal bounty that abounds in the meadows and woods. With very little success last year due to weather with my fillers, I have learned there are glorious substitutes around every corner. Branches and weeds and wild flowers all work! As well, I grab from the landscape around my home..two favorite fillers are a European beech tree and Japanese maple..both a little weepy and a beautiful range of bronze to plum. What a beautiful life we have all been blessed to find ourselves living!

    Reply
  757. Amber L on

    Wowowowow! Iā€™m so new to flowers and arrangements so I donā€™t yet have a favorite but wow! Iā€™m so inspired by this and all the photos in this article and how she talks about color.

    Reply
  758. Beth on

    Hellebore and hosta are two of my favorites to use for simple arrangements, and both are prolific in my garden.

    Reply
  759. Bonnie Bell on

    Every spring I like to pick buttercups and wild daisies from the side of the lanes I walk along. Combined with some lacy young fern fronds, also found beside the lane, make a fresh and happy looking bouquet.

    Reply
  760. Emily on

    I love using Citrus with green fruit in my arrangements! And lavender.

    Reply
  761. Barb on

    My most memorable bouquets and centerpieces start out with scouting my own gardens for what is in bloom and in full bud. And of course, what fallen branches can be added to the mix for structure.

    Reply
  762. Kat on

    Beautiful work! I love to add the special and unexpected natives from our beautiful woods on the coast of Maineā€”white pine, sensitive fern, sumac. They feel extra special since we see them all the time but not in the setting of a vase!

    Reply
  763. Valerie Traub on

    Large dried Michigan lily seed pod, with their bulbous almost contorted shapes. They dry a gorgeous tan brown and can be used over and over again to lend gravitas to grasses and whimsy to standard floral fare.

    Reply
  764. Stacy Goebel on

    I remember in college going on evening walks and cutting branches from blooming trees all over campus. Shhhhh. ;-)

    Reply
  765. Patricia Garner on

    I love incorporating weeds from the side of the road with my zinnas I grow. I keep snippers and gloves in my car for my forays. This book looks incredible!

    Reply
  766. Sydney on

    Absolutely stunning! Iā€™m slowly easing my way into the flower world, and these interviews with rockstar breeders, designers, dyers, and farmers are such an inspiration! My flower patch this season is located within the community prairie in town, and Iā€™m hoping to play just a little with some of the natives like rattlesnake master (excellent name, even funkier plant!), big bluestem, side oats gramma, and partridge pea. More excitingly though, my area is filled with invasives (where isnā€™t??), and Iā€™m planning to get to them before they set seed in their respective seasons, including Miscanthus sp., garlic mustard, queen anneā€™s lace, and dameā€™s rocket. Thanks for sharing this beautiful interview!

    Reply
  767. Aimee Hauser on

    I love the idea, the advice she gives on admiring what’s growing around us, on the side of the road. I feel as though we are trained to despise weeds, of any kind really, and yet they are the most persistent things out there growing wildly. I love the idea of admiring them for what they are, a part of natures landscape usually beautiful from afar, and incorporating them into the beautiful plants and flowers we label as not weeds. It’s such a beautiful concept that I will now always keep in my mind as a gardener/grower/designer of the natural landscape.

    Reply
  768. Betsy Evans on

    I donā€™t have any one item but I do love driving the mountains close to my home a finding wild native foliage to include.

    Reply
  769. Beth Smith on

    I love the comments about color and that she loves to pass on to others the jnowledge she has gathered along with the planta and flowers she has gathered. I know she must be just an amazing teacher.

    Reply
  770. Donna on

    I love the look of American Bittersweet and Japanese Lanterns for fall arrangements and garden designs.

    Reply
  771. Marcia on

    When thereā€™s a lull in things blooming in my garden, I create a bouquet of all leaves – so under-appreciated! Different shapes, different colors, different textures and usually quite long lasting!

    Reply
  772. Jill Shea on

    I am blessed to live on a 10 acre property in an agricultural community. I frequently find new things that I have never grown pop up in my field and gardens. Tansy was one of these and it comes back every year five feet high and covered with thousands of little yellow button flowers, but I love waiting until it dries in late fall and using the dark brown florets with huge orange dahlias as the finale of the growing season.

    Reply
  773. Amy Hurst on

    I love using goldenrod and wild aster in bouquets when they come into bloom in the fall. Right now Iā€™m looking forward to the first daffodils blooming here in Ohio!

    Reply
  774. Janet Lancaster on

    I live on the edge of an escarpment in a northern climate, and walk the trail behind our house almost daily. On these walks I find the most unique chunks of bark, wonderfully shaped sticks and bits of moss. I love the texture of these pieces set against softer stems and blooms. I feel it important to add that I collect these items from the ground and do not pull from living tress.

    Reply
  775. Gaynell šŸŒŗ on

    I truly see why you are so passionate in sharing this book and artist with us. Her ability to share floral art with the world is absolutelyā€¦ ā€œa giftā€ !!!
    Thank you Erin ! You too have an amazing ā€œartistā€™s eyeā€ !

    Reply
  776. Sandra Fay on

    I love adding babyā€™s breath to my bouquets but last year I quickly used up my limited supply
    I noticed I had a patch of cilantro blooming in the vegetable patch and it was a great subsrirute

    Reply
  777. Emily on

    Beautiful work! Wild additions like cuttings from raspberry canes are some of my favorites to add to my arrangements.

    Reply
  778. Liz on

    Thank you Ariella & Erin for sharing your conversation! This time of year a neighbor lets me harvest their pink dogwood branches. The shape of the dogwood flower is so interesting -almost like the club in a deck of cards. The wading from ivory to blush to pink is very special.

    Reply
  779. Carmelina Villani on

    My favorite unexpected ingredient is raspberry leaves. Never thought of that before I read Cut Flower Garden by Erin.

    Reply
  780. Susan on

    Hops vine, gorgeous, pliable, plentiful at harvest.

    Reply
  781. Jess on

    For months I had dreamt of creating a piece with mushrooms when by chance I met a mushroom farmer. We connected at the market, close in age, from the same hometown, and had never met before. He asked if I would make a piece for fun purely with mushrooms not knowing I had been wanting to. What we came up with was magical in its subtle little way. The textures, the delicate nature of them all.

    Reply
  782. Ruth Leikert on

    I was asked to make arrangements for a brunch at church and had a very small budget. I gathered random containers from around my house, carefully selected some statement flowers in the color scheme, and then went to the field behind my house and gathered everything I could. It was the end of February in Michigan – everything is dead and brown, but with all the dried and crunchy elements, the arrangements turned out SO COOL and I received so many compliments. When I told people most of the arrangement materials were from my house and the field, they were blown away. It was a really fun, creative experience.

    Reply
  783. Tina Fottler Sawtelle on

    This is exactly the inspiration I need to help find my design passion again among the rubble of our recent home fire. Ive lost most of my huge flower book collection including all yours floret, but dozens and dozens of other favorites including Ariellaā€™s previous books. Iā€™m on pause with my busy design business as iā€™ve lost my creative space and momentarily, Iā€™m hoping only, the creative passion retreated. Will love a book to begin again and will look up Ariellaā€™s June VT workshop too. Thanks Erin! Have appreciated your depth of sharing since original first articles you wrote in Growing For Market~Tina 2019 course alum

    Reply
  784. Aubrey k p on

    I’m looking forward to using lots of herbs in bouquets this year. I love the scent it adds to a bouquet.

    Reply
  785. Karen McCleary on

    I love where she said, ā€œI like it when things are a little offā€¦not so perfect (so perfectly imperfect). It gives more room to dream.ā€
    I find that to be a very profound statement, much like Quincy Jonesā€™ statement about the music he writes, ā€œYou have to leave space to walk through the room.ā€
    Outstanding interview. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  786. Angie bollerud on

    Absolutely gorgeous and the concept is amazing. Makes me feel more at home as I love using whatā€™s in nature in my bouquets and always feel like people love that because itā€™s natural! Beautiful work.

    Reply
  787. Desiree Deli on

    Wisteria vines used to create sculpture and structure around my arrangements!

    Reply
  788. Teri Taylor on

    Ariella using the more humble specimens in her arrangements intrigues me. I, too, love observing what is happening in the world of plantsā€¦ along roadsides and railroad tracksā€¦ but havenā€™t really thought of incorporating them into arrangements or decor. She has opened my eyes to the endless opportunities! Thank you

    Reply
  789. Laura Knudsen on

    Beautiful!! I like to add sprigs of basil when possible!

    Reply
  790. Marla Wexler on

    I love Arielleā€™s philosophy of being attuned to nature in selecting flowers and incorporating not just the spectacular selections but the humbler selections I love taking walks in the morning near my home. I think viewing nature in a different light will help my creativity and even more than that my mental outlook sparking joy and hope for all the beauty that we encounter.

    Reply
  791. Lee Ann S on

    Swiss chard! The green ruffled leaves against the neon stems are subtle and unexpected!

    Reply
  792. Joni Sauers on

    When my kids were young and we were broke, we would take country drives and pick ditch flowers and weeds…we would turn these into centerpieces or wreaths. They were always beautiful reminders of the beauty that is always available for free…if we take the time to look. I think back on these times fondly, (my kids are now in their 30’s)!

    Reply
  793. Shannon on

    Iā€™ve always loved ferns but these mushrooms, absolutely mind blowing!!

    Reply
  794. Victoria Roberts on

    I love to use a mix of herbs and evergreens in bouquets. Specifically mint, lavender, rosemary, and tri-color sage. For evergreens I’ve began using privet and loblolly pine, and juniper that grows wild on my property, and mixing it with of all things hydrangeas, the texture play is just awesome! Loved the article I have such an inspiration for teaching, as soon as I read that sentence my heart lept with joy! I have such a passion for sharing all that was taught to me over the years to bring out the green in all of us! Thank you Erin and Ariella for even more inspiration!

    Reply
  795. Leslie B. on

    Ferns, hostas and other texturally interesting landscaping plants and branches have surprised me with how they add an element of quiet surprise in my mostly casual bouquets.

    Reply
  796. Mary on

    I love adding my Japanese anemones. The blooms are delicate but with sturdy long stems I can cut to any length which twist and curl, adding drama

    Reply
  797. Kelly Fairchild on

    Iā€™ve been finding hidden gems in the off season called ā€œstick seasonā€ here in Vermont. Using buds from beech trees, seed heads from fern fronds and grass heads. Iā€™ve been so delighted by the richness of late fall and itā€™s hidden treasures. I use many of these elements along with dried flowers and berries in my wreaths. Thank you for this interview. It was very inspiring.

    Reply
  798. Jennifer D on

    I love it when my arugula bolts; the delicate yellow flowers on thin, wand-like stems are the perfect airy plant in my arrangements from Summer through Fall.

    Reply
  799. Kim Olson on

    Ariella’s comment about too many colors looking more like an argument instead of a melody is such a perfect use of words…yes, some arrangements I’ve seen in the past just look “angry” but I just couldnt find the right word until now. I’m really looking forward to her book to learn more about color!

    Reply
  800. Megan on

    This enlightened me to look more closely at the “weeds” now! Beautiful floral arrangements in the article. I am inspired!

    Reply
  801. Carole Ford on

    The mountain forests and balds display an endless supply of the unexpected fungus, flora, twisted branches, grasses, and such.
    Another roadside scanner while traveling. šŸŒæ!

    Reply
  802. Meagan Morrisey on

    Maybe I live under a rock but this is the first time I have seen Ariellaā€™s work. As someone who was trained with your classic wedding and event floral design, this is an absolute marvel to see! I loved the way the space and the flowers just sort of meld together into one beautiful piece. Absolutely stunning!

    Reply
  803. Rachelle Houska on

    Mint. Love how it smells and there is more than enough to spare.

    Reply
  804. Rebecca on

    Miniature tomatoes are probably the most “out there” ingredient. šŸ˜šŸ˜‚ what a gorgeous book!

    Reply
  805. Jess on

    How lovely! Iā€™m new to Ariellaā€™s work, but as an scientist and writer myself, I am so happy to see and hear that she focuses on season and the true biodiversity of flowers in her work, especially mixing in elements like ā€œweedsā€, and other non-expected pairings. So excited to read this and happy thereā€™s another book by a nature/loving woman out in the world! Thanks, Erin!

    Reply
  806. Lynda Hardwick on

    I was awestruck when I included a truss of cherry tomatoes in an arrangement. It was so unexpected. I credit Erin for this and for helping me move out of my comfort zone. Now I see where she received her inspiration. Thank you ladies for helping us soar to new heights as well.

    Reply
  807. Janet Clifford on

    “To live with flowers as much as possible” speaks to my passion.” Thanks for sharing this interview about this gifted person and her new book. So very interesting!

    Reply
  808. Gale Lee on

    Reading this interview lifted me so much making me eager for daylight to come so that I could go out and explore. Precious Metals and Golden Hour zinnias are up this week and I canā€™t wait to mix them with the wild things I find in a flower arrangement. Thank you Floret!!!

    Reply
  809. Soyon Chun Thompson on

    Iā€™ve discovered native switchgrass (Ontario) to be a lovely textural addition to bouquets.

    This interview was so inspiring! I am also always so drawn to the unlikely wild plants mixed in with luxury statement blooms. Iā€™ve been hesitant to use these combinations because Iā€™m not sure whether customers would like them but I love your encouragement to have creative freedom! Thank you, Ariella and Erin!

    Reply
  810. Elizabzeth Hertz on

    Eastern white cedar branches- the broad flat foliage holds its own and also provides an amazing backdrop for showier blooms. I love using branches that have the small cones attached for added interest and texture.

    Reply
  811. Hallie on

    This was a wonderful interview as I enjoyed reading early this morning before starting my day. I loved the comment about connecting with other flower lovers but ultimately everyone has a deep respect for nature. We live in such a beautiful word, we just have to open our eyes!

    Reply
  812. Sarah Barbour on

    I absolutely loved her use of mushrooms and other natural elements on the table scape!! What a creative way to add color and shape outside of the traditional vase! Beautiful!

    Reply
  813. Kristen Hale on

    I absolutely love tucking in mint, sprigs of lavender and yarrow into my summer bouquets!

    Reply
  814. Erin on

    I love using the native grass northern sea oats!

    Reply
  815. Lexi on

    What a fantastic read. Her work is just gorgeous. My favorite quote from the articleā€™ā€œColor is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment,ā€ said Claude Monet, and I feel just the same.ā€™ While I am certainly not as this level, I empathize with this statement a lot. I think about, and am drawn to, color all day long!

    Reply
  816. Angela Eaton on

    thank you for such a beautiful start to the day reading this interview! I love to incorporate tamarack branches in my arrangements. – particularly in the spring when they sprout their feathery little chartreuse colored leaves – the branches have a less predictable growing pattern, a wildness and i think this gives a very sculptural presence to the arrangement.

    Reply
  817. Dale on

    This is timely. We are going to a Spring dinner tonight, our local florist closed a few years ago , sometimes there are ok offerings at the grocery store but not yesterday. No buds outside, still in the throes of winter, so a bunch of asparagus, anchored with radicchio and purple cabbage leaves.

    Reply
  818. Kristen on

    I have the prettiest grass with fiddly seed.bits that I am always tucking into my dahlia arrangements! I love that slightly wild bouquet look!

    Reply
  819. Aline Pinkston on

    Wild blackberry branches with their berries! Itā€™s intriguing and beautiful all at the same time and also adds a sense of a full, luscious harvest.
    Beautiful interview!

    Reply
  820. Shelly Borgerson on

    If Iā€™m being honest, I have a hard time thinking outside the box sometimes when it comes to flower arranging. But thanks to this article, Iā€™m excited to explore some natural parts of my yard, places I walk, etc. for my arrangements. Thank you for the inspiration !

    Reply
  821. RH Wilhoite on

    I love foraging throughout my own landscape and neighborhood. Whether it is for personal or for client designs. My go to is based on seasons. “Weed”wise flowering vetch, or iron weed. The intense purples of the iron weed make other floral “pop” and makes a great filler. Snippets of Osmanthus Tea Olive, stand in for traditional holly during the holiday season along with Carolina sapphire cypress. Branches of Parrotia during the fall after they have started to change colors. I am always on the lookout for what ever looks unusual. And how and where to make a statement in my home or client’s home. Since relocating from Bellingham,WA to East Tennessee, I have learned that heat and humidity do affect the lasting of leaves or
    floral in outdoor cut arrangements.

    Reply
  822. Charlotte Walsh on

    As a running shoe store owner by trade (my day job) Iā€™m out on the trails in the woods almost every day. I find inspiration for my market bouquets in the wild things growing along the paths. Lichen, mushrooms, vines, invasive species, tiny saplings give me ideas and sometimes end up in my day pack. I loved reading about Ariellaā€™s travel as my eyes are also along the medians, ditches and roadsides as I ride along.

    Reply
  823. Leslie on

    I love using clematis sead pods. I have a couple different clematis and both are different and add such a fun, unique element to designs.

    Reply
  824. Rhonna on

    This book is stunning! I live in the country and have long drives to and from work and always do what Ariella is talking about- stare at the roadside to see what I can pilfer to add to my cultivated flowers. I am lucky enough to live surrounded by ā€œweedsā€ and am planning a meadow of perennials to extend my options. I especially love the structure of something like a thistle, how anyone could pass that up for a rose that looks like it was made in a factory (because it was) is beyond me. Canā€™t wait to be able to study the book in detail, thank you both for the beautiful insight!

    Reply
  825. Martha W on

    I love the idea of “responding to the room” and having the flexibility to shape something for the space it will be in. I enjoy including native grasses- there is so much variety and some really transform throughout the season, so it looks like you have something new in your arrangements every few weeks.

    Reply
  826. Robin Duggins on

    Letā€™s see, as a beginner, the wildest thing I have used is probably the plume of a grass from what I considered a weed taking over my garden one season. I have also used grape vine leaves. I love to walk around the family farm where I grow flowers and explore, looking for something unique to use.

    Reply
  827. Katy Burge on

    Arielle’s comment that she ‘loves connecting people to that tender, often unfamiliar place of creativityā€”’ we are all. Creative and that needs to be nurtured in peoplešŸŒ±

    Reply
  828. Sarah Barbour on

    I have a beautiful English Ivy growing all over an old barn. I love clipping bits of the Ivy for amazing floral arrangements that always seem to have a little extra elegance because of it!

    Reply
  829. Melinda Hunter on

    When you pull the cotton from itā€™s stem, what remains is a wonderful pod which adds an interesting textural element to my arrangements.

    Reply
  830. Debra Medina on

    I am an old farm girl just dipping my toe in to serious floral. Oddly enough, I have often used what I find on the farm, looking for shape and interest: Olive and variegated pittosporum, magnolia and some grasses. You ladies encourage me to keep trying. Your work is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you.

    Reply
  831. Marybeth Ford on

    I love the dark glossy leaves of wild lily of the valley in small spring backyard bouquets. They last long beyond the blooms.

    Reply
  832. M. Diver on

    I have a beautiful Vinca vine that’s gone wild in my roses and I love it! I’ve used it in arrangements and love the interest of the foliage and the little purple flowers!
    Thank you for the lovely Interview!

    Reply
  833. Alana on

    My favorite unexpected ingredients to use in my flower arrangements are the items my children bring me from our yard and the green spaces around us. Observing Ariella Chezarā€™s work over the last couple of years has helped me to see these giftings in a new way and I now find great joy in adding them to arrangements around our home. The joy on my childrenā€™s faces when they see me use their offerings is priceless! Looking forward to exploring this concept more in her new book!

    Reply
  834. Mari on

    Seriously unexpected! Polygonum cuspidatum- unliked by many, interestingly adored by few who understand the medicinal properties. The little spikes of white blossoms and large floppy leaves along a red stem, so gorgeous! They do wonders for added texture and height. The large stems of the Japanese Knotweed are hollow, and they make a great structural support. During the springtime a properly harvested tender bunch mixed with strawberries in a pie is very reminiscent of the bitter quality of rhubarb. The pollinators adore the tiny clusters of white blossoms that gather along the stems. So many uses!

    Reply
  835. Julie H on

    overall I love the idea of bringing the outside natural world indoors and embracing her notion of the “contrast of humble with lusciousness, delicate with showstopping. “

    Reply
  836. Corinne Hansch on

    Gray dogwood is my favorite early season woody to forageā€¦itā€™s also stunning in the fall when the leaves turn a deep burgundy purple, and even the winter branches are interesting.

    Reply
  837. Rachel Breda on

    What an absolute inspiration Arielle is!! And what a fabulous interview, Erin. I suddenly have a vision of being a flower farmer and expert myself because of how attractive you both make it (when this is really so out of touch for me with four small children šŸ˜‚), but that is how approachable yet awe-inspiring both of your work is.

    To answer both questions – I live on an acreage in rural Southern California and have 40+ lilac trees growing on the hillside and numerous wildflowers that bloom. Of all the pretty flowers Iā€™ve been able to plant, my favorites in my kitchen or home are the wild ones that grow on the hillside. This is what inspired me most about Arielle as well – that she uses the ā€œrough and tumbleā€, weeds and brambles, and showcases what is innately beautiful but often overlooked. I also loved and resonated so deeply with the thought that an arrangement, like a room or home, holds the most space for creativity when it is less than perfect, even a little off. I feel that (especially with said four small childrenā€¦ šŸ„°).

    Reply
  838. Caitlyn on

    I love foraging for bouquet materials! Goldendrod and honeysuckle vines are so fun to play with and they add such a nice natural yellow and green! Their natural shapes bringing nice movement to bouquets! Tucking in almost any spring branches this time of year is also beautiful!

    Reply
  839. Sally Ward on

    *woops, edit to previous comment because I was so eager to comment as I thoroughly enjoyed the interview ā€” I did mean wild raspberries. Though I think all berries add wonderful texture and interest to flower design. Thank you!

    Reply
  840. Amy Roberts on

    Mugwort- I ran out of filler my first year making mixed bouquets and discovered mugwort in the field outback of my greenhouse. Strip the leaves and just use the textured tops. Customers loved the look and are always asking what that flower is- I named it foraged filler :)

    Reply
  841. Christina Nicolle on

    I’m just starting to look into flowers as I am a farmer and I think flowers would bring joy here. I have a few of your books I just got in the mail and now looking forward to adding this one. We have peonies here and made some decorations last year with lemon grass and goldenrod.
    I love how she sees things even driving on the road side as her love flows from that .

    Reply
  842. Kathy Stewart on

    Arielle says ā€œI like when things are a little off-and not quite so perfect. It allows much more space to dream.ā€ I could never quite put my finger in why I donā€™t like things to be perfect and this hits the nail on th ehead!

    Reply
  843. Siri on

    Gotta be wild Himalayan blackberries, always need hacking back and they are beautiful at every stage from green berries, to red, to black, and even the leaves in fall. This was a wonderful interview!

    Reply
  844. Erica on

    I like how Ariella says to always pay attention to the side of the road and the quote from her book about going deeper and deeper into the meadow. The mushroom centerpiece is amazing!

    Reply
  845. Cate Bower on

    I love using the flowers from my herbs intermixed with dahlias from my cutting garden. Rosemary, dill and oregano all produce lovely flowers and add an herbal undertone to the bouquetā€™s scent. Then add a rough grass ā€” sea oats for exampleā€” provide visual contrast.

    Reply
  846. Stacey Diehl on

    I have wild native clematis growing and I love incorporating it into my arrangements. As we have designed the cabin we are building I have planned spaces to incoprste flower arrangements, so I look forward to the concept of this book!

    Reply
  847. Kate Barrett on

    What a wonderful book and resource for those of us who love flowers and want to use local ingredients – especially those in our own yards! I love my smokebush in arrangements – the color of the foliage and its cozy supportive shape. Thank you Ariella and Erin!

    Reply
  848. Sally Ward on

    I loved that Ariella wrote back to you all those years ago – such a generosity to share, help and lift another. You are kindred souls in that. I love how she sees a home as an extension of a person, what they love, what matters and how that can be reflected in flowers. I love that Ariella looks amongst the weeds, and incorporates what is often overlooked- that everything is beautiful and deserves itā€™s opportunity to shine ā€¦ her advocacy for the weeds, for the ā€œessential nobodysā€ believing everything and everyone beautiful and worthy of a place.
    Oh – and wild bramble :)

    Reply
  849. Karen Powell on

    I love Carolina Jessamine vine in the spring. It looks so wild!

    Reply
  850. Amy B on

    I really enjoy raspberry greens!

    Reply

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