Spring Flowers

I am currently up in Napa Valley taking a much needed rest after a busy few weeks (Superbowl, New York, Valentine's Day and a weekend with 3 weddings). I have traveled up to Napa many times in the past but usually during Harvest Season when the vines are full of leaves and grapes. It's absolutely beautiful and smells delicious at that time of year.

I wasn't really expecting as much "beauty" this time around due to the time of year it is. To my surprise I was so incorrect! There are the most beautiful spring flowers popping up everywhere in Napa Valley right now.

The grounds of our hotel are covered with spring bulbs such as tulips, paperwhites, daffodils and hyacinth. The scent is amazing! The colors are breathtaking! There are blossoming trees throughout the Napa Valley in pink and white hues.

All of the vines are bare and cut back right now but between each of the rows are an abundant display of yellow mustard plants. It is almost more beautiful in the winter than during late fall. It's a feast for the eyes!

Dressing up the stage at your Wedding Reception

Recently, Weddings Houston magazine ran a feature titled Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

The article featured several florists, including the Hidden Garden. All of the included florists gave unique tips to readers for their weddings. I gave suggestions on how to dress up a stage at the reception!

"Los Angeles-based Hidden Garden Flowers’ Amy Child Marella, whose floral work has been featured at celebrity weddings and in countless bridal, design and fashion magazines, doesn’t mince words: “In many ballrooms, there is not a preexisting stage, so they put in a popup stage. The front is ugly.” Since the layout of many dining spaces is such that the stage is the first thing guests focus on upon entry, brides want to make sure they present a pretty sight. “We like to do hedging in front of the stage,” Marella says. “Or we might do boxes filled with pavés or iceberg rose bushes.” When budget has allowed, the designer has added oversize pepperberry trees, built from pepperberry limbs nailed to 10-foot-high stock bases.

Of course, with floral stage decor like that, you don’t want to leave the dance floor hanging. Or, rather, you want to hang something sensational over it. Marella says a “beautiful floral chandelier” is one option. She also has fashioned hanging floral lampshades out of fresh hydrangeas, or out of silk flowers, which are great for letting light shine through the petals." (Weddings Houston magazine)

To read the rest of this article, please visit The Weddings Houston website!

The Hidden Garden Annual Party

The Hidden Garden & David Michael Photography hosted our 3rd Annual party to celebrate the new year with all our favorite wedding & event vendors. The fun-filled night was held on the rooftop of The Hidden Garden. The guests sipped martinis, enjoyed homemade tacos, lounged on chic furniture, enjoyed delicious sweets, and gathered to start 2008!

BETTER TV Apprearance - Valentine's Day Flowers

Be sure to tune into Better TV tomorrow, February 13 (check local listings) to catch me on the show discussing Valentine's Day trends and celebrity style with host Audra Lowe. I'll show you what's hot this season and what colors fit your style.

Better TV is seen in several cities across the country and is also availalbe on-demand online. Please tune in or watch online and let me know what you think!

If you haven't already ordered your Valentine's Day flowers, you still have time and maybe you'll get some good ideas from the show!

Better TV airs in these cities - please check your local listings for time and channel info: Phoenix, Portland, Hartford, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Nashville, Greenville, Las Vegas, Saginaw, Fort Myers, Green Bay, Chatanooga, and Springfield.

I hope you like the show because they've invited me back for a Spring Flowers segment! I'll let you know when that happens!

Here is the archive:

My Visit to the New York Flower Market

This week I had an amazing opportunity to visit the New York Flower Market. I had never been to any other flower market other than Los Angeles (which is one of the largest in the world). It is amazing to me the "low inventory" that is available to the New York Florists! In Los Angeles our market encompasses two full city blocks - massive warehouses with at least 75-100 vendors to buy from. In New York, it was located amongst other existing business (that aren't necessarily floral related) and each Wholesale Florist had about 2,500 square feet to work out of. There were approximately 10 vendors total (that I saw.) I just couldn't believe how "spoiled" we are in Los Angeles! The New York vendors still provided a beautiful selection of flowers but just not in the abundant amounts that we have in Los Angeles. I attached a few photos for you guys to get a glimpse of the New York market.

The other interesting difference were the hours that the market keeps. New York vendors start at 3 am and are open till 2 in the afternoon. Basically, a florist could actually sleep in!! In Los Angeles, the vendors arrive at 10 PM - market OPENS at 2 AM and most vendors are closed up by 8:30 AM (some linger around but not too many).

I would love the New York hours...but i'll keep the L.A. selection!

Hidden Garden Opened Eight Year's Ago on St. Valentine's Day 2000

Eight Years ago on February 14th The Hidden Garden opened its doors. Had I only realized that Valentine's Day was the busiest day of the year for florists I probably would have rethought that one!

On February 14, 2000 my girlfriend, mom & dad all helped me start The Hidden Garden. All my friends that I knew (and all their friends that they called!) ordered flowers from me. I was so unprepared! In retrospect it was funny but that day seemed like a total disaster. It started off so fun and cute. My girlfriend and I sat on our "stools" at the design table and took our time making these beautiful little arrangements on February 13th. The phone just kept ringing....it seemed like it wasn't going to stop. It was all my friends, being supportive, ordering their loved ones flowers. How lucky was I! To have these great clients/friends. By the end of Feb 13th I was exhausted. We went home thinking we should get some rest. Actually, we should have made a pot of coffee to keep us going!

The morning of the 14th we were back at it. Ready to get all the orders out the door. Who knew that with LA traffic and only 1 driver it would be impossible to get all the orders delivered! By 2 pm I was in tears. I didn't think we would get it all done. I even pulled my husband from his job to come pick up orders and deliver them to his office for me! He was driver number 2! By 8 PM all the orders were delivered. A little late but at least they all arrived to their destination on February 14th!

As the year pass I learn more and more. The biggest lesson was that of February 14, 2000. It's always fun to look back and reminence how far we've come. But only for a minute because Valentine's day is only seven days away!

Superbowl Tailgate Party

We had the most amazing job opportunity when we were asked to prepare all the floral designs for the NFL's Superbowl Tailgate Party, the VIP event of this year's big game. It was unlike any job we have ever done! We are used to large events but this was much larger than any normal job! The designs had to be oversized, eyecatching from yards away, unique yet consistent so that the guests would remember which tent they were actually in! The total event was over one million square feet. You can only imagine the vast amount of space we were covering.

I took an amazing crew of our L.A. designers with us to Glendale, Arizona. We had a blast creating unique and custom designs that were eye catching for the party goers, yet representative of the region.

We really tried to work with items that would seem ideginous to the Arizona area. Florals such as cactus, succulents, hypercium berries, agave plants, accacia knifeblade and silver tree. We also incorporated florals that might not be a part of the traditional Arizona landscape but fit into the decor of their respective areas at Superbowl Tailgate. Some items included amazing Orchid displays in the Spa Domes, Red Dyed Magnolia Leaves and Burgundy cymbidiums in the Native American Tent and White Dendrobium Orchids and Silver Rocks in the Team Tent.

The game was thrilling between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, and you could feel the excitement. We were so exhausted by the time the game started and just hoped we could contribute to a memorable party experience. We are finally home after a long week of work but definitely looking forward to the opportunity to do it all again next year in Tampa!!

Valentine's Day Celebrity Style: Pink is the New Red

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Lisa Chase, founder and editor of CelebrityEverthing.com, about the hottest Valentine's Day trends this year, which I was more than happy to share!.

I told Lisa that the biggest trend is PINK, PINK, PINK! Say goodbye to traditional red roses and say hello to bright, vibrant, plentiful arrangements of pink! I know a lot of men out there will be scared to steer away from red roses so it's up to you to educate your man. Send him the link to Celebrity Everthing, leave him a post it note, or just have him call The Hidden Garden - we'll set him straight.

Going green is another topic on everybody's minds these days and believe it or not, you can be earth-friendly with your Valentine - rent or reuse the vase or container, ask for locally grown flowers, or send a plant (like an orchid) - it will last a lot longer and can be replanted!

Be sure to check out Celebrity Everything for all my Valentine's Day flower trends and find out why Jessica Alba will be thrilled this year!