Berlin Flower Shop News
A Floral Designer Who Forages in the Hills of Malibu - The New York Times
Monday, August 24, 2020Indeed, Moreno-Bunge is part of a new wave of designers — among them the Berlin-based studio Mary Lennox and the New York-based Joshua Werber — for whom the term florist seems too narrow a definition; they’re artists who not only confirm the obvious appeal of blooms but also reveal the magnificence of their landscapes’ less flamboyant elements: leaves, vegetables, seedpods, weeds and humble grasses.The florist creates a wild, sculptural arrangement of plants including golden rain tree, oats, artichoke flowers and green persimmons.CreditCredit...Scott J. RossThis approach has made Isa Isa — Moreno-Bunge’s five-year-old floral design business, which creates effervescent, naturalistic arrangements and installations — the studio of choice for many of L.A.’s most interesting brands. Visitors to the Chinatown store of the clothing label Eckhaus Latta in 2018 might have noticed a single, ethereal white Iceland poppy emerging from a dense green cluster of beadlike dates, slatted areca palm leaves and the drooping, fist-size fruit of the silk floss tree, arranged by Moreno-Bunge in a pitcher on a table of accessories. More recently, she displayed three green tromboncino squash, coiled like snakes, alongside bouquets of black tomatoes, olive branches and unripened persimmons and lemons, at the women’s clothing boutique Shaina Mote... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/t-magazine/sophia-moreno-bunge-floral-design.html
Feed the soul: In chaotic times, gardening becomes therapy - Sentinel & Enterprise
Thursday, April 02, 2020Those with a garden are the lucky ones,” said Heidi Schaletzky, standing on the lawn beneath a cherry tree in the north of Berlin.Schaletzky and her husband have been cultivating a plot in the “Free Country” community garden for the past eight years, growing strawberries, salad greens and kohlrabi. So far, access to garden plots remains exempt from restrictions intended to stop the spread of the virus in Germany.“We’ll be able to see other people, too,” she said. “As long as they stay on their side of the fence.”As the weather warms, garden shops are bustling as other businesses shut during the outbreak.At the Almaden Valley Nursery in San Jose, California, rose expert John Harp has seen a mix of new gardeners and regulars. Customers can’t come into the shop, so their online orders are brought to their vehicles in the parking lot.“Around town everyone is gardening right now,” Harp said. “They’re looking to be a little bit more self-sufficient.”This home-grown attitude goes back to World War II, when millions of people cultivated victory gardens to protect against potential food shortages while boosting patriotism and morale.Hollie Niblett, who lives near Kansas City, Kansas, hopes the victory gardens come back. Niblett, who has a degree in horticultural therapy, tends to a kitchen garden near her backdoor, perennial flowers, flowering trees and shrubs, and upper and lower grassy yards connected by a path through an area left in its natural condition.“There are so many things about it that feed my soul,” she said. “Right now, more than anything, my garden gives me hope, gives me purpose and provides a sense of connection to something bigger than myself.”For beginners, wonderment awaits. Just south of Atlanta, 10-year-old Ezra Gandy’s love for playing baseball has been paused. He and his grandmother, Melanie Nunnally, recently started an outdoor garden, planting strawberries, cabbage, broccoli, kale and asparagus.“I like digging in the dirt because I like to see all the bugs and stuff that’s in the ground,” he said.The nonprofit group KidsGardening.org suggests that children grow their own salads or do other activities.The virus scare could even usher in a new crop of gardeners who start from seed rather than risk the crowds buying starter plants.Kendra Schilling of Scott Depot, West Virginia, doesn’t have space for a sprawling garden, so she’s planting potatoes in a bucket and trying to figure out with her teenage daughter what to do with other vegetable seeds.“I usually go buy the plants and stick them in the dirt. But this year we’re going to try to do the seeds,” she says. “Thank God for YouTube.”___Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2020/03/31/feed-the-soul-in-chaotic-times-gardening-becomes-therapy/
How Floral Arrangements Began to Take Over the Table — and the Entire Room - The New York Times
Thursday, March 12, 2020The daughter of contemporary art gallerists, Barber moved from her native Sydney, Australia, in 2012 to Berlin, where, in her studio, Mary Lennox, she often crafts monumental Rorschach-like installations that seem not merely to defy gravity but to openly taunt it: armfuls of dried pampas grass, amaranth and loopy hops that hang from hooks on the ceiling; a geyser of translucent lunaria seedpods — glinting like silver dollars — in place of a chandelier in a Paris apartment; a staircase banister wrapped with cherry and orange boughs braided with Queen Anne’s lace. While she works with fresh flowers in the spring and summer, Barber finds herself increasingly using dried materials; their stiffness lends itself to abstraction and frees her from using imported commercial flowers from the Netherlands or China in the autumn and winter. “More and more, people want something that can be reused and have another life,” she says. “I have hardly been asked to do a regular table centerpiece lately, which I think is indicative of change in the air.”At the Chorin Abbey in Brandenburg, Germany, Ruby Barber of the floral studio Mary Lennox creates a boundaryless climbing formation of dried hydrangea and dried marcela.CreditCredit...By Guido CastagnoliIt makes a certain sense that the once ubiquitous symmetrical dome of roses, clonelike in its perfection, seems to have vanished. “Let’s face it, they were like a salon blowout,” says Alex Eagle, who often features Barber’s concoctions in her eponymous clothing and furniture boutique in Berlin. The demise of conventional floristry has been hastened as well by the rejection of toxic floral foam; its replacements — chicken wire or recycled coconut husks — have spurred creativity. At a recent dinner Eagle hosted at her London home, the florist Simone Gooch of Fjura placed rose plants in large cubes of exposed soil at the center of the table, their roots fanning out in all directions. “They were so transfixing, so beautiful to look at. Afterwards, I took them an... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/t-magazine/flower-arrangements-sculptures.html
David Gruman - Clarksville Now
Sunday, February 09, 2020Brookfield, WI on November 12, 1957. He graduated from Brookfield Central High School in 1975. David married Tammy in 1982. He worked for over 25 years for Gruman Construction, Inc. of New Berlin, WI. He retired to Dover, TN in 2012, where he enjoyed time with many friends. Although “retired”, Dave soon found himself happily work for Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency. “Grandpa Big” enjoyed visiting his grandchildren and was an avid sports fan.David is preceded in death by his parents Karen and Lawrence Gruman. He is survived by his wife, Tammy Gruman of Dover; Daughters: Heather Kohls (Matthew) of Milwaukee, WI, and Kristina Laurishke (William) of Sussex, WI; Grandchildren: Tierra, Dwight, Carlos and Faith Laurishke; and, Siblings Joel (Sharon) of Delafield, WI, Thomas (Gail) of Brookfield, WI, Robert (Makela) of Sugar Hill, GA, and Tricia Muesbeck (Dale) of Sun Prairie, WI.The funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Fort Donelson Memorial United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service at 1:00 p.m. at the Fort Donelson Memorial United Methodist Church. Services will conclude with a luncheon at the church.In lieu of flowers, memorial contrib... https://clarksvillenow.com/local/david-gruman/
Coming to LA: Fleurs De Villes - PerishableNews
Tuesday, October 22, 2019Bowers Museum and Sherman Library & Gardens.In keeping with the meaning of Fleurs de Villes (flowers of cities), eight of the mannequins are clothed in interpretations of stylish cities such as Berlin, Copenhagen, Dubai, Madrid, Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai.“Fleurs de Villes is a showcase for local, world-class floral design,” says Fleurs de Villes co-founder Karen Marshall. “This fall, we are delighted to partner with South Coast Plaza, a renowned international destination, for our U.S. West Coast debut. Our crowd-drawing pop-up shows are stunning examples of the artistry of flowers and are unique multi-sensory experiences.”Sherman Library & Gardens joins participating florists and floral designers including Above the Stem, Bella Blooms, Bottles and Blooms, Bonne Fleur Floral & Special Event Design, Corona del Mar Florist, Couture Flowers, Fleurish, Floral Fete, Flowers by Enzo, The Flower Stand, Inessa Nichols Design, Jacob Maarse Florist, Lauren Drake Designs, Penelope Pots, Yellow Vase, and White Lilac Inc. Event & Floral Design in creating the floral fashion. Mayesh Wholesale Florist is providing the flowers for the five-day event.“We are thrilled to partner with Fleurs De Villes, participating in an event that brings luxury floral art to the public,” says Yvonne Ashton, Mayesh, Director of Marketing. “We are excited to support initiatives that cultivates an appreciation and love of floral design with the people, and showcases the talents of our fantastic California florists.” ... https://www.perishablenews.com/floral/coming-to-la-fleurs-de-villes/
Business is 'blooming' at Park Avenue Florist & Gift Shop - Clay Today Online
Wednesday, December 02, 2020McCleod said.“I’ve just started coming here,” said Orange Park’s Marlene Revella. “My parents and most of my family live up in Ohio, and obviously I won’t be going home for the holidays this year. So I decided to maybe send them a plant. But I came in and saw the different flower arrangements and plants, and I ended up being here for over an hour. The salespeople were so helpful and patient with me.“I ended up deciding to send a plant and flowers. I think it’s something I’ll probably do again in the future. It’s not too expensive, and it’s a pretty timely gift to let someone know you’re thinking of them.”McCleod says that the florist is doing mostly contactless deliveries and pickups on orders, as people are trying to maintain suggested health and safety protocols.“Usually within 24 hours,” said McCleod when asked about the turnaround time of delivery and pickup orders. “That way, if they pick out something special, we can order it in. We have a wide variety on hand, so we can usually fill it [the order].” McCleod hasn’t seen any particular demographic doing most of the buying.According to her, it’s across the board. Although, she says she’s seen more men than usual – doghouse buys, she calls them – assuming that quarantine has caused them to irritate the women in their lives.“We’re doing more centerpieces right now, especially for Thanksgiving,” said McCleod. “Scented with candles, something festive for their holiday table. Christmas is usually about the same thing. We have ornaments in the specialty type containers as well.” ... https://www.claytodayonline.com/stories/business-is-blooming-at-park-avenue-florist-gift-shop,25109
Ham Lake couple trust God as they grow family flower farm business - The Catholic Spirit
Monday, August 24, 2020Jonah grew up on a farm. High school sweethearts, the 30-year-olds met at the parish they still attend, St. Paul in Ham Lake. They went to college together at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and married in 2012.Six years ago, they rented a farmhouse near Ham Lake, on 20 acres with a field bordered by pines. After it sat fallow for a few seasons, they approached their landlord and arranged to begin farming it. This spring, they planted a plot with 50 different types of flowers. Kristen cuts, arranges and sells bouquets.Kristen and Jonah are convinced that God has led them to begin this venture, but they wear no rose-colored glasses about the challenge they’ve taken on. When asked July 30 what he sees when he looks over the field, Jonah chuckled and said, “a lot of labor.” In the spring, he and Kristen ordered mounds of compost to prepare the field’s otherwise “sandbox” soil, spreading it over layers of salvaged cardboard to help retain moisture and quality. He built a fence to keep out deer, like the five he observed grazing across the road that evening, as well as an irrigation system.Jonah holds a master’s degree in counseling, but decided the career wasn’t for him. He works as a house inspector, but is an entrepreneur at heart. The flower farm by far is the biggest risk he and Kristen have taken, he said. They hope that eventually it could become their full-time business.When they began researching farming, they planned to grow organic food. They were inspired by the writings of Joel Salatin, a Christian farmer in Virginia who has become the godfather of a movement favoring small-scale, sustainable, family-based farming. The Carlstroms were thinking produce and chickens when, in the winter of 2019, Kristen came across a book titled “The Cut Flower Garden” by Erin Benzakein, a florist farmer in Washington.“Basically, I just fell in love with it,” Kristen said. “It was kind of out of the blue for me.”She had always kept a small flower garden with sunflowers and zinnias, but nothing large-scale. But once she began to think about flowers, she became convinced that was the direction she wanted to move.“I knew we were going to take on something really big,” she said. “It was really important for me to be really passionate about it. And so, this was something that just really took a hold of me. And I had so much energy with thinking of doing really hard stuff to make it happen.”She and Jonah took Benzakein’s online course on flower farming, and dove into researching what would grow well in Minnesota’s climate. “Before we knew it, we’re like, we’re really doing it,” she said.Jonah gives Kristen all the credit for the flower focus. “I never thought I would be a flower farmer — I don’t think many men do think of that,” Jonah said, sitting near the field. He agreed to the online course, “and I was just sort of open with the Lord; ‘Wherever you lead us.’”“Ever since leaving school, I wanted to do something in nature. I love working outside. I’ve been praying along the way” for God’s guidance, he said. “Basically, I want to come home and I want to work from home.”The Carlstroms don’t know any other young farmers, but they’re not alone among Catholic millennials. Jim Ennis, executive director of St. Paul-based Catholic Rural Life, said there are like-minded young Catholics across... https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/ham-lake-couple-trust-god-as-they-grow-family-flower-farm-business/
Local florist brings joy to Clevelanders with massive floral installation at Edgewater Park - News 5 Cleveland
Monday, August 24, 2020At the same time, Mayesh, who is the largest flower wholesaler in Northeast Ohio, had a significant amount of inventory on hand as they prepared to close through April. Bob Fenner Flower display at Edgewater Park. So Thomas loaded up as many flowers as he could, approximately 5,000 stems, onto the bed of his pick up truck.Working after dusk, plucking and arranging each flower with intent, Thomas created an 8-foot tall floral billboard at Edgewater Park.At the base of the installation reads, “Individually, we are one flower. Together we are a beautiful garden,” — a message Thomas hopes reaches as many people as possible during this difficult time. Cleveland Metroparks/Kyle Lanzer. Floral design at the Cleveland Metroparks. Cleveland Metroparks/Kyle Lanzer. “Having flowers is a luxury for most people who think twice about having them even when the economy is good. I had all these flowers and thought this would be a great way to bring joy into as many homes as possible,” he said.Every visitor is encouraged to take a flower or two home to remind them of better times ahead."I designed it so it's easy for visitors to grab flowers," Thomas said.The Cleveland Metroparks, who operates the area where the display is located at, encourages visitors practice social distancing.Spreading joy and hope through flowers is something that runs deep for Thomas, who, for as long as he can remember, has been surrounded by flowers and plants.For generations, his family has been in the flower business, o... https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/made-us-smile/local-florist-brings-joy-to-clevelanders-with-massive-floral-installation-at-edgewater-park
Looters Ransack Streeterville Florist Shop That Opened Just A Few Months Ago - CBS Chicago
Monday, August 24, 2020It was difficult to see the shop like this,” Nima Manhas said.The refrigerators were shattered, the computers were broken, and the new small business at 209 E. Ohio St. was totally ransacked.“All of us are trying to get back to normal, and it’s just so difficult,” Nima Manhas said.They did deal with some theft.“Just garbage and trash everywhere,” said Gur Manhas.But for the most part, City Scents Flowers was destroyed for the sake of destruction – almost eerily so.You can see the flowers behind the broken refrigerators still arranged in place.“It seemed like the purpose was just to damage,” Gur Manhas said.Their purpose since taking over in April is supporting their community, even when it meant closing down during the protests in May after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.“We handed out daisies and white roses to protestors to show support for the protesters,” Nima Manhas said.“We do not believe that the violence that occurred this morning had anything to do with any kind of social justice theme,” Gur Manhas said.Now, as they process and finish picking up the pieces, things that can be replaced.“We don’t want people to move away from the city,” Gur Manhas said.Their focus is on a feeling throughout the city right now that’s not as easily replaceable.“I think it’s important for everyone to feel safe in our community,” Nima Manhas said.City Scents is hoping to open back up soon in Streeterville. And on Monday night, like other businesses in this area, big and small, all hit in the early morning, they’re asking for one thing – protection from the city. https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/08/10/looters-ransack-streeterville-florist-shop-that-opened-just-a-few-months-ago/