March/April 2019 News
Flower Duet Featured in New York Times & BMW Podcast Series
Casey of Flower Duet was interviewed by the new Podcast called, The Special, about how she buys flowers in Downtown Los Angeles. In an episode called “Exploring the Creative Edge of Los Angeles,” listeners can learn about the art, food, and flower scene in Los Angeles.
We were asked to help launch the entire podcast series by creating flowers for the launch party at Rossoblu. Here are some photos from the launch party in March where Casey and Kit made all the centerpieces and then were on hand to help guide over 100 guests to make their own BMW-inspired bouquets to take home. Did you know the official flower of BMW is the white calla lily?
We designed flowers in white and blue which had an airy feel and highlighted the BMW color scheme. The celebration was about the podcast, but the podcast is about the launch of the all-new BMW X7, a crossover SUV.
Both Casey and Kit were at the launch party to help over 100 guests design their own BMW-themed bouquet. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Under the main tent were two special BMWs including the new X7. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Flowers included two shades of Delphiniums, Vendela roses, white Alstroemeria, Bluepurum, Veronica and Tree Fern. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Guests were encouraged to sit and take selfies inside the new BMW X7. Photo by Kit Wertz. Photo by Kit Wertz.
The main dining room of Rossoblu in downtown Los Angeles was the scene for the launch party. Our flowers are dotted on the dining tables. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Green trick Dianthus also added to the mix along with Sea Holly. Photo by Kit Wertz.
In the wine cellar of Rossoblu, Casey sets up flowers for guest to learn how to create their own bouquets. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Casey poses with some of the completed guests’ bouquets. We tied them with ribbons and labeled them with names so the guests could pick them up on their way out of the event. Photo by Kit Wertz.BMW
A Free Online Floral Class — Just for You!
Free Class of the Month — Ranunuculus
A Full Bouquet of Lessons one Stem-At-A-Time
Our Flower Arranging Fridays series is a perfectly-sized approach to learning the art of floral design. With each mini-class, we’ll show you a truly useful floral design technique in a current event floral design style. This class series will keep you wondering what we’ll show you next!
As part of each class, you’ll receive:
1. A downloadable PDF list of supplies including the flower recipe.
2. Easy-to-follow mini video lessons so you’ll never have to rewind the video to see a step again.
3. Tips and florist secrets to help you be a successful floral arranger!
Flower Duet Creates Flowers for Oscar Nominated Movies
Flower Duet designed flowers for the movies: Green Book, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, and A Star is Born.
We were tapped to help celebrate 2019 Oscar-Nominated movies by designing flowers that were delivered to movie studios in Hollywood and Los Angeles prior to the big awards ceremony last month.
Dark purple carnations made up a large floral peace symbol for the movie BlacKkKlansman.Casey worked closely with the client to ensure the right messages were sent to help productions celebrate the nominations. Here are the flowers we custom-designed for the nominees.
Bohemian Rhapsody was a movie where we re-created the crown on the rock band’s crest. Here is the crest.
He is our version of a real-life Queen crest using roses, painted carnations and Ruscus. Photo by Kit Wertz.
We made three floral crowns that were larger than life for the Bohemian Rhapsody team. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Casey designed a green piano keyboard from live flowers and greenery for Green Book. Photo by Kit Wertz
Here is Casey pretending to play the Green Book piano in our studio before the delivery to the Oscar nominees. Photo by Kit Wertz
For Lady Gaga’s turn at being a star, Kit from Flower Duet made two succulent guitars. Photo by Kit Wertz.
Emma Stone in the film THE FAVOURITE. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved
Finally, we designed a large display with mums, larkspur and roses for the movie The Favourite. Photo by Kit WertzPlant a Flower Day — March 12
In case you missed it, it was Plant a Flower Day on March 12th! Don’t fret, it’s the perfect time of year to plant flowers for the summer season. Casey gave me a few packets to add to my garden. I just finished planting New Zealand Pittosporum, Wax Flower and some Eriostemon in my front yard. These are all drought tolerant and will be nice for floral designs, too!
Flower Jewelry for Prom and Mom
Kit has written close to 20 design articles for the floral trade publication The Bloomin’ News and this month’s issue is available in print at The Original Los Angeles Flower Market or digitally at bloominnews.com.
Here are a few photos from the article about this hot trend for wearables. While this is not really a new technique, it is a current hot trend thanks to wonderful floral artists like Francoise Weeks.
Kit’s creations for her article in Bloomin News this month.
Kit models her living floral ring for the camera before sending it off to Bloomin’ News!Note: Effective July 2019, The Bloomin’ News becomes a digital magazine, distributed by email links to their subscribers. Join the digital world with us! Subscribe now so you don’t miss even one edition.
Flower Book Review
Flower Book Recommendation:: Wreaths
by Katie Smyth & Terri ChandlerWritten by florists from London, Smyth and Chandler bring back bespoke wreaths made from foraged and seasonal blooms. Hailing from their studio, WORM, the partners designed a wonderfully photographed and inspirational book of over 140 pages. Published last summer by Quadrille press, this is a great instruction and idea book to have in your library. I was able to check it from my local library and you may be able to find it in your local library, too!
From the publisher:
Wreaths explores the art of creating wonderful floral pieces, to gift or keep, through a collection of 20 beautiful and natural designs. Learn how to play around with color, foliage, texture, and architectural forms with a craft that is no longer just for Christmas.
Packed with ideas, skills and techniques, Katie and Terri will inspire you to bring a touch of nature indoors as they offer a fresh and modern approach to wreath design. Going beyond the traditional shapes, this book will equip you with the know-how to create impressive statement pieces, tropical and dried wreaths, as well as beautiful garlands and a late summer chandelier.
Presented through exquisite photography and step-by-step instructions, Wreaths shows how best to maintain and display these botanical creations in your home. Discover the joy of foraging and master the art of making natural wreath frames with this irresistible book – a must-have for lovers of floral arrangements and interiors alike.
Flower Tool Review
Flower Tool :: Clauss Stem Cleaning Glove
We are always on the lookout for a way to speed up production in our flower studio. When it comes to cleaning flower stems of their leaves for hand-tied bouquets and vase design, we often will use a garden glove in a thick leather on one hand. We came across a glove by the brand CLAUSS that makes other flower tools and tried their version of a stem cleaning glove.It works quite well for cleaning the majority of flower stems but does not work for left-handed de-stemming. It is a great tool to have in your toolbox, but I would keep your heavier duty gloves and stronger stem cleaners for the tougher roses. NOTE: The part that helps remove the stems, makes holding anything else a bit tricky. So, only wear these when you are stripping stems!
From the manufacturer:
- Patented Super Fabric Brand Material
- Puncture Resistant
- Comfortable Patch or Glove Design
- Gentle on Stems
- Machine Washable
As Amazon Associates, we receive commissions from products purchased via links in our blog and newsletter articles. See our florist tool recommendations and floral book recommendations on our creator page.
Read more Flower Duet News & Newsletters from past years:
Each month, we cover a current event in the floral trade, florals from real weddings, our latest flower adventures and endeavors, design tips, current floral trends, floral design classes and workshops, book recommendations and floral tool tips.
Since 2010, we’ve created a hot list of what’s on for floral design in and beyond Southern California. As guest speakers inside and outside of California, we know what clients need in the wedding and event industry. We are your trusted resource for floral design tips and techniques for all levels of the flower enthusiast.
We are Kit Wertz and Casey Schwartz, the sister design team of Flower Duet. We are committed to educating our students and fans since we started our floral design business in 1999.
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