Hello!  I haven’t posted for a while - maybe the advent of Spring, the first blooms, the holidays all kept me so busy I didn’t have time to sit and reflect on all that has happened since last year and how that connects with the floral world.

I am feeling extremely fortunate and privileged to have a garden and be able to be outside throughout the pandemic.  I also am grateful to have had the opportunity to build the ‘virtual’ side of Fleur Elise and to revel in the surprising results of teaching on zoom.  The feedback of my students has been a source of great satisfaction.  Here’s one from a recent student, “What a wonderful course! Elise teaches so much in an hour and 1/2....from care of flowers to maximize "shelf life", use of tools, flower characteristics, but best of all step by step encouragement as we built our arrangements. There was personalized instruction with lots of positive reinforcement so I was willing to try things that were out of my boring comfort zone. I feel much more confident playing with flowers now. Thanks Elise-- I've just signed up for another of your classes.”

Not only have my students created beautiful, works of art but they’ve  also had a chance to meet others (albeit on screen) in a creative and collaborative way.  And they have had an hour or so of calm in what we are all experiencing as challenging times.

Another boon to my year has been the discovery of my wonderful teacher of Ikebana, Asae Takahashi.  In only a few lessons, she has deepened my understanding and appreciation of the “mission” of this incredible art form: “to bring nature into a container.”  That idea speaks directly to one of my key teaching floral design principles - that  “it is all about the container.”  And of course it is “all about the flowers.”  While I have much to learn as a student of Ikebana (I just got my beginners certificate!,) the underpinnings of why we do what we do gives great meaning to the practice of floral design.

Clearly there is a deep spiritual side to this endeavor.  While admiring a particularly curvacious and odd shaped parrot tulip, I realized that like snowflakes (and people), no two flowers in the world are alike. And that, for me at least, indicates the presence of some kind of divine.  And the joy of giving flowers is...just that.

I was part of a NAWBO seminar this week where a wonderful expert on STRESS - Dr. Annika Sorensen talked about the biology of stress and about how we are in many ways, like plants.  We need nourishment, sunshine, and a “clean environment” that is mindful of the seasons.  As I sit in my backyard watching things come into bloom it is very apparent that “to every season…”  Some flowers are slow to bloom, others have already come and gone (and it's only early April!) 

My belief in the healing and calming power of flowers and plants has increased exponentially this year. I now start most days with my coffee and some rearrangement of whatever flora happen to be in whichever vases.  At this point it is almost automatic for me - I look around, remember who needs a water change, which flower has run its course, what is the best vase for whomever is left, and have a few lovely moments “in conversation” with my flowers.  They don’t actually talk back but observing them closely lets me know what to do and the small satisfactions of arranging them to “look their best” is a great way for me to start my day.

I encourage you to do the same!