One distinguishing feature of Paris is the flowers. They seem so much more beautiful than they are in London or Provence… Parisians have an eye for the floral. It might be a reaction to urban life, a need to surround their home and their work lives with nature… that would be the most simple and sensible of explanations… Or perhaps they just adore flowers…
I have always thought the easiest way to create a beautiful arrangement and to make a spectacular show… is to use masses of the same flower… it is not so important to have the best of the best… but to have an abundance… I have never been clever with the mixed bunch… they never look as I wish, or as I imagine… What I do love to do is colour block… like the image of the roses above and below…
The English are the masters of the mixed bunch… they somehow manage to create their ‘herbaceous’ borders inside, with their floral combinations… The French are more dramatic in their floral style… less soft… their work has a formality, like their approach to landscaping… Perhaps because I am enamoured with all things French, my taste in floral decorating has been influenced…
How do you like to arrange flowers? Do you follow my train of thought… masses of the one kind? Or do you prefer to mix them up and create wonderful posies?
The Vintage ‘Chemise’ giveaway continues… so please leave me a comment, subscribe, join me on Facebook… the more the merrier… just let me know you are there if you haven’t already… I will announce winners next week… xv
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I love beautiful nightdresses. A vintage one chosen by Vicki Archer would be so special.
I adore your site! Calms me after a hectic day. A nice ‘Chemise’ would be lovely too!
I would love to be able to put together mixed floral arrangements but they never turn out how I picture. I need to practice more. I have actually been eyeing off your floral book suggestions to try and lift my game. I adore big masses of the same flower and roses are more often than not my go to flower. Jx
Such beautiful flowers. I could just imagine the roses smelling so fragrant. I like to do both- mixing flowers and also keeping all of the same into one bunch. Flowers always make people smile.
Good morning dearest Vicki!
Thank you for coming to my post; it means a lot to me.
AND I have embraced the French sensibilities since CHILDHOOD. YES! I love symmetry, therefore, I enjoy a French style garden with that edge of formality and order. I enjoy a British garden as well, but from a great distance! Meaning that I could NOT manage a garden with so many varieties of flowers and TEXTURES…I am not one for feathery plants or fuzzy bushes! But give me rows of clipped boxwood or spires of cypress…and I am literally in heaven on earth. I was SO IMPRESSED when I was at Chenonceau; the gardener was clipping the hedges with a small pair of scissors! NO POWER TOOLS THERE as we have here in the USA.
Have an abundantly FABULOUS DAY DEAR! Anita
No power tools chez moi either…
Love all of the gorgeous flowers. I too agree that quantity and not variety is key. This same idea can be applied towards outdoor landscaping as well.
In German we call the “Baby Chrysanthemums”: Strohblume. You can dry it very well, they have the same colour and form when they are dried and are very often used for decorations here.
lots of greetings, maren
its me again with the correct botanical name: Garten-Strohblume (Helichrysum bracteatum) ; family: Asteraceae
Thank you Maren… They are so sweet aren’t they?… Good to know their name…
xv
The flowers are beautiful…
Please enter me for the wonderful vintage chemise..
French Essence continues to be my favorite
Read of the day …thank you
One of my favorite things about Paris is the abundance of beautiful flowers. It makes me happy just walking down the streets. I adore the vintage linens and laces that you’ve gathered on your trips to the brocante.
I love massing togehter one type of flower in my arrangements. I even love a bouquet of baby’s breath!
It’s how I planted my garden, too – several of the same plant in one area. I love the look.
Vicky, I loved your photo of the strawflowers. My grandfather grew those at our cottage in the Czech Republic, Brno, and, even though I lived in Prague, those flowers remind me of my childhood best. I grow them in both my gardens, Vancouver and Northmoor.
looks like I am in the minority. I favor asymmetry and have mixed gardens that reflect that. But mostly all the flowers are pinks of all different kinds. But the back garden is a riot of zinnias in all different colors. When brought in the house, it’s always a mixed arrangement with whites for pop. Hope this makes sense.
My garden style follows the old adage “the more the merrier.” So I love the English country garden look. That’s not to say that I don’t admire French gardens for their organization. Actually, I guess I love all gardens!!!
Good Morning, I love flowers too. I try to grow enough flowers in my garden so I can bring them into my home. Heaven is to wake up to the smell of flowers next to your head on your night table. I like to put them in my bathroom so that when I am cleansing my face I smell and see them there too. I love flowers almost as much as I love books! I still have my fingers crossed for the Chemise! Hope everyone has a good day and stops to smell the Roses!
After a very stressful shift (I am a registered nurse) it is nice to come home to what I feel has become a familiar face (French essence). To relax, unwind and try to distance my mind from the stress and sometimes the sadness work can bring is something I find myself looking forward to on the drive home. Within ten minutes of arriving home I have my iPad on my lap to check my emails and eagerly open my French essence. Accompanied with tea and toast of course. Bliss.
Have always been in love with flowers and greenery. Grew up with grandmothers that could plant and wooden ruler and it sprout! So it was no surprise that I had my own business in flowers. Also took many seminars in Holland and France to learn ways to make my arrangements and displays more ‘European’…masses of the same color or flower is always my favs.
Thanks for your lovely posts!
Jana Rooke
Vicki, you should have seen the gigantic hydrangea at our market place last week. HUGE. In all these muted colors as you’ve shown. They were only $15. for 3 stems, so my girlfriend and I bought 2 bunches each, and then we will dry them and put them all together for a bouquet somewhere. They are my favorite flower, well other than orchids. I’m getting my camera out right now. Love you!!
Great pictures and great giveaway. I am waiting for your guest post over at http://thefrenchseries.blogspot.fr/
Whenever you have time!
Nina
Love big bunches of anything(almost) + I can smell those roses. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Hydrangea are also my favorite–
So pretty Vicki.. and roses are my favorite too! Love them grouped (in abundance
and I usually go with just one color. It seems that color blocking is everywhere! Interior design, clothing, gardening, .. let’s hope they don’t start color blocking hair!
The antique hydrangeas are so pretty this time of year. For a seasonal change, I planted a couple smaller varieties in my blue and white porcelain. They have a fun vintage look. xxleslie
Your daily blog is an inspiring start each morning; thank you. It makes me miss Paris and France so much.
Roses are one of the beautiful gifts of life. Thorns and all.
Vicki I usually like masses of the same flower unless someone else who knows what they are doing has created the arrangement!
I have entered you beautiful giveaway and I am thinking of those chemises all of the time!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
I love to arrange different varieties of flowers together, but all in the same color. I’m not a huge fan of stems so they are usually trimed fairly short.
I just went to the four seasons hotel on George v and saw those glorious single color display of flowers. Pictures do not do justice to this floral artist. I can send you pictures as soon as I get home and download.
Sounds perfect… Thank you… xv
Hi Vick, divine flowers, so beautiful and so wonderfully photographed.. I too love the Parisian florists, always a treat for the senses.. Carla xx
I vintage chemise to dream in—so poetic! I will illustrate this chosen frock for sure:))
You’re right! The flowers of Paris are stand outs and I always thought that that was because they were grown in Europe, we have flowers in NY but they are kept in refrigerators in the back of the shops, otherwise in buckets of pre-arranged bunches in supermarkets or corner green grocers.
Here I go again with the aesthetics of the French – but they are incapable of presenting without pleasing the eye, the mind, the heart. There’s not much I don’t adore about French things. What about postage stamps? The list is endless.
I miss walking along the streets in Paris being greeted by big buckets of fresh flowers.
V
I love beautiful displays of flowers but unfortunately I’m not that creative with that ….I Just buy couple of bunches of flowers and put them in a vase. It’s really lame… I know : )
Beautiful photos, as always.
x
Truly the flowers are better where you live…sheer gorgeousness! Thank you Vicki for such a sweet giveaway!
xo Mary Jo
French style for me!! Tulips, roses, hydrangeas, daisies.. w/e the flower or leaf type, choose the same and bunch it up. It will enhance the room!
My florists here and market vendors never understand that I don’t want ANYTHING else but the flowers…but you do.
What gorgeous photos of exquisite roses, did they have a scent? I loved the soft pink with a touch of green around the edges. X
A very faint scent Kate… xv
Roses and hydrangea together are my all time favourite. In the summer I put Nicky blue hydrangea with soft pink roses, or white with white. In the fall I like the hydrangea shades as they are turning with the season, and they look wonderful with deep coloured roses.
Hi Vicki,
Love your thoughts on flowers and the beautiful images. Have to admit, I love roses and peonies but all flowers in general. They make a home and make your heart sing. I think they are the perfect way to brighten someone’s day. Just seeing them and smelling them in the street is enough to make me happy! They only add to the beauty of Paris. Love your books and your blog.
cheers,
Karen NZ
Those little paper daisies are an Australian native flower, Helichrysum brachteatum. I accompanied my daughter on a school excursion many years ago to the Botanical Gardens in Canberra and that little flower was the centre of the study, the children were given seeds and we had great success planting them. I was in France recently and so many of my holiday snaps are flowers, now I am back in Sydney and I am trying to emulate the pink parterre that I saw at Chateau Chenonceau, albeit in a town house!
I love my holiday shots of flowers everywhere I go on stands outside shops in windows all along road sides on sidewalks Wonderful memories . At present I have a bunch of mixed flowers on my dining table from my mother in laws garden . She passed away a while ago but when I can I bring home a bunch from her garden It is as though she is still with us . Beautiful lady we all miss her. Every Xmas she would arrive with beautiful large big Red lilllies sometimes they even had stripes of white magnificent I thank her every day for her wonderful son .-my hubbie! Although I must say I have my own camera I drive him crazy taking shots of flowers!
Massed for me, Vicki ~ though I’d gladly accept a mixed arrangement if given one! I also quite like staying with a single colour but using different kinds of flowers ~ especially all white. Creates movement within the uniformity.
Gorgeous flowers and a wonderfully feminine chemise. Just fabulous!!!
Have a great weekend coming up
Lesley
xx
Thank you for such beautiful photos
I tend to like the mixed bunch, but then I have a garden that provides tons of mixed bunches. I especially like to snap off pieces of tomato vines to fill in with, they add a really nice touch. But to be honest, mixed bunch or mass singles are all pretty and always welcomed. If I get that chemise, I’ll treat myself to some of those roses………just beautiful.
massed roses are stunning! However i do like flowers at home to look “unarranged, ie just picked from a meadow”.
A vintage chemise would be a fabulous win!
Hi Vicki- great to be able to follow you on FB now as well as your blog and Pinterest. As for the roses – they are my favourite flower and remind me so much of my Mum, who grew the most magnificent blooms. Once a week I buy a bunch of tightly closed blooms and love to watch them open day by day. I have often thought how much my Mum would have loved Paris (well France in fact), and all those beautiful blooms. I replanted some of her roses in my garden in 2006 after she passed away. I planted her favourite in big pot and put it on the patio so it was always in view. Imagine my surprise when we returned our first trip to France in 2007, to find the rose in full bloom, somewhat early – it was as if she was welcoming us home!
I would love to be considered for the cami draw too.