Floral arrangements are not just for the spring and summer, in fact some of the most fanciful and inspired bouquets are conceived when the ground is barren and our minds are harkening back to the warm breezes of seasons prior.  While our landscape is glimmering in shades of blues and white, the indoors can be a wash with rich, lush seasonal flora.   Some local floral experts graciously agreed to create “winter bouquets” to spark our imaginations and ignite those creative flames to heat up the chill of Old Man Winter presence.

Pendleton Country Market

Karen Pendleton works with flowers most of the year, but in the winter she primarily relies on those blooms in which she dried earlier in the growing season.   Karen was asked to keep in mind two themes, “winter bouquet” and “from the garden”; since her work is generally from flowers she tends and sows.  The result is a warm and inviting circular arrangement of cranberry, silver, blues, whites and creams, three column candles are snuggled around juniper, pepper berry, pomegranates, creamy roses and ornamental grasses.

Bittersweet Garden & Floral

John McCaffrey, owner of Bittersweet Garden and Floral, was asked to create a “winter bouquet with a modern twist”.  With such a wide spectrum of possibilities, John’s imagination immediately ventured to the Far East.  He states, “It is suppose to look like a winter landscape in Japan, with the terraced levels on a mossy mountain.”  As the white Phalaenopsis orchid gently bends over the green carpeted mountain, the white of the orchid brings the eye to the white Casa Blanca lily, a touch of bittersweet vine, Pink Diamond Hydrangea, white snow berry, Star-of-Bethlehem and curly willow are layered into this sweeping, arched creation.

Owens Flower Shop

The employees at Owens Flower Shop were assigned a “winter bouquet for a buffet table” since the frigid months ahead are often a revolving door for guests and visitors alike the height of entertaining generally comes on some of nature’s darkest of days.  This colorful arrangement is sure to brighten whatever accompanies it on the menu and surrounds this long cornucopia of flora on the buffet table.  It was created with a palette of orange, reds and yellows in mind, the bittersweet vine molds around the wicker container, while gourds, Japanese lanterns, winter berry, rust-colored roses, quaking grass, orange lilies, crocosmia, daisies, solidago and curly willow complete this bouquet.

HyVee Flower Shop

The ladies at HyVee took their “winter bouquet” theme and ran with it.  This snowy white and green creation with crystallized branches tucked into the outer layer of the glass vase and an inner vase holding the water and stems of the live flowers nestled between gives the allusion of sparkling water.  The soft green of the seeded eucalyptus, fuzzy branches of asparagus fern, white spider mums, white roses and white snapdragons and gladiolus add a polished finish to this arrangement.  Cindy Goldring explains their vision, “A lot of households go with so many colors combinations for the holidays and we thought white would transcend to all these homes effortlessly.”

Prairie Flowers

Kathy Hagen is a regular at the Farmer’s market; she grows most of what she sells and finds a day in the garden to be along the lines of a perfect day.  Because of that Kathy was asked to create a “winter bouquet” with an “out of the garden” sensibility to it.  “Nature was my inspiration,” she states, “I love the red cedar with juniper berries which I foraged from the yard, the yew, hibiscus pods are so unique.  I think whatever flower is blooming is the most beautiful one.”  Her bouquet sports holly, dried cockscomb, pine cones, fresh hydrangeas, and ornamental grass plumes to name a few.

Painted Lady Flowers

Christine Kosirog, owner of Painted Lady Flowers, created a simple bouquet to spark up any coffee table with the modern, voluptuous, black vase contrasting with the stark white roses and hard lines of spiky pods, red winter berry adds a splash of color to this straight-forward arrangement that readers could certainly re-create at home.

Englewood Floral

The staff at Englewood Floral chooses to go for the long-lasting winter wreath, a perfect addition to any entryway or even outside on the porch.  Made of artificial flora that can weather any storm, the square wreath intertwined with red ribbon, crystallized sticks, pepper berry, red roses and cranberry vibernum blooms, and the substantial concrete container grounds this piece perfectly complimenting any holiday home.

Prairie Patches

Cinda Garretson, owner of Prairie Patches, was asked to create a long, table arrangement of a winter theme; she came up with the cool blue colors of winter contrasted against the snowy white rose.  A three vase combination with green Antherium, white gladiolus, Star-of-Bethlehem, green Bells of Ireland, and painted blue sticks creates a modern, chilly feel to match the weather outside.

University Floral

The staff at University Floral was asked to create a “modern, upright, winter themed bouquet” and they hit the ball out of the park.  This imposing arrangement is inviting, warm and impressive with dangling votive candles sparkling against the tall curly willow branches, red, Dendrobium orchid stems languidly fall below the rim of the vase, red roses and lilies play off of the Nikko blue hydrangeas which billow over the vases lip to soften the glass edge.  This playful arrangement is polished off with glistening crystals and will surely start the conversation to any holiday gathering.