Stone Cottage Designs

Back by popular demand, a Fall Floral Workshop st The Silos! Reserve your seats today. Limited seating available.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-floral-workshop-tickets-950100876297

Who else is tired of sweaty weather and is anxiously awaiting SWEATER WEATHER??🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️
Back by popular demand, we are having another Fall Floral Workshop at the Silos in September. They've added " The Shed" in the Grain Yard. It's the perfect covered outdoor space for us to get creative together. We will be using fresh flowers from local upstate flower farms to make our own unique seasonal arrangements. Grab a friend, then grab a beer from or a bite from any of the many restaurants at The Silos . Don't forget the hot, fresh donuts from . Seating is limited, so reserve your seats soon. Tickets go on sale on July 20. 🍁🍂

Clearly, we would starve if we had to live off of the vegetables from my garden.... But there would be hollyhocks and roses!

Whew, what a week. Thankful for my circle and my teammates. 🌸🌸🌸

Me: If I could go back 20 years, I might have been a homesteader.
Drew: (1) You HATE camping.( I really can't express how much I hate camping)
(2) We would starve.
This is my Barbie- sized broccoli that I have been tending to for weeks. Last year, I spent a bazillion dollars to grow Barbie sized peppers and squash. I did get a large crop of cherry tomatoes, which coincidentally, are supposed to be Barbie sized.
At the moment, I do see a few blooms on my current tomato plants, all two of them, and there is a blackberry vine that has just about taken over one of my flower beds that I feel confident is going to produce pea-sized berries very soon.
I have had some luck growing flowers, so while we may be thin and frail, we would have had fresh flowers on the table every night, had my dreams come true.

It's Leftover Tuesday! I decided to experiment with some new things from Holland for last week's event. Orange Princess double tulips, Claire de lune peonies, and Purple Sensation allium have made it to the " yes" list. I never get tired of fresh flowers on my grandmother's antique platter on my coffee table. 🌸🌸🌸

Something "extra" about the ones you grow yourself. I have never smelled any sweeter....and I've smelled more roses than the average rose sniffer. I won't use the cliche, but you know it well. Slow down and enjoy the small, amazing things today, Moms.

A little creative license is all I need. This Mother's Day brunch event will be all about the Calla Lilies, all the way from Holland. Canterbury Bells and some sweet pink Bella Donna delphinium add a touch of fluff. Grasses and moss for texture and earthiness, for moms deserve anything but ordinary.

Look who showed up in my garden this morning. It's Sarah Bernhardt, and she is exquisite, indeed.

Ok, nothing has been as satisfying as growing some of my own flowers in my small yard and being able to use them for an event. I'm no flower farmer. Everything I plant is experimental, and some things have been happy accidents. I was pretty excited to get to use my coreopsis, Lamb's ear, and French lavender to mix in with the farm grown ranunculus from . Next up is a few different varieties of hydrangea, echinacea, and acchilea.stay tuned.🌸🌸

This week's leftovers include green hydrangeas, green ball trick, white ranunculus, and white Sweet William in one of my favorite ceramic compotes. You don't have to have any special skills. In fact, the randomness can be refreshing. Now go create something amazing.

Oh my. I walked outside to see these beauties in all of their splendor. I only got one peony from this young shrub, but she's a starlet. I know from farmer friends that if I had pulled off the first bud, that more could have been generated, but I couldn't do it. 🫣
The shrub beside it is full of buds that haven't reached maturity yet. It's like Christmas when they finally appear 2 years after initial planting.
The French lavender loves to be cut frequently. It just keeps blooming and thriving.
What has spring brought to your yard?

"Gun and Garden" was the theme tonight.

Because sometimes you have to keep some for yourself.
My coffee table arrangement made from this week's event "leftovers" includes poppies and ranunculus from local mixed with green hydrangeas and waxflower. It looks dreamy on my grandmother's China platter. It really truly never gets old.

My favorite flower, much like my favorite color, changes daily and depends on many things. However, these pink ranunculus are at the top of the list. I always enjoy making myself a coffee table arrangement with the event leftovers. This one has me constantly gazing at it in awe. The panda anemone are striking with their big dark purple "eyes". The ranunculus are opening and getting bigger and fuller and I'm slightly obsessed. These came from in Piedmont. You all need some in your life.

Fun Fact Friday: Did you know that ants and peonies have a symbiotic relationship? The peonies provide food to the ants, as they feed from the nectar of the bloom. In return, the ants protect the bloom from other flower- destroying insects like aphids. It's called "biological mutualism." We humans supposedly have advanced brains, yet so many simple lessons to be learned from nature.
These are my 2 year old peony plants. I'm so psyched to see how many blooms I'll get this year.☺️
Also, don't use pesticide to get rid of the ants on your peonies! 🙉

There. She. Is.
I've been waiting for you, my old friend.

This little baby daffodil is called " Romantic Paradise" and she is from the Netherlands. It's my kind of fun to order things I've never used before. These came in as tight buds, and I was a little worried that they wouldn't bloom. It took almost a week, but they sprung to life today. Sweet and ruffley, and they smell like spring!

In a world full of red roses, be an orange pin cushion protea.

Um. No. Deal Breaker for me.
Shout out to all my fellow flower people who are gearing up for a huge week in the flower world.
I made the decision years ago to sit this one out forever. I paid my dues for lots of years, worked the 17 hours in a freezing workspace (cut flowers love cold the best), eating while standing at my work station on top of a pile of stems...Oh, and green fingernails for at least a week.
It's seriously hard work, Y'all. Hug your florist. Ok, maybe not. Just compliment their work. That goes a long way. And to the men - don't order red roses unless your girl truly told you that she loves them. Honestly, err on the side of anything but red roses. Be creative. If you don't know your sweetheart's favorite flower or color, you've got work to do QUICKLY. If you don't know where to start, ask your florist to be creative for you. They know their stuff. 🩷🌸🩷

Time for all the autumn wedding photos, or as I like to call it " Dahlia Season".

They love each other, and it makes this mama happy. My girls . The amazing ranunculus, cosmos, and dahlias were grown at and made it a joy to create the bouquets for my youngest daughter's October wedding.

It's the shoes and the flowers for me. More pictures by to post soon from this amazing day in October. Stay tuned.
By the way, this is Luca. Smartest and cutest and most stylish 3 year old in the land. Aka; my grandson. 🩷🌸🩷

My favorite event of 2023 happened in October. I might be a little biased since I birthed the bride 23.5 years ago, but it was practically perfect in every way. 🥰

...and much like the shoemaker's shoeless children, here hangs my naked wreath. 😟🥴

Oh, Peonies! It's been so long since I've seen you. What an unexpected treat for this week's events. Everything looks like a masterpiece with peonies, and of course, you can never go wrong with shades of pink always!🎄🌸🩷🎄

Y'all know who you are.🥴✂️

Clemson University President's House Christmas decorating 2023 was a success thanks to the hard work of this Lady Dream Team. Couldn't do it without them!.
Cheers! It's time for wine and hot salt baths all around. Pics coming soon.
🎄❄️🎄

My back seat is prettier than your back seat....off we go to Thornblade Country Club. Last event of the week! Pumpkin pie is calling my name. 🥧🍗🍂