Sushi Flower Design by Christopher Grigas of In Bloom

The Garden and Flower Show at Hudson Valley College brings out amazing local floral talents every year.  Last year I designed this “Dinner for One” arrangement for the show and proudly won 1st place in the category.  The floral competition for this year is geared to be even better than ’09….including 11 new categories in floral design competition and a brand new Designer’s Challenge Event where the public decides the winner (with yours truly as emcee).

Show runs March 26th-28th…

Visit www.GardenAndFlowerShow.com for further details

or

contact me directly www.ChristopherGrigas.com

"an intimate dinner for two"

Table display by Christopher Grigas

New York in Bloom Flower Show

Held at The New York State Museum

Albany, New York

A flower show is an incredible opportunity for a florist to show their skill to potential clients…a virtually-free, life-sized advertisement which only costs us flowers…& time.  These opportunities only arise a few times a year.  I take full advantage of the extended hand.

I created this inspired design as “an intimate dinner for two” using Super-Green Roses, Green Prado Carnations, Green Fuji Mums, Kermit & Yoko Ono Mums, Green Fashion Roses, Curly Willow, Poplar Branch, and Steel Grass.  Keeping the design monochromatic (only one color) has a higher visual impact value, cohesive quality and is more memorable to viewers.  I used the twig/stem/grass elements to create a bridge between the two orb designs, yet extended them further out to add graceful natural curves to the highly dramatic and kinetic display.  The simplicity of the low black bowl mounded with blushing Roses gives a hint of romance to an otherwise modern design.

My career path has been a winding road.   I am passionate about my education and career in horticulture and am thrilled to be named uBloom.com’s Horticulture Expert.   Please take a look at the interview…and get to know me a little better. Here is the link…copy & past to your browser.

http://www.ubloom.com/index.php?option=com_mojo&Itemid=&p=1860

Delicate & Pastel Hand-Tied bouquet

The bride’s bouquet…

When I discuss the bride’s bouquet for a wedding, my intention is to showcase the personality of the bride.  If I can convey the bride’s personality through her flowers, I have created the perfect design for her.  Hearing the words “this is so me” from a bride, tells me that what I have created is just for her…no one else.   What I find that brides want especially is a compilation of Individuality, disctinction, thoughtfulness, style and creativity from my designs.  Every bride is different and need different amounts of guidance.

Flawless wedding bouquets take time to create, but take more than creativity to execute flawlessly.

I am looking forward to my 2010 weddings…Thank you all for your trust and confidence in my work.

let Autumn be the theme...not Thanksgiving.

Sending flowers for the Thanksgiving holiday is a good idea for many…whether you don’t cook, can’t make an invitation, or just want someone to feel appreciated…the gesture is always appropriate and the thanks keep coming.  Even when I am invited and arrive to a Thanksgiving dinner with a floral gift, along with a side dish to eat, the flowers are adored by the host/hostess.  The best thing to bring/send is an arrangement that is not necessarily a “table centerpiece”.   Get creative and bring something that complements the home rather than screams “I’m a Thanksgiving Centerpiece!”  Thanksgiving is about gathering with loved ones…and food.  Flowers don’t get much attention till after dinner or even till Black Friday, but they certainly last longer than turkey and brighten the home in a dreary, rainy, and cold time of year.

Call In Bloom to order 518-226-0045

or

visit our website www.ShopInBloom.com

Textured Autumnal Floral Design

when creating seasonal designs for Autumn, I tend to lean toward  more botanical elements than petalous flowers.  Don’t get me wrong…I adore lush blooms as much as anyone, but for Autumn, texture is king.  This design above includes Rosemary, Chamomile, Hypericum, African Brezilia, Rose hips, Leucadendron, Sage, Millet, Eucalyptus, Scabiosa seed dead, Antique Hydrangea, French garden spray Rose & Orange Parrot Tulip.  Using only one or two stems of each creates a cottage garden look with high style and endless texture….and earthy fragrance…a  seamless marriage or apothecary and culinary botanicals.  Remember…Lush and low lasts.  Long stems…short life.

In Bloom…Original Designs by Christopher Grigas

visit our website…www.ShopInBloom.com

Call to order or set up a consultation…518-226-0045

Design by Chris Grigas

Hand-Tied bouquets are one of the oldest European styled floral designs that can be created quickly and beautifully with nearly any flower selection.  When people visit In Bloom floral shop, I often suggest a hand-tied bouquet because they can be created with just a few blooms and wrapped decoratively in tissue paper and cellophane as a presentation bouquet, or placed in a clear glass vase for a stylish table center.  Either way, the flowers are adored by the recipient.  I find it so gratifying when a customer comes in to choose the flowers themself, and I can put them together for them in a way that makes them happy and they know that the recipient will be thrilled, too.  The bouquet pictured above was created with Gerbera Daisy, Sunflowers, spray Rose & Scabiosa for a bright & summery feel.  You can create your own color palette with the hundreds of blooms we carry daily.  I hope we can serve you soon

In Bloom…Original Designs by Christopher Grigas  (518)226-0045

by Christopher Grigas of In Bloom

“Don’t just look at things…learn to see things”.   Internationally recognized Dutch floral designer Els Teunissen said this at a floral design seminar I attended once…and it changed my outlook on floral design forever.  The meaning of the phrase went deeper than just color or texture of flowers.  To me, it meant that I needed to release my own visual boundaries and allow my imagination to run uninhibited.  I find if I set my imagination free, I have a endless amount of resources in my mind’s eye for inspiration.   Nature is one of the forces that drive my imagination and conjure up inspiration, sometimes from the simplest concept.  The arrangment pictured above was inspired bye the concept of protection and shelter.  The notion that something as elemental as bark could set my imagination on fire was inspiring and evoked a new creation….this design.  Though the costruction is simple with very few flowers, the impact is dramatic.  Keeping floral designs simple and stripped down to the basic elements is what I notice people reacting most to.  I learned to see past the rotten felled tree…that it’s bark could be used to reconstruct a shelter….for flowers.

Succulents are interesting for many reasons including  beautiful colors, unique textures and low maintenance.  Simple containers are great for these because it keeps the focus on the plants themselves.  An overstuffed look is the best for these container designs because it creates the illusion that the plants are old and have been growing for a long time in the container.  Though they are slow growing…the reward is revealed immediately.  You can create incredible succulent gardens in tiny containers or oversized pots.  Experiment with them to create your own style…you will be thrilled by the results!

In Bloom…Original Designs by Christopher Grigas

Visit our website…www.ShopInBloom.com