photo courtesy of Southwest Metro Magazine
I was interviewed last May by Southwest Metro Magazine. The pink tree peony, lily of the valley and bleeding heart were all in bloom in the garden at the time this photo was taken in May or June. I made scones. We had a nice morning and Liz brought these goodies back to her office.
the issue comes out in 2 days. I am pretty excited.
I would really like to take full credit for all of the fun things I do with flowers, but I can’t/won’t. Tom says to me “You should do an all edible bouquet.” So I did. sort of.
Then I called Red Bird Hills and asked if she would photograph it in her beautiful home/gardens. So she did. Be still my heart. I love these images. a lot.
I am in awe of the different moods she creates using the same bouquet in many settings.
I am surrounded by talented people.
Plants and flowers used in the bouquet which are edible* or medicinal ^ or just pretty +
rosemary*
oregano*
sage*
hydrangea+
echinacea^
allium*
dahlia+
catmint^
strawberry leaves+
varigated solomon’s seal^
watercolor of CFG storefront by Emily Anderson 1993
The beloved Chaska Farm and Garden is closing. It has been around for 30 years. This place has been my safe haven for plants, friendship, laughs, inspiration and comfort. I wrote a letter to the Chaska Herald for this week’s sad announcement. It was printed on page 4. See the full closing story here in the paper.
what I wrote:
To Tom at Chaska Farm and Garden,
When I saw the metal goats were lying on the ground I knew something was up; or down as the case turned out to be.
I hear you are closing your doors to Chaska Farm and Garden after 30 years of serving this community with your beautiful plants on the corner of Chaska Blvd and Highway 41.
I am so sad to see you go. Each April 12th, I looked forward to purchasing pansies and planting them with my daughter, Evelyn, on her birthday to welcome in spring and the planting season. Like clockwork, in the weeks that followed, I would come to the shop to see what new succulent was available or the latest color corral bells you would have. My children have grown up running up and down the paths between your flowers at the shop. I will never forget the valuable traditions your shop has given to my family and the mark you have left on our spirits and yards summer after summer. You have given me so much over the years: employment, friendship, inspiration and knowledge towards my career in designing plants and flowers. For this, I will always be grateful.
To my former boss, my garden mentor, my friend, I will miss you here in Chaska.
And to the employees at Chaska Farm and Garden: Kevin, Barrie, Ruth and many others over the years, thank you for your friendship and never ending support and kindness. I believe gardens are therapeutic, so thank you for being this town’s botanical therapists. We will certainly miss you all.
Ashley Fox
Chaska resident
Floral designer
Chaska Farm and Garden summer employee from 1994-2000
Consider this post my attempt to savor summer, and so, you get many photos.
Even when I have a few weeks off until the next wedding, I cannot help but go in the garden and play. I had some shell pink spray roses in the cooler and couldn’t let them go to waste. Everything else is from the garden. Everything. I am really proud of that. My first dinner plate [sized] dahlias are blooming and they are really over the top, but fun.
Evelyn created the design in the last photo all by herself. I tied on the ribbon. She checked my work. Now, should I pay her by the hour or salary…
For all of you who are keeping track, here’s the list of what is in these bouquets from the garden:
Yellow one:
Dinner plate dahlia, small peach dahlia, marigold, grape vine, fever few, pee gee hydrangea, strawberry leaves, and grassy weed thing that was growing next to the dahlias.
Pink one:
Dark pink and coral garden roses, limelight hydrangea, oregano, astilbe, beauty berry (berries turn purple in the fall), sedum, celosia, sage, lambs ears, coral bells blooms
Evelyn’s design:
astilbe and celosia
The bride had access to a glass cutter, or should I say, someone she knew, can’t remember the relation right now, has a glass cutter and does so for a business. They cut the bottoms off of wine bottles, put a glass votive candle under it, printed cork coasters and there you have some really cool table centers.
Just tell me where to put the flowers. That was easy.
Used garden hydrangea with shade of green to pick up the color of the wine bottles. All other flowers were soft pink, gray, peach and ivory. Nothing to overshadow the beautiful venue.
I did some more succulent boutonnieres for this wedding. Used a different variety of succulent and added some pink sedum blossoms, astilbe and dusty miller. I absolutely love making boutonnieres from the garden.
I thought the texture of the cake worked so well with the echuveria “blooms”.
The James J. Hill Library is one of my very favorite venues in St. Paul. The colors, texture, elegance and old world feel are my cup of tea.
Cake | A Piece of Cake Bakery
One of my dearest friends, Leah, left for Paris yesterday. She has never been there. She is in for a treat. It is one of my favorite places in Europe. I know that sounds cliche’, but it’s true. Something about the food, architecture and atmosphere there that is so inspiring and wonderful. For the record, the people there are really nice as long as you are respectful, smile and try to say please and thank you in French.
Did you know a full blown smile on your face can make quite the impact in this world? Not a dorky one, just being pleasant.
sil vous plait (see voo play)
merci (mer see)
Discovered this beauty hiding in the back garden today. A dinner plate dahlia. She is a good 10″ across. I’m excited to see the other colors bloom soon.
Jenny is a teacher. I love designing for teachers. I think it is because they are sweet, passionate, focused, organized and just lovely people who really care about others, and it shows. Jenny was no exception.
Also, I love me a good succulent bouquet and decor.
Jenny wanted simple table decor of echuveria (blueish succulent) and white hydrangea. So simple, elegant and pretty.
The succulent and white flowers in the boutonniere was picked from my garden.
The bride carried peony and salal leaves. The maids carried peony, ranunculus, roses, salal leaves and one echuveria “bloom”.
Gorgeous photos from the super talented Stephanie Dehler Photography
Ceremony and reception at The Saint Paul College Club. I love how the building even tied into the decor with its gray, granite walls.
Dianne, the bride, loves–I mean–loves flowers. I’m not sure who was more excited to see this wedding come together today, me or her. I will give it to her. I was thoroughly impressed with this couple. Andrew, the groom, created all of the paper designs. I was given a color scheme via a selection of color chips/swatches the bride picked up from the hardware store and basically given free reign to create elegant, garden inspired designs with clean lines and lots of texture. (see color scheme in menu and place card above)
We made three designs for the tables. Tall vases with hydrangea (green hydrangea all from my garden, picked the day before the wedding). Another with green spider mums in cylinders and the third design element of cake plates, all from bride’s own collection, with candles and colorful blooms surrounding.
I cannot wait to show you the wedding party designs. More to come when I get them from the professional photographers.
Reception venue | Hazeltine National Golf Club
Wedding Coordinator | Elizabeth Anne Weddings
Cake | Country Cake Cupboard
Here is my ode to the current economic crisis. Tulip Mania.
No, I do not think our sorrows should be played out in a bottle of wine, but that was a really good bottle. (Tom helped)
©2013 Ashley Fox Designs
