torre


torre is an innovative planter system that grows with the plant. As the roots grow and establish, you can stack on more container elements to suit the plants needs without having to fully repot. How wonderful and I love the modern look.

In other flores del sol news, blog postings and designing will be minimal over the next few weeks as I am moving and then I will be on vacation until mid September. My shop will be in and out of vacation mode. Good news though, I currently do not have a studio and have been designing on my kitchen table which makes an awful mess and constant clean up. This new move will provide a space just for my designing which ultimately means more products coming this fall! Happy weekend!

vintage flower kenzans




picture perfect ikebana kenzans -flower frogs- from vintage shop ethanollie. I love the usage of vintage floral kenzans for organic displays. I'm drooling over the last one, so unique! For more about Japanese ikebana go here.

flower ID: coleus

Coleus makes a great cut flower. With colorful Indian summer tones, it is no wonder that my three year old daughter pulled these out of our neighbors little patch of flowers last week. At first, I was mad at her for picking flowers that do not belong to us, until I saw that more good was actually done than bad. Pinching back coleus encourages a more bushier plant. Plus the little sprigs made her so happy and have brightened up our kitchen table for over a week now.

coleus cuttings via joeysplantings on flickr
Coleus are so easy to take cuttings of and propagate. Our little sprigs already have long enough roots to place in soil and grow a new plant. Once growing outdoors they are very hearty in both shade and sun and are perfect in container plantings as an alternative texture to flowers.

image via better homes and gardens july 2010

dahlhaus ceramics

I miss that feeling, of cold clay slipping through my fingers, dust on my clothes and splattered silt in my hair. I took quite a few ceramics classes in college and spent countless hours throwing on the wheel. Someday, my dream home will include a small pottery studio where I can design my own containers for my designs like I once did. Until then I will swoon over ceramic artists and their creativity. Dahlhaus ceramics are beyond beautiful. With clean lines and vibrant flowers, these vessels are handmade by Heather Braun-Dahl in lush British Colombia, Canada. I love the cake platters, but my favorite would be the daffodil floral arrangement vase. Take a look at her etsy store here and her website here.

100th post



my little blog is at it's 100th post today! To celebrate I thought I would take a break from the flowers, plants and pictures to share with you my current favorite song. It's beautiful. A song that both me and my husband love. Oh and today is also my 6th Anniversary --yes I was married on friday the 13th!!-- so this all ties in well.

Happy weekend!
-Christina

flower ID: fiddlehead ferns


Fiddlehead fern curls. A woodland element sprucing up bridal bouquets and floral designs with organic texture and natural flair. Also called monkey tails (but not by me), fiddlehead ferns are just as popular as an unexpected item sauteed on a menu. Both fresh and dried fiddleheads are fragile to the touch due to their heavy drooping curls which are supported by thin stems. They are formed by uncurling from the center of a fern plant and plucked at their curling ripeness. Currently in my shop I have craspedia and fiddleheads for sale. I bought out the supply of dried fiddleheads locally and I am having a hard time finding more. Send good vibes my way!

ps- floresdelsol blog is now streaming on artessen, the top visual indie and design blogs. Hooray! I'm honored!

deer beds


deer bed, Katherine Wolkoff image via women in photography

Touching and nostalgic, I fell fast for the deer bed images by photographer Kathrine Wolkoff. I am sure she shot them in the wide open fields next to my old childhood farmhouse in Western New York. Right? I loved growing up so close to nature, the feeling of grass in my toes as I ran barefoot in the summer, finding deer paths and their flattened beds in the overgrown farmer's fields. The same fields that held childhood forts, summer picnics and my first kiss.

oggling over gogoabby's framed print...

a little carnivorous break

Running low on moss and pottery for my shop, I recently headed to my favorite supply destination. A quaint cluster of greenhouses nestled up a hill off a busy New Jersey route. I also needed a little time to myself to wander and stare at the isles of tropical foliages, variegated striped leaves and interesting textures. A little rejuvenation from the mundane pool, park and grocery store routine that ensues my days each week. Because I was free of toddlers and sticky fingers, I could finally wander the isles of pottery, house plants and scrounge around the basket barn.
These plants caught my eye and left me staring.
nepenthes or pitcher plant. A carnivorous plant, straight out of the jungles of planet earth. Their pitcher shaped cups hold digestive juices that feed on unsuspecting insects that fall victim to their design. The are found in the tropics of many regions like Thailand, Madagascar, Sumatra, Philippines and now... your local green house.

These tiny zesty plants called nertera. So cute no?
I found it interesting that the nertera plant must sit in a few inches of water continually in order to live. Over watering and sitting in constant water is the biggest mistake that black thumbs make when it comes to house plants. Stagnant water rots plant roots and ultimately drowns the plant. But these nerteras thrive on the sitting water, making them therefore hard to over water. The impossibility to over water ultimately makes a great and simple houseplant to keep alive, as long as it has a little sun to keep it's bright orange beaded fruit cheerful . How modern their tiny clusters of berries are.

and ah yes, the beautiful crowd pleaser! lovely flowering succulents, echeveria-hens and chicks
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