As summer winds down, many of us are looking at new beginnings, especially with school in the coming weeks. I’m excited to introduce students to the world of floral design- eager individuals who want to learn how to make beautiful floral arrangements, and perhaps consider a career path. I look over the classroom of faces,  remembering what it’s like to be “new”, venturing into the unknown, nervous, whether or not being...

The wonder and bewilderment of life thru the eyes of a child … the feeling of joy & discovery, overwhelming & chaotic-  time travels from immediate, innate responses to gradual understanding. Days pass, we grow by leaps & bounds. Do I dare compare Heliotrope for Hospice’s 6th Anniversary to that of a 6 year old’s birthday?! It’s kinda like that! Let’s just say, I’m definitely gonna get a cake to...

It’s that time of year for me to peruse the produce section of the grocery, farmer’s markets or specialty Asian stores- time to look at colors and shapes of veggies and fruits that will enhance my floral stylings! And you thought I was talking about eating them!! haha- nutrition aside, I’m more interested in how they will pair with my selection of abundant blossoms when designing Autumnal displays. Traditional combinations of...

I know you’ve seen them, at the grocery or local farmer’s market- it’s a flower you might pass by, since Alstroemeria has become as common as carnations, and it’s easy to forget how lovely they are, when enticed by so many other choices of beautiful flowers. But there’s something to be said for this small lily, the blossom a size of a silver dollar. They are available in a multitude of colors, are SO long lasting,...

  Happy Anniversary to Heliotrope for Hospice!! for five years we have been repurposing”gently used” flowers to people in hospice care! Donations from celebrations- people sharing their flower love. I keep learning how to improve on the basic idea, find better ways to streamline the process. How many volunteers will I need to contact to get each floral donation repurposed?  can I do it on my own? How to get the flowers to me,...

Story #1- Seeds My mom has a way of honoring people who have passed away. I like to call it “Surely, you will be remembered:… because my mom’s name is Shirley! In Lieu of Flowers, she makes a donation to Heliotrope for Hospice, in a loved one’s honor, and I send a letter of acknowledgement to the family, with a packet of sunflowers seeds. I never know if they plant the seeds, but I feel like it’s an appropriate...