Thea McGinnis from the Rock Spring Garden Club here.  TODAY WE’RE INTERVIEWING RENOWNED D.C. FLORAL DESIGNER, SARAH VON POLLARO. SHE’S OUR HOLIDAY FLORAL DESIGN EVENT GUEST DESIGNER!

GC: Sarah, thank you for taking time out of your hectic schedule to do this interview with Rock Spring Garden Club! Let’s get started.  We’ve been fans of your floral design magic for quite a while.  Who or what inspired you to become a floral designer?

SVP:  I’ve always loved flowers and started arranging them as a child with my grandmother. She was very important to me growing up and I think it is because of her that I developed such an interest in anything growing outside, particularly flowers.  When I worked at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in college (a camp founded by Paul Newman for children with serious illnesses), watching children missing limbs from cancer tackle climbing walls, along with many other amazing feats,  inspired me to follow my dreams – no matter what.  The following summer I apprenticed with two floral designers, Marc-Antoine DuPont and Wolfgang Thom, in New York City, and began my journey to where I am now.

GC: Grandparents and those special adults in one’s life can have a profound and wonderful influence on us as children, nudging us on to a lifetime of gardening bliss, I believe.

GC: You’ve been very successful with your business, URBAN PETALS.  You’ve designed for many of the social events in town, as well as embassies and even the White House! Tell us about it. 

SVP:  I’ve been incredibly lucky and honored to have such wonderful opportunities.  It has all come from referrals.  I take the time to come up with creative concepts for every job and source the best flowers and I think that has served me well. I get goose bumps every time I walk into the White House or any of the historic spaces in our area- it is a dream come true.

GC:  I love your website! www.urbanpetals.com It’s almost as beautiful as your floral arrangements. I see you also have how-to videos. What a great idea!

SVP: Thanks! My older sister is a graphic designer and helped me create the site and all the graphics.  I’m very lucky to have her on my team.  I came up with the how-to videos as a way to inspire people to arrange their own flowers.  I shoot them with my little Flip camera so they aren’t professional by any means, but at least I can get the information out there.

GC:   You do more than create beautiful arrangements for events. You inspire, educate, and give back to the community. Why?

SVP:  I love what I do so much and I want to share the joy of flower arranging with others.  I have always had a strong
involvement in my community and used to work in the nonprofit world.  The only way I wanted to go into business was
if I could continue to give back.  I’m thrilled that I can do more now as a business by donating arrangements after
events, doing the flowers at cost for fundraisers, and hosting benefit flower parties, then I could personally.  It is
my dream to be able to create arrangements and give back and I’m still pinching myself that it is “working.”

GC:  Education is one of the major goals of our HOLIDAY FLORAL DESIGN EVENT on Tuesday, November 15.  Floral design is an important component of membership in a garden club like ours. Why are you so excited to present at our show?

SVP: First of all, I love your Garden Club! The warmth and enthusiasm your members have shown me is tremendous.  I am honored and excited to be a part of the Holiday Design Event and cannot wait to show attendees how much fun they can
have arranging flowers for the holidays and always. 

GC: Thank you! I’m proud to be a member of this Club.  Speaking about flower arranging, I love having fresh flowers in my home. But whipping up a great floral arrangement can intimidate some.  You said before how much one can do with a grocer or florist bouquet.  Does this mean I really can do more than plop the bouquet in a vase with some water?

SVP: Absolutely! You can break down the flowers, combine them with greens from your garden and make at least four arrangements!  Check out my supermarket bouquet challenge on my blog to see an example.

GC: That challenge is a great idea. Now I can see what you mean! Can you give us a few tips about buying flowers from supermarkets?

SVP: Yes. Ask someone in the floral department when the flowers arrive (they usually get delivered once a week) and, ideally, plan to purchase your flowers then.  Pull back the plastic and make sure the leaves are not yellow or brown (this means the flowers are old).  In the warmer months, transport the flowers in water. Stash a bucket and a bottle of water in your car, so you can dump the water in the bucket and place the flowers in there when driving home or finishing up your errands.

GC: Conditioning flowers is important. What’s the secret to prepping flowers when you don’t have much time?

SVP: Removing any leaves below the water line of your vase is crucial as is a clean cut (use sharp clippers). Add a little premade flower food to the water (see my website for the recipe).

GC: I’m having a dinner party this weekend so I’m going to try something different with a grocery bouquet. I’ll let you know
how it goes! Thank you, Sarah, for talking with us today.  If you want to meet Sarah, come to our Design Event. I guarantee you will learn a lot and have a great time!

SVP: Thanks so much. I cannot wait to see everyone there and will be available then to answer any questions!  If you cannot come but want to be in touch, please email me at [email protected]

ROCK SPRING GARDEN CLUB WILL BE HOSTING OUR SECOND ANNUAL HOLIDAY FLORAL DESIGN EVENT ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011. OUR DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM, AND OUR PROGRAM BEGINS AT 7 PM.  OUR GUEST DESIGNER IS THE RENOWNED WASHINGTON D.C. FLORAL DESIGNER, SARAH VON POLLARO.  THREE OF OUR IN-HOUSE FLORAL DESIGNERS AND SARAH WILL SHOW AND TEACH YOU HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OWN ARRANGEMENTS.  AND THAT’S NOT ALL! 

WE HAVE FABULOUS DOOR PRIZES, GREAT RAFFLES, INCLUDING A WADSWORTH LIMOUSINE HISTORICAL TOUR OF D.C.FOR 6! AND OF COURSE, OUR CLUB’S RENOWNED REFRESHMENT SPREAD.  And WE’LL HAVE A ‘TOOLS OF THE TRADE’ TABLE! DON’T MISS THIS VERY SPECIAL EVENT!  For
more information please use our ‘contact’ button or email [email protected]

What are members doing when they’re not out in the garden?  Club member, Rebecca Salzinger, is an accomplished artist and painter.  It’s obvious, though, that gardening is a continuous source of inspiration for Becky!  Her work will be part of an upcoming show sponsored by the Arlington Artists Alliance from October 23-November 20, 2011 at Cassatt’s Cafe, 4536 North Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207, with a reception on Sunday, October 30 from 6-8PM.  Added bonus:  fellow garden club member, Parvenah Limbert’s artwork will be part of the show as well!  If you wish to see more of Becky’s work, it’s on display and for sale at a really neat, creative, artist’s consortium and antique mart, STIFEL and CAPRA, 260 West Broad Street, Falls Church VA.  Stifel and Capra also hosts a wine and cheese reception every First Friday of the month for the artists. Everyone is welcome to drop by and enjoy!  Congratulations, Becky!

JOIN US!

Thursday, October 20, 2011,

A landscape architect, teacher and writer, Thomas Rainer is a passionate advocate for an
ecologically expressive design aesthetic that interprets, not imitates,
nature.  His designs create a modern expression of the ground plane
with a largely native palette of perennials and grasses.  Rainer
has designed landscapes for the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial and the New York Botanical Garden, as well as over 80 gardens from
Maine to New York.  His work has been featured in such publications
as the New York Times, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Home + Design and New
England Home.  You can check him out on http://landscapeofmeaning.blogspot.com/

Our meeting is free and open to the public, but please RSVP by using the ‘contact’ button above. The business portion of the Club’s meeting begins at 10 AM.  Our Program begins at 11:00AM.  Thanks!

Holiday_Floral_Event   <——- Click here For More Information

So many people want to do their own flower arrangements these days. But where do you start? How do you get that bouquet you picked up at Safeway or Harris Teeter to look like something out of a magazine???  Rock Spring Garden Club is hosting a fabulous Holiday Floral Design Event Tuesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM!  We’ve got Sarah Von Pollaro, Washington DC floral designer extraordinaire (yes! Sarah has designed for White House events!) and three of our own in-house floral design talents to show you how!  Don’t miss this event!  We’ve got door prizes, and great raffle prizes, including a PERSONAL LIMOUSINE TOUR OF D.C. with DC native and amateur historian, Bill Wadsworth, courtesy of WADSWORTH LIMOUSINE!!!! (I took this tour – absolutely wonderful!!! Bill is a national treasure!) We even have the floral supplies for sale that you’ll need to create you own designs.   For further information, contact us!

Our Show Committee provides an opportunity to stretch our floral design muscles each month. Photographer and Club Member Mary Cottrell sent us some photos depicting ‘vertical,’ ‘line’ and ‘mass’ designs that might be of interest to those wanting to delve deeper into the intricacies of floral design. The more you practice different floral designs in your arrangements, the more you’ll be surprised how easy it is to create something special – please yourself!  Check out the three designs below:

this 'vertical' arrangement would look great on a foyer table or in a wall nook

 

this line design would look lovely on a dining table or buffet

this traditional 'mass' design uses flowers easily found in the floral department of your favorite grocery store

October 2011 Design of the month is a ‘line’ design.  We think you’ll enjoy this design challenge.

   A wonderful write up about our 2011 Garden of the Year competition in the Arlington Connection. See page 13! Read all about it here!  http://files.connectionnewspapers.com/PDF/current/Arlington.pdf

The Harringtion Garden sports a unique Railroad Garden - but that's just half of a classically designed garden

The Benjamins’ Garden – Charming, whimsical use of garden art amidst a beautiful water garden

We had four runners up for our 2011 Garden of the Year competition. Enjoy these photos!  – Sallie McHugh

The Burnet Garden - 'succulent' stonework design complementing a beautifully designed home

The Lenny Gardens - pathways lined with fragrant roses

Read all about it! http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/news/garden-of-year-honors-go-to-properties/article_1642ce16-e04b-11e0-a8da-001cc4c002e0.html

The Ceckowski/Christie Garden is delightful, colorful and masterful use of space. An absolute gem.

Enjoy these photos of our three winners of the Rock Spring Garden Club 2011 Garden of the Year in Arlington, Virginia!

The Tohir/Burrow Garden boasts a luxurous pool, surroumded by a luscious, private perennial border

The Meltons' Garden begins with an exquisite stone stairway that leads to an almost secret courtyard surrounded by a lovely, private border