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Episode 120: Francoise Weeks                                

Botanical Brouhaha Expert Discussion Panel: Session 13

I’m excited to introduce you to Holly Chapple today. I know you’ll love her story…

holly image001

“Since I consider Botanical Brouhaha and its readers my personal friends and family
I am going to skip the professional type of bio and just kind of let my thoughts fly. Who I
am and where I am going is clearly evolving.

I can honestly say that I had no idea where I was headed, when I ended up here, in my
life. My parents were landscapers and they owned a big garden center. I grew up selling
and growing Christmas trees, Chrysanthemums, and produce. To this day I can still
clearly see the fields of chrysanthemums, trees, and produce. Growing the mums
absolutely drove me crazy. My dad would put me and my four sisters on the back of a
dump truck. The truck was full of potting soil and we would fill thousands of pots with the
soil. The pots would be laid out in rows and baby plants also known as plugs would be
inserted into the soil. The mums required continuous cutting to promote growth, we
would go through the fields cutting the mums with scissors. Once the plant reached the
size dad was hoping for, the cutting would stop but the dreaded pinching of buds began.
We literally would go to each of the pots and roll hundreds of buds off of each plant.
This was done to prevent the mums from blooming in late summer instead of fall. My
ever so cute father would walk by giggling saying “mums the word.” I hated that then
but now find it so charming. At Christmas we assisted dad with decorating wreaths,
making kissing balls, and designing centerpieces. I also became the chief bow maker.
During this time it never occurred to me that I would consider a job that had anything to
do with flowers. When I grew up I left the farm and went to college for two years. After
that I went to work as a reservationist for a small airline and I never completed college.
During that time I married Evan and we bought a small home. At 21 years old I was
expecting my first child. Because of my parents and grandparents, flowers remained a
continuous part of my life. Luckily our first and only home was loaded in flowering
perennials, and shrubs. My desire to stay home and raise my children was so great that
I invented my career of floral design for weddings. The flowers on our property, my
family history, and my children gave me my career. That was 20 years and 7 kids
ago. Our studio has designed thousands of weddings and today my husband Evan is
my business partner. In addition to handling the finances,
Evan does lighting, props, and
drapes for our company.

I am also the editor of the Full Bouquet Blog and because of my blog I have an
incredible network of designers and friends across the world. Amy from Botanical
Brouhaha being one of my favorites!! The blog and my active role in social media has
helped our business receive national recognition and publication.

After 20 years of designing I made my first pilgrimage to Holland and Belgium where I
studied design for the first time. I think I forgot to mention that I am totally self taught
until this year. The trip was hosted by Laura from
Faith Flowers and I can honestly say
that the trip changed my life and it has encouraged me to grow yet again. When I
returned home from Europe this spring I promised myself I would focus more on
creation and design as an art and I promised I would begin to teach and open up our
home-based studio to students and guests. We also became an agricultural business
and we significantly increased what we grow on this property. This year I officially
became a teacher and a speaker.

My greatest accomplishment to date next to my family is that I began an organization
called the Chapel Designers
. This group of stylish wedding professionals focuses on
being the most exceptional wedding and event designers in the industry. The group offers
designers support and counsel and we study each year in NYC. This network of
designers is one of the greatest things I have accomplished. Our gatherings are
insightful, inspired, real, and extremely passionate. In NYC we study with some of the
top designers in the nation. This years gathering of designers will also include students from Australia, Russia, and
the Virgin Islands.

With all that said, the house is a mess, the kids need to do their homework, and I have
contracts to write. There is always work to do here and nothing is ever perfect. Each
day we do the best we can do and we do this with the help of so many friends across
the country!!!”

Thanks, Holly! Your honesty and humility are inspiring…

***************************************************************************************************

The Question:

Name your favorite variety of white rose, red rose, green rose, yellow rose and pink rose.

****************************************************************************************************

From Sarah Winward (Honey of a Thousand Flowers):

White rose – Patience, garden rose

patience david-austin-patience-rose whole blossoms

Red rose – Piano, garden rose

Piano-2_edited-1-1 - Copy

Green Rose – never used one!

Yellow rose – Golden Celebration, garden rose

golden celebration e2935 david austin

Pink rose – Sahara, I know its not really pink but I love its fleshy tone.

sahara thumb_271x220_sahara rose

*****************************************************************************************************

From Elisabeth Zemetis (Blush Floral Design):

White/Ivory rose – Vendela (below) or Polo

vendella

Red rose – Black Magic

black magic

Green Rose – Super Green

Yellow rose – Yellow Finesse

Pink rose – Quicksand

quicksand-Ecoroses

**************************************************************************************************

From Kristy Marek (Imbue Weddings):

White rose – I actually don’t have a favourite, I am still hunting for what I picture to be the perfect white rose, one that has lots of petals and opens to a gorgeous loose full bloom.  I love the look of a Winchester cathedral David Austin but they are a nightmare to work with being very fragile.  Maybe Bounty.

Red rose – Any red David Austins – so lush and rich. Or adrenalin.

Green rose – Super Green

super green rose rose_super_green

Yellow rose – Golden Delight or Caramello

Pink rose – Rosalind (below) or Parfume de Grande or Antique

rosalind235

**********************************************************************************************

From Alicia Scwede (Bella Fiori and Flirty Fleurs)

White rose – Alabaster

Alabaster-1-1[1]

Red rose – Hearts (below) or Black Magic

hearts

Green Rose – Super Green

Yellow rose – Skyline

Sky-line

Pink rose – Sophie

********************************************************************************************

From Nick Priestly (Mood Flowers)

White rose – Avalanche rose (more of an ivory than white)- photo below via Mood Flowers

Mood Flowers - Avalanche roses

Red rose – Passion

Green Rose – Green Tea

green teathumb_271x220_green tea

Yellow rose – Ilios

Pink rose – Sweet Avalanche

***************************************************************************************

From Holly Chapple (Holly Heider Chapple Flowers)

White rose – Patience

Red rose- France

francethumb_271x220_Red France-green rose

Green rose – Super Green

Yellow rose – Campanella Star Cream

camp5642993161_8750cb31b8_z

Pink rose – Auswater

auswater product_1890

************************************************************************************

From Emelie Ekborg (Svenska Blomsterbloggar)

White rose – Avalanche, Polar Star (below), Patience

polar starthumb_271x220_Polar-Star-White-Roses

Red rose – Red Naomi (below), Passion, Piano

Red naomi RoseGroup

Green Rose – Super Green

Yellow rose – I don’t really like yellow roses, instead I prefer creamy white or just a hint of yellow – Vitality (below) or Marusca

vitality filethumb

Pink rose – Sweet Avalanche, Sweet Akito (below), Titanic, Amalia

sweetakito1

************************************************************************************

From Laetitia Mayor (Floresie)

White rose – Avalanche

Red rose – Heart

Green Rose – Green Fashion

fashion

Yellow rose –Turtle

turtle

Pink rose – Pink Finess

Pink Finess -Agrogana

***********************************************************************************

Thanks Laetitia, Emelie, Holly, Nick, Alicia, Kristy, Elisabeth and Susan! I LOVE roses and appreciate you sharing your favorite varieties with us.

Have a great Wednesday!

**************************************************************************

images via:

Patience (Whole Blossoms)

Golden Celebration, Rosalind (Davis Austin Roses)

Auswater (Mayesh)

Red Naomi (Playing with Flowers)

Avalanche (Mood Flowers)

all others (Sierra Flower Finder)

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