Bouquet of the Week: Welcome to the Hood

As part of our recurring Bouquet of the Week series, Garden Collage continues to present a weekly inspirational bouquet that incorporates intriguing new elements into the traditional practice of flower arranging. This week, Garden Collage Marketing Director Lena Braun styles a new twist on a housewarming bouquet.

It’s wonderful how flowers have this remarkable ability to make us feel at home. I recently moved to a charming new neighborhood in Brooklyn, and I wanted to surprise my new neighbors with a warm welcome that everyone could enjoy and partake in. (My family and I were joking about what the 1950’s must have been like, when people welcomed their neighbors with bright green jello.) So I thought: What if we could come up with a gift idea that every neighbor could enjoy at the same time?

I recently read an article on the psychological effects of flowers and how they evoke the Duchenne smile, a heartfelt “true smile”. Born was the idea for this Guerrilla Flower Surprise in the form of a welcoming wreath.

I have been following Saipua’s designs on Instagram for a while now, and with this move I was thrilled to discover that this magical studio was close to my new home. Suddenly, all of those romantic and lush vines and beautiful, soft hues were only a few blocks away. I wanted to make a welcoming wreath created with leftover brush, forest leaves, and a little help from my local floral designers. I called Jessie and Bryony from the Saipua team and told them about my idea for a neighborly surprise, and was invited to stop by the next day.

Soon I would find myself admiring this stunning wreath (above) which I would later adorn with the flowers Jessie helped me pick from their showroom selection. The wreath has a magical vibe because it is made up of the type of leaves one would find in a fairy tale. The dried, deep red pomegranate fruit adds a warm sentiment that carries an ancient symbolism of abundance and joy for every home it adorns. To add the finishing touch, we created a soft juxtaposition with some particularly-beautiful flowers called blushing bride (Serruria florida). 

Adding a community wreath to the exterior of my home was an enriching feeling. Jessie from Saipua concluded our tour of the studio with the words “welcome to the neighborhood” and donated the flowers as a gift. Her generous gesture has brought heartfelt smiles to my friends, family, neighbors– and maybe even the local food delivery guys.