The road has so much to see- especially summer flowers

I took my sights and my clippers and hit the road to see what summer flowers were blooming in gardens across America. Beginning with classes in our schools in Milwaukee followed by Chicago, we worked with some great, fresh summer flowers.

I had the joy of hopping over to California to design a wedding in fantastic Napa Valley. Wine, cheese, and summer flowers- is there more to life?

There was an interesting place through the hills of Helena, which was an old gas station they turned into a wine bar. Those wine-o’s will take any opportunity to make a wine station. But, why not- or should I say, “Wine Not?”

Southern California is the king of flowers. It’s a luscious state of vegetation and the subtropical climate of the southern region is wonderful for harvesting a variety of colorful blooms. Also, they sell exactly what they grow- no need to buy imported summer flowers. My new book in the fall will include many of these (it’s called Flower Power- Lessons from the Los Angeles School of Flower Design).

But, if you’re going to get imported summer flowers, where I am now is one of the best places for it. Miami has an eclectic assortment of tropical flowers shipped from Columbia and Ecuador. You can’t grow them or get them anywhere else in America and they’re simply fabulous.