We were recently asked to do a bridal shower at SUR in West Hollywood. The interior of the restaurant has a funky and cool vibe .
We used a pink and purple color scheme for the shower to contrast with the all-white wedding to come in March. This upcoming wedding will be our first opportunity to create florals at the newly imagined Hotel Bel Air.
We used Cattleya orchids, Rothschild Vanda orchids, hot pink Anemones, mauve Hydrangeas, and pink Peonies.
As I was designing these centerpieces, I was thinking how we are accustomed to having flowers whenever we want. It’s really amazing, considering not too long ago, most flowers were only available one time of the year or so rare that only royalty could afford them.
I am a bit of a horticultural history enthusiast. I know, it’s geeky, but it’s very interesting how wars have been started and fortunes were won and lost over plants and exotic spices.
Many times the reason England, France Spain and Holland were in conflict was often over tea and spices, not only gold.
The Cattleya Orchid, originally collected in the jungles of Brazil was actually named after a English horticultural patron, William Cattley. He was the first one to get the plant to flower out of its natural habitat in the year 1818. Although there were orchids being grown in England for a number of years, the success rate was dismal. They really didn’t know their proper growing requirements. The flowering of this plant started a orchid craze.
This particular orchid was collected by a grower, Frederick Sander, who in 1888 had 23 paid collectors searching jungles and mountains of the earth to bring back rare plants.
One of his clients was Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. I’m sure you have heard of this famous family. This purple orchid on the napkin was named after him.
