Hand tied bouquet made at home during COVID-19 using the spiral method,

Bouquet Making during Covid-19

While Sheltering In Place, I have done some live Instagram Stories to share my love of creating with flowers and to spread a little beauty while we are at home and distant from some of the beauty and people we love.

Here is a shortened video I've completed that can be used as a floral design tutorial or just a glimpse of how to make a hand tied bouquet. 

Tropical mixed with soft and lush blooms for an super colorful and spectacular wedding at the Marin Headlands by Gorgeous and Green

Tropical mixed with soft and lush blooms for an super colorful and spectacular wedding at the Marin Headlands by Gorgeous and Green

My favorite wedding to design for: 

1. Lush and full of greens

2. Colorful

3. A bit of tropical weirdness mixed with lots of local grown and seasonal blooms, all designed without floral foam.

local grown bouquet and girly things gift basket La Femme by Gorgeous and Green

Valentines is just around the corner...

A nice sampling of some new gift basket offerings in the online store as well as a few examples of the Valentines Day offerings for delivery February 14th to Berkeley Oakland and Emeryville.
Floral Photoshoot by Gorgeous and Green in a clawfoot Bathtub

A Bathtub to remember: styling flowers in my clawfoot

 Earlier this year a photographer approached Gorgeous and Green and asked if she could photograph my work. Initially we were thinking something fairly simple, maybe an afternoon in my studio.  But I fired up an old idea I had had many years ago, and decided to do a little photoshoot in my own home.  Specifically, in my clawfoot tub that sits up against a bright window in the bathroom. 

Floral sheers on flowers for a photoshoot by Gorgeous and Green

I found a model who was willing to come sit in my creation and I hunted through my wardrobe to find some elements we could include in this photoshoot.  I brought buckets and buckets of flowers and plenty of foliage and branches to create something that would stand out. Here's what I came up with:

model with flower installation garden inspired bathtub in Oakland

It turned out to be a color infused garden of foliage and florals.  With beautiful natural light shining through the window, and the model dressed in a simple bathing suit by Zoe Bikini and a James Coviello dressing gown from Anthropologie, all with touches of gold, we were in awe. The feeling it conveys is slightly romantic and ethereal, with a touch of fierceness.

woman warrior in a Garden bathtub

 Even women warriors have to rest. Photo by Nautilus Lens 

Flowers in the bathtub by Gorgeous and Green

A snippet of the floral beauty in and around the bathtub. Photo by Nautilus Lens

 

It was very important to me to include an image of a person of color, feeling beautiful and strong in this creation. It isn't often that we get to see brown women pictured in this way.  In a way, the warrior woman here represents the fight for change that so many of us have taken on, in small and big ways. This warrior represents the warrior I strive to be in my own life and in this specific arena of representation.  She also represents the woman warrior in so many of us and on so many levels as we fight to make change for women everywhere. My initial idea was to go for something that suggested a strong and beautiful woman taking a dip in a bountiful haven or floral beauty.  I think it came out pretty much on target. G&G

Slow Flowers Podcast interview with Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green

SLOW Flowers podcast about Pilar and Gorgeous and Green!

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: Meet Berkeley’s Eco-Floral Maven, Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green
hand painted sign for Gorgeous and Green

G&G on College!

Hello! It's been a fun few months here at the new boutique, and as we settle into the new location, I have gotten back into blogging.  I'd like to just share a few pics from the new location of Gorgeous and Green at 2946 College Ave in Berkeley's Elmwood.  In case you haven't been there yet, we are smack dab in between Ici Ice Cream and Summer Kitchen, so come by for some unique local gifts/plant/flower bouquets and grab a snack at our neighbor's. Here's our locally hand-painted sign:

 

The Gorgeous and Green boutique sign, handpainted

And the shop from the front:

Gorgeous and Green outside on College Ave, Berkeley

And the boutique inside, notice the reclaimed chandeliers and the G's filled with airplants:

Inside the Gorgeous and Green boutique, Berkeley Elmwood

We hope to see you soon! Pilar and the G&G team 

succulent bridal bouquet for a local wedding at the UC Botanical Garden by Gorgeous and Green

Berkeley Botanical Garden Green Wedding

Gorgeous and Green decorated another green wedding at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, here in Berkeley.  Reuse of vintage glassware, local flowers, and succulents.  The bouquet came out beautifully, and featured some local succulents I grew for the wedding!

Most of the wedding was vivid jewel tones, a theme taken from the bride's collection of glassware that we used to decorate tables at the Garden's conference center.
Since the bride was wearing a vintage inspired cream lace gown, we toned down the bouquet to give it the same vintage and feminine feel.
The great thing about cut succulents in a bouquet is that after the wedding is over, you can replant your succulents in soil and they will grow into a plant!
In Green and Health,
Blog by Pilar Zuniga, owner of Gorgeous and Green,  a sustainable florist and online boutique featuring gifts and florals for local bike delivery to Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville.  Pilar specializes in using locally grown and sustainably grown flowers, foliage and greens in floral designs for small and large weddings, corporate and other events, restaurants, offices as well as gift and home use. The Gorgeous and Green online store includes an array of local and sustainable gifts, recycled jewelry, paper free cards and local grown and or organic flowers when available.
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