The Lee Integrity Award Honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, October 18, 2012, The Metropolitan Club, Washington, DC.

I was delighted to do the flowers for the Lee Integrity Award Dinner honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Conner on October 18, sponsored by Stratford Hall. My team for this event was Georgia Nassikas, Cindy Conner, Kelly Johnson, and Pam Kloman, a highly talented group. 

 The overall design plan was fall garden-style.  Even though this dinner was being held at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, we wanted the flowers to look like they would be equally as comfortable at Stratford Hall, 100 miles away in rural Westmoreland County.  So while the arrangements were elegant and sophisticated, they were also loose, light, airy and gardeny. We used a combination of flowers from the wholesale florist and plant material cut from our gardens - perfect florist flowers combined with the down-to-earth beauty that is only found in nature.  They were fitting for the star of the evening, Justice O'Conner! 

                                                                                            All photos by Cindy Conner and Kelly Johnson.

Garden Flowers for Friends!

Reception at Dumbarton House, Georgetown, for CARH Annual Meeting and Legislative Conference, June 10, 2012.

The Historic Dumbarton House, headquarters for the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America, was the beautiful setting for this Annual Reception. 

All the flowers for this large scale mass arrangement came from my garden, as well as friends' gardens.   

Cocktails and Conversation with James Farmer, April 25, 2012!

        My very large, dramatic centerpiece for party featuring
                  James Farmer III, author of A Time to Plant. 
                                                    
                                                      All pictures from this event by Kathy Wirtala.

                                                                                                                   

This is the centerpiece I did for the food table at Cocktails and Conversation with James Farmer, author of A Time to Plant.  This party was to benefit the UVaClub of Fredericksburg Scholarshp Fund.  With the author of a gardening book as our special guest, I wanted the flowers to be gardeny, organic, wild and very large!  We succeeded.  I did this arrangement in a large garden urn and started with very tall branches of American Hornbeam trees and blackberry branches draping down the sides.  Then added flowers. I'll give more detail later.  The beautiful food is by the Silver Spoon Caterers of Richmond, VA. 

Easter at St. George's

I did this arrangement for the center of the altar at St. George's, for Easter Sunday.  The fabulous bridal veil spirea from a friend's garden, gave me the beautiful asymmetrical line. 

St. George's Easter Workshop!

Easter Workshop at St. George's on Saturday, August 31.  Practicing for Easter Sunday!  Materials and instructions coming after Easter.

                                                         Ann Tebutt Photo

A Little Touch Goes a Long Way

                                                                                                                                                                         Kathy Wirtala Photo

A little touch can go a long way to brighten your home and add to its warmth. This is simply 1 red tulip with 1 small piece of seeded eucalyptus in my favorite little bird vase.  Each time I use it, I think of the friend who gave it to me - the best part!

Valentine's Tulips!

Before the red roses arrive from your sweetheart, get into the spirit of the holiday with gorgeous red tulips.  This is a very simple arrangement of about twenty tulips that will brighten any spot in your home. See how below.

                                                                                                                               Kathy Wirtala Photo

The Promise of Spring!

The Dining Room Table

                                                                                                                                          Kelly Johnson Photo



                    Kelly Johnson Photo

I did this early spring arrangement for Kelly Johnson's dining room table for a Luncheon Meeting.  It was a cold, damp, dreary day in January, so we needed a breath of spring.   There is nothing that conveys the promise of spring more than tulips.  I love to use them with bare branches, as a reminder that winter is still with us.  I chose Kelly's rose medallion porcelain bowl for the arrangement. Proportionately, this bowl is a great size for Kelly's dining room table and the arrangement didn't overwhelm the simple menu of quiche, salad and ham biscuits.  I used orange and salmon flowers, as I'd been shopping the day before and saw these colors everywhere, clearly the "it" color for spring.  These colors also go beautifully with Kelly's decor. 

Christmas Candlelight Tour 2011, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation

I led the decorating team for 404 Hanover Street, the circa 1842 home of Gaynelle and Courtney Scott, for the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Christmas Candlelight Tour.  The stately home, filled with early Virginia and New England antiques, was the perfect setting for simple decorations with a bounty of fresh, local greenery.  We had a fabulous team working on this house, with members of the Ann Page Garden Club - Andi Gabler, Laura Ann Cline, Alice Nuckols, Lana Kelsey, Martha Manner-Brown, Sue Moorefield, Carol Evans, Leslie Campbell, Sharon Fick, Sharon Null, and Rita Campbell; and friends and family, Tina Egge, Betsy Kiley, Sarah Hall and Gaynelle's sister-in-law, Susanna Jett.  Gaynelle and Courtney Scott were gracious, kind and generous throughout the process.  We had such fun and the results were perfect for this house.  I was thrilled to support HFFI in this way!  My daughter, Khaki Valentine, took all of these pictures.

Welcome to 404 Hanover Street

                                                                                         Khaki Valentine Photo
Tina Egge, Betsy Kiley and Sarah Hall wrapped the columns and framed the front door with the beautiful cedar garland that I bought at the wholesale florist. They then embellished the garland with nandina, magnolia and cryptomeria.

Wreath Workshop at Stratford Hall, December 2011

                            Make your own fresh wreath with greens from Stratford Hall

Join Betsy Valentine at Stratford on December 7!

What better way to launch the holiday season! Join Betsy Stuart Valentine at the Barns at Stratford for a workshop to design and create your own traditional wreath using seasonal, native plant material cut on the plantation. We'll have fruit, bows, and other traditional decorations to enhance your natural wreath. Suitable for beginners to advanced. Join your friends for a fun way to start the holiday and take home your own wreath!

Wreath Workshop

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

                                                                      $35.00 for Friends of Stratford

$40.00 for non-members

All proceeds benefit Stratford Hall

Workshop with Limelight Hydrangeas - August 2011

Christine Morin Photo

Betsy Valentine

Invites you to a

Flower Arranging Workshop

Arranging with Limelight Hydrangeas! 

Thursday, August 11 and Friday, August 12, 2011

810 Caroline Street

Mezzanine Level - Upstairs from Jabberwocky

Downtown Fredericksburg

Limelights from my garden conditioned and ready to go! I have 19 limelight hydrangea bushes.  I cut all the hydrangeas and other flowers the morning before the workshop, put them in lukewarm water immediately after cutting and kept them in a cool place until the workshop.  I put the water up to their necks and cut each stem at a slant, or split the stems of some of the thicker hydrangea stems. Woody stems may be split or smashed with a hammer to let in the most water. Plant material should always be cut at least 8 hours before arranging. Don't take shortcuts with conditioning your flowers. If you do, all your hard work may be a waste when your flowers don't hold up beyond the first day. 
My daughter, Khaki, helped me with this workshop and took all of the following pictures.

Workshop at Belle Plains, May 2011

Betsy Valentine

invites you to a

Flower Arranging Workshop

Just in Time for Summer Entertaining!

on

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

9:30 to 11:30 AM

in the Carriage House

at "Belle Plains"

the Home of Chris Morin

We'll be working in the Carriage House, so we will enjoy the beautiful Potomac River View in the midst of Chris' fabulous gardens!

Marnie Vanderpoel, Kathleen Edwards, Mary Elizabeth McManus and Maggie McCormack get down to work on their creations.  We made 2 arrangements that day. One was a casual grouping of a few flowers in a glass cylinder vase.  The other arrangement was a bouquet of bouquets - a centerpiece made up of multiple bouquets, wrapped in raffia, and given to each guest at the end of the party.  I found fabulous garden urns on sale at Hobby Lobby for the centerpiece.

UVaClub of Fredericksburg Send-Off Party, August 2011

Casual Topiaries for the tables at the UVA New Student Send-Off Party,

Fredericksburg Country Club, August 2011.   Mary Elizabeth McManus and I made these, along with large containers of limelights, loosely arranged, for the buffet table.  We had almost 90 new students, thier families and other alums attend!

CARH Meetings

The following 4 pictures were taken at a Reception at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, June 2011. CARH Annual Meeting.  All of the flowers were from my garden or Colleen Fisher's.

I did small arrangements of hosta, hydrangea, honeysuckle, jasmine, shasta daisies and phlox for each cocktail table.

__________________________________________________________________________

Reception at Florida House, Washington, DC, CARH Annual Meeting, June 2010.

Every Day Flowers

Last of my garden, November 2011.  Although this is bits and pieces of what's left, I love this wild look.  My mother taught me to use what I have!

The wonderful Belinda Colbert, District Business Leader for TN with Doncaster, gave these little birds as favors at a meeting in Nashville a few years ago. I always have something in it! These are the last of the cosmos, November 2011.

Hydrangeas, roses and honeysuckle for a summer luncheon.

Limelights from my garden and stock from the florist, a cool combination. Summer 2011.

Easy Topiary with Limelight Hydrangeas, Summer 2011.  Fabulous for tables at a large fundraiser, as these are inexpensive, easy and quick. 

One of my favorite designs, with florist flowers and hosta and honeysuckle from the garden.  These flowers were left over from the August workshop.  August 2011.

This is one of my favorite arrangements with limelight hydrangeas and honeysuckle.  The limelights are all cut about the same length so it's more the look of a bouquet, than the arrangement below.  I tied 3 strands of raffia at the center to tie it all together and add to the bouquet look.  This will last for a long time as the limelights will dry.  I did this arrangement for a friend.  Summer 2011.  This is one of my signature looks.

Limelight hydrangeas, butterfly bush and honeysuckle in a glass cylinder vase.  The limelights are cut at varying  heights in this arrangement, so it's sort of a stacked look.  This will last a long time. The hydrangeas and butterfly bush will look good after they dry as well.  I have 19 limelight hydrangea bushes in my garden, so I always have a vase of them in my house! Summer 2010.

 

St. George's, December 2011

I did these arrangements for the altar at St. George's for Sunday, December 18. They lasted so well that they were moved up to the Narthex to greet everyone on Christmas Day.  I love using these large garden urns in church.  I used magnolia, evergreens from my back yard, and nandina as the focal point. 

The Altar at St. George's, October 2011

I did these arrangments for the first Sunday in October. The hydrangeas are from Ann Sears' garden, the oak leaf hydrangeas, coreopsis, and honeysuckle are from Colleen Fisher's garden, and the sedum and crepe myrtle are from mine.  There is a little bit of jasmine from my sister's also.  It takes a village. The coreopsis is the most fabulous flower for arrangements.  It's delicate, light and airy.  If you don't have any in your garden, plant some next spring.  This arrangement lasted well through the following Friday.

Flowers for My Mother

My mother loves flowers and was a fabulous flower arranger in her day.  She now lives in assisted living and I try to keep her supplied with something living in her apartment. Here are a few of the arrangements and little bouquets I've taken her.

Fall 2011

Summer 2011

Spring 2010

Summer 2009

Spring 2009