DIY Pumpkin Centerpiece

We enjoyed making these centerpieces so much for a recent bride!  I can't wait to design my very own and use it for Halloween or Thanksgiving!  To help create your design, I took pictures along the way. I hope this inspires you!

The first step is to pick out a small to medium-sized pumpkin that sits level on a table.  Find a short, but fairly wide vase that will fill the opening you've carved out.  Pre-soak a square of Oasis wet floral foam and place it inside of the vase.  Scoop out the pumpkin guts with a large spoon.  If the vase doesn't fit inside of your pumpkin just right, you can use pieces of styro-foam to prop up your vase so it fits snug.  Top off the wet foam-filled vase with water.

Now comes the fun part!  I started by inserting various greens into the wet foam to cover it up and give a nice base.  Next, I placed the focal flowers to establish the overall shape and size of the arrangement.  After placing the focals, I filled the spaces between with flowers like assorted fall mums and alstromeria.

As a finishing touch, I added preserved fall leaves around the base of the arrangement and in the middle.  This step creates more interest and made the arrangement pop!  To keep your pumpkin arrangement fresh longer, store it in the refrigerator or a cool garage or basement when you are not enjoying it, and don't forget to water it!
Good luck and Enjoy!!

Krista Roskopf
~Menomonee Falls Manager
Bank of Flowers

Changing of the Season

The floral industry is one of many that follow the changing seasons.  The color palettes of each season seem to reflect the flowers that bloom at that time of the year.  They trend from soft pastels in the spring to bright, bold colors in the summer, the muted tones of fall, and the clean whites of winter.

This time of year in Wisconsin, we find the season is already changing.
Autumn is by far my favorite season.  The air turns crisp, vibrant colored leaves crunch beneath my feet, and the smell of apples and pumpkins baking just warms my heart.   I especially love autumn flowers in bright oranges, yellows, and burgundy tones.  From the traditional fall mums and bright leaves, to the more unusual harvest flowers like dahlias, celosia, rose hips, and grasses.  Even adding some unusual elements that you wouldn't think of for this time of year, like protea and orchids, give autumn arrangements a new look.  So grab a cup of hot cider, a slice of pumpkin pie, and your favorite autumn flowers and enjoy the changing of the season!

~Wendy Walker
Floral Designer
Bank of Flowers

It's not a Feast without the Flowers!

Whether you are hosting, or traveling to be with family this holiday, there's no better way to say Happy Thanksgiving to your loved ones then by bringing a festive fall centerpiece to dress the table.

The rich tones of fall add a warmth and pop of color and texture that makes the holiday meal truly festive.  Lovely lilies, sunny sunflowers, vibrant orange roses, and even the amazing giant kale mixed with fun fall textures really make these Thanksgiving centerpieces the perfect gift.

You've got your turkey, the stuffing, and the pie...don't forget your centerpiece, because it's not a feast without the flowers!

I am truly thankful this holiday season for my amazing family, friends, and shop customers I consider as close as family.  You all make the world a brighter place, and we would not still be here at Bank of Memories & Flowers without our amazing customers and our team here at the store.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Krista Roskopf, Manager
Bank of Memories, Menomonee Falls

Rustic Love

Megan & Scott

Ceremony: Holy Cross Church, Menomonee Falls, WI
Reception: Rustic Manor, Delafield
Florist: Bank of Memories & Flowers
Baker: Sweet Perfections
Month: September

After a lovely ceremony at our local Holy Cross Church, Megan & Scott headed to the barn for a rustic reception!

 Megan chose the elegance of a simple white bouquet comprised of hydrangeas, roses, freesia, and stock, wrapped in white satin ribbon and accented with pearls.

 Fall jewel tones were the perfect choice for the bridesmaids bouquets.  Each bouquet was designed in a monochromatic style with an assortment of flowers including roses, gerbera daisies, sunflowers, alstromeria, and stock.  This gave each bouquet a simple, but charming style.

 The reception flowers added to the rustic, yet charming feel with clusters of vintage bottles filled with bright blossoms and slender vases filled with birch branches and gerbera daisies.

 The rustic charm continues with a blossom-covered cake and the bride and groom's initials set up with bright flowers as an accent.  You can just feel the rustic love fill the crisp fall air on Megan and Scott's special day!  Congratulations from everyone here at Bank of Memories & Flowers!

Wendy Walker, Floral Designer
Bank of Memories & Flowers

The Week in "Re-Bloom"

We've been busy busy BUSY and haven't gotten a moment to fill you in on our latest happenings...so here are just a few of the projects that have been occupying our time these days at Bank of Memories & Flowers!

One of the best things about flowers is that they are seasonal. The designs at Bank of Memories & Flowers are constantly changing to reflect the varieties and colors of each new month. The beginning of September for us is very busy with a lot of lucky teachers receiving beautiful flowers to celebrate the start of the new school year. We love creating lush and compact bouquets! Above are some of our favorite custom designs from this month so far. 

 Just in the last couple of weeks we've started to really see the fall colors pouring in: warm red dahlias, golden orange mums, vibrantly orange lilies, burgundy soladago and of course, sunflowers to bade farewell to the summer months. We love creating these textural bouquets with pops of autumn colors and extremely seasonal fall leaves!

And what would a "Week in Re-bloom" post be without a smile from our ever-present companion, Chloe?! Chloe has had some exhausting days, supervising a major painting project of our design work area. The fresh coat of smoked oyster and clean white trim has given our space a wonderfully clean new look -- and we think Chloe approves ;)

We hope your September has been as productive and entertaining as ours!