2012 was quite a year for Natalie Bowen Designs. We are amazed to say that we flowered the weddings of 43 couples and over 100 events. We made arrangements for private houses, fancy hotels, photo shoots and our first celebrity wedding. We travelled to New England and Wyoming (twice) for work and are making plans for a trip to Tulum, Mexico for a wedding this coming Spring. We had a pop-up at Pot and Pantry for Valentine’s Day and are inches away from signing a commercial lease on a new studio space in SOMA.

There is so much to celebrate in 2012…including some of our favorite flower arrangements. Take a look to see what we were designing when we weren’t busy doing everything else.

Gertrude and Mabel

Greg Slick

Larissa Cleavland

Bess Friday

To all of you, thank you so much for a wonderful 2012 and Happy New Year!

The halls are decked, and team is happy to be celebrating the holiday with family and friends. We’ll be quiet this week online as we spend time relaxing, sitting by the fire and sipping eggnog. Merry Christmas.

Last week, the Natalie Bowen Designs team went wild in the kitchen with baking and cooking treats for all of the amazing vendors we work with at the San Francisco Flower Mart. We thought you might enjoy seeing some images both from our day prepping and delivering the pretty boxes to recipients.

We decided on Lime Snowballs, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Toffee and Candied Grapefruit as a good mix of flavors and textures.

Friday morning the team gathered at the market and walked around together making deliveries. It was a really fun morning. Happy holidays everyone!

I adore paper-whites. I love that they remind me of the holidays, my Grandmother, and that a garden can be grown indoors. In just a few weeks after planting you will have the most splendid fragrant little blossoms.

A favorite method for forcing is to nestle bulbs into small rocks and pour water just to the base of the bulbs. They need light, but not direct sun. Within just a few days, you should see tiny little roots beginning to sprout. Keep the water level just at the very base of the bulb. As the stems grow taller, you may need to tie a little string or ribbon around them to keep them from flopping over.

The plant you see below was started 13 days ago. Begin forcing bulbs this week and you’ll have blossoms in time for the New Year!

Well last week flew by so quickly it doesn’t quite feel right to be on to a new one already. The month of December always seems this way. We are enjoying incredible sunny and warm days, not at all wintery feeling. But we’ve gone with a snowy white palette anyhow. The last of the imported peonies are used here as are sweet little narcissus, a seasonal favorite. We’ve paired them along with juniper and blue thistle for a little something different.