Helen Olivia in Alexandria Artichoke Bouquet

Private Gardener in Milwaukee was our go to place for anything plant and flower related. They planned and installed our front yard garden; we always went there for unique and interesting bouquets; and they helped me surprise my husband on his fiftieth birthday by setting a beautiful table complete with goldfish in flower vases. Here in DC, we have a wall hanging vase that we try to keep updated with varieties of things based on the season.  It becomes a Christmas tree with lights in December, and when our garden has flowers, it's a wonderful container to show them off. This time of year is between all of that so we thought Helen Olivia in Alexandria might have something unique and long lasting. We were thinking a branch rather than a flower would be nice - an inspiration we saw at Vaso's Kitchen the last time we were there. In Milwaukee, I could pretty much cut things from all the trees, bushes, and plants on the one acre lot. Here, I don't have that option. What we found was an artichoke branch - not quite what we were looking for different. So we selected some leaves to display with it and hoped for the best. I think we could have used some color rather than all greens, but it was worth the experiment. The wrapping in itself made the bouquet exquisite. It's been a while since we have been there. The staff were busily preparing for an event and the place looked and smelled wonderful. Just going there changes your mood on a cold winter day. If nothing else, that in itself was worth the trip.