American Grown Flower arrangement – at Mellano & CO- using Foliage First!
J arranges American Grown Flowers from Mellano & Company at the Original Los Angeles Flower Market- using one of his favorite tips… Foliage First… and Mellano & Company has the Most Beautiful Locally Grown Foliage!
Today on At Home with Flowers I’m on location at Mellano & Company in the Original LA Flower Market. Watch the Video Here! Mellano & Co is celebrating their 100th Anniversary in the Flower Business… and we have a special segment- featuring Bob Mellano telling us about the Rich History of the Mellano Family- and their involvement in the Flower Industry- in Episode 707- Flower Magic- Coming up in Season 7 of J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom- that will begin airing Nationwide starting in April. Here’s a WONDERFUL Video about the Mellano Family- on their website… This is FANTASTIC!
Just a Small Sample of the Beautiful Flowers and Foliage that is available at Mellano & Company- celebrating their 100th Year in Business in 2025!
WOW is all I can say… I love the Mellano Family- we’ve been friends my entire life… I love visiting with Bob - he’s my Favorite Mellano-(PS. Michelle- you’re my Favorite Castellano… and Your Mom and Batti ) and visiting ANY Mellano & Company Location is always a treat! Today - I had the honor of being a “Kid in a Candy Store” during my Visit… marketing director Hanna Alfaddaghi allowed me this treat- to browse their Incredible Flower and Foliage Collection and select whatever I wanted from their Beautiful Stock of American Grown Flowers and Foliage - raised on the Mellano farms from the cooler in the Original LA Flower Market for this arrange. One more Reminder to watch their Story here!!!
“Look Ma’ No Foam” - This arrangement is created in water only- using J’s technique “Foliage First” using the foliage to create a structure to hold the flowers in place… check out the details in this video!
I’m creating a LARGE arrangement in a pottery urn- that is in water… no other mechanics… featuring many of the American Grown (hyper local) Flowers and Foliage that are grown in Mellano’s Fields. When you’re creating a large arrangement in a large urn- (*like this one)…it may be daunting… especially if you want to arrange in water only! Enter one of my favorite flower arranging tricks- “Foliage First” – I like using foliage to create a structure in the container- that will help hold the flowers in place… and since this is a very large arrangement- I don’t want to have it be “polka-dotty” - meaning single stems of different flowers- I need Impact and Focal Area Emphasis in an arrangement of this scale. So I am bundling bunches- and half bunches of foliage (and FLOWERS) with craft covered wire from Oasis Floral Products. I love Bind Wire- and it’s a must have in any tool kit. I can easily (and attractively) create these bundles and add them to the arrangement.
J bundles the different (and EXQUISITE) Mellano & Company Foliage - into bunches… to create the “Foliage First Technique”… frankly speaking- this arrangement could be ALL Foliage- and that would be Incredible as well… Mellano & Company foliage is the Greatest!
Mellano & Company has so many wonderful American Grown Foliage they grow themselves- Myrtle is their Flagship Foliage, and they also grown Agonis, Italian Pittosporum, Grevelia and Ruscus…truly these are some of the most beautiful foliages in the World. Honestly, this arrangement could stand alone- with just foliage…and that would be a stunning showpiece that would last for weeks and weeks… However - today I’m using the foliage to create a structure that can support all the Gorgeous American Growns Flowers from Mellano I still want to add to this bouquet!…
Foliage or Flowers- it doesn’t matter which you choose- When it comes from Mellano & Company- you’ll always be Delighted, Amazed and Over the Moon with the Results!
Foliage First is a simple trick to use- for any size vase- large or small- (Be sure to watch this weeks’ Free Video here… for Step by Step Instruction! )Foliage First is like a helping hand to keep your flowers where you want them while flower arranging… and it’s beautiful and it’s a fun too! This is an ideal way to create a big arrangement- with large focal areas- in water only…and the result is breathtaking- I hope you enjoy this visit to Mellano & Company in the Original LA Flower Market- it was fun- to arrange in their location- right on the street in Los Angeles… we certainly drew a crowd- and why??? Mellano has the Best Flowers… I hope you Enjoy this special Flower Arrangement on Location at Mellano & Company- Here’s to another 100 Years my Flower Friends!