Fiddlehead Fern

venturabj

Help! I am using a florist who does it from her home and has never worked with Fiddlehead fern. She orders from a wholesaler, and said that it that fiddlehead comes fresh. Does this mean that we have to dry it out? I want to to be dark brown and stiff to put in my bouquet. Is that how it comes? I have tried to look it up and all I can find is stuff about eating it!

Wiscisbliss

I don't know the answer, but your florist should be doing this work... not you. 

venturabj

So when it's fresh it's brown and ready to go?

genevieve88

Yes when it is fresh it is brown and ready to go. The only thing i would say is  they are very easy to break the heads off and once broken pretty much useless.

So if it is just your bouq then then nothing to worry about if doing bouts for the guys then I would tell her to set aside a few extra just in case. Or maybe even order and extra bunch, but they can be spendy so that may not be possible.

venturabj

Thanks so much for the help! One more question...I was wanting to use them for the coursages and boutineers, but knowing that they are fragile, is there anything else you would reccomend?

genevieve88

Hmm well nothing else will really give you the same look as those will, but im sure you know that, they are really cool.

But I am sure I can think of something....what other flowers are you using?
Give me an idea of  your over all look.
Are you going more rustic? what did you like about the dark brown?
There are a lot of combinations you could use.
Let me know and I will send you some photos if I have some or at least point you in a good direction.

venturabj

We are using calla lillies, orchids, and tulips. I can't figure out how to add the picture of my bouquet, but it is orange calla lillies and tulips and white orchids. We are doing more of a rustic kind of theme. The reception site is all old brick and wood and we are using weathered wood. Our colors are orange, teal, tan, and brown. The men are wearing tan suits with teal vests and the girls dresses are teal with tan sashes. The flowers are where we are tieing in the orange and dark brown. So I thought the color and look of the fiddlehead fern went well with the theme. Can you look at my knot page at my pictures of the wedding party and all that? Then you can see pictures of everything.

venturabj

Just another thought...I saw something about making them with clay and baking them. You think this would work? It seems a little risky!

genevieve88

Hey, ok so I looked at your page and I love all your colors.
To be honest you have the right idea and the fiddle would look the best,
nothing else is going to keep the clean lines and a good shine to it. To stay with the dark brown and not go to big.
I would say if you are good with clay you could try a few(NOW) in case it looks horrible.  and see what it looks like but i dont think it will give you the finnished look you want. 
  Unless you are really good with clay to pull off. I would say you would have more trouble with that then with her just going ahead with ordering it and going for it.
I started 10 years ago in a garage shop learing the ins and outs of flowers I was 17 best job ever! lol, and really the best way to learn is to just do it. I hope you have seen some of her work and are not just hoping for the best. If you are already going with nice expensive flowers then I would order these too. I was thinking about it last night and the best advice I can think of for doing cors. and bouts is to glue them in.
First of all I dont know if you can give her advice I am guessing this is someone you know and are able to talk to. If not she should be asking for help herself from someone if she is still learning.(everyone had to start somewhere!) But back to the advice. Make a base with other greens (the same she will do if she is doing orchids you put everything together then the very last step is putting in the fiddle same idea as orchids. IIt is much easier to use glue i rec. floral glue if she has it. It is not hot. it is in a small tube.  This will give her the freedom of placement. she can use the whole stem but it is harder to get them to look right. but all depends on what you like. Best advice ever find a photo and take it to her tell her you want her to copy the photo.
For your bouq. if she is adding those in as well then she adds them in just like roses use the long stem she will quickly see how fragile they are. If she breaks any they always (at least for us) break in a spot where we can use the curl in bouts. I have never had more then 2 or 3 break in a bunch. So you should be safe, plus I was looking at it today and i can get it for about 1.50 a stem so she should if she gets it from her supplier get about the same so it is just like the cost of some roses. Think of it that way and maybe that will help with the stress level of it. Its not really that bad. your orchids will cost more then those. Hope this helps and not stressing you out more.

We do not add them into our coursages but I think it is because they are more of  a guys "flower" when it comes down to small things like that.
For bouts it looks really good if you use a small calla lilly and one fiddlehead with plumosas and italian ruscus. This is a combo we use a lot it is easy to glue to the plumosas, and the italian rus Or you could leave the flower out totally and just use the fiddle for the guys that always looks great. also seeded eucalyptus looks cool if you use the seeded part with the fiddle. the plumosas is going to make a world of difference in the glue process.
I love them in bride and the maids bouq too they pull everything together.
Very classy your wedding is going to be beautiful!
Trust that she can pull it off, she will be able too. If you were going for a more woodsey look with less flowers then you have lots of filler you could add but not with what you have picked. You have done a great job. I love it!

ps sorry if I went on a rant there for a while I am super tired. But did not want to leave you hanging for too long. My daughter is teething and not sleeping much. But she just turned 1. 22 mins ago!!! yay. My goodness I have a one year old. where does the time go!

venturabj

Thanks for all of the advice! So are you saying that I should just go ahead and get them through my florist and use them? She found some artificial ones that she can order, but they are 5.60 a piece and come with 2 stems! That is a lot for artificial I think! I went to Michaels last night to try and find their artificial ones, but I can't find them. I saw them once, but I don't know.