A Few of My Favorite Things: Rachel's Top 5 Flower Picks for Spring

I love muscari because the first time I see them each year they are poking their little heads out from a bed of frost. Tiny yet resilient flowers, muscari are not bowed down by the brute force of a long, lingering winter.
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Photo Courtesy Sarah Tew Photography.

It's now the height of Spring in New York, with the sun staying out longer and the parks filling up with families, sunbathers and bikers. This beautiful time not only signals the start of all the big New York City weddings and galas; it also means a time of floral abundance. Walk into any bodega or supermarket right now and you will be pleasantly overwhelmed by the myriad options of unique, beautiful flowers to bring home with you. There is such great variety in flower type and color during this time, and it's making me reflect on some of my favorites:

1. Muscari.
I love muscari because the first time I see them each year they are poking their little heads out from a bed of frost. Tiny yet resilient flowers, muscari are not bowed down by the brute force of a long, lingering winter. The most commonly known muscari is the grape-colored variety, which actually smells like...grape! (Albeit, a fake grape scent, like a Jolly Rancher candy.)

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Photo Courtesy Rachel Cho Floral Design.

2. Lilac.
The fragrance these flowers provide is like nothing else. Soft and sweet, I always breathe in deep when working with them. Depending on where we source them from, lilac from Holland is geometrically perfect, with clean, easy-to-work-with straight stems and uniform blooms. Locally grown lilac is more of a challenge to work with; the stems are ultra woody and irregularly shaped, but the finished result is more of a natural, organic look. Lilac is a favorite because of the fullness of its flower and the depth of its texture. I love to use white lilac in all-white arrangements for added interest, a surprise pop of scent and dimensionality in a sea of white.

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Photo Courtesy Photography By Asiya

3. Fritillaria.
Speaking of added interest, you should check out the fritillaria. A bizarre but beautiful flower, I specifically love working with the fritillaria meleagris variety. The petals are checkered in dark and light purple, which adds an amazing touch of the exotic to everyday arrangements. I've always thought that that purple check pattern would make an adorable design for a small clutch. Full of personality and artistic possibility, I also love that the fritillaria comes with its own built-in foliage accent. Its slender, blade-like leaves are like individual accents of lily grass for each and every bloom.

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Photo Courtesy Rachel Cho Floral Design.

4. Sweet Pea.
Sweet pea is one of my all-time favorite scents; I wish I could bottle it in a perfume. My sweetest sweet pea memory is the love-struck husband who wandered into the studio one day, looking for the "most beautiful, magnificent, wonderful arrangement in the world" for his wife of 25+ years. He was so in love, almost like he was in a dream or walking on a cloud. Moved, I gave him a loose sweet pea to take home, so he could drink in its sweet, airy scent as he thought of his wife. He comes back for flowers every anniversary, and to this day, I am always sure to tuck sweet pea into his wife's bouquets.

5. Peony.
Last but not least, I have to mention the peony. A recurring favorite among New York brides and bodega-goers alike, the peony's amazing variety of textures, colors, and shapes gives it a beautiful dimensionality. I'm always fascinated that a peony can grow from a tiny, tight, one-inch diameter bud to a blown-open bloom the size of a grown-man's hand. And on a personal note, peony will always remind me of my early childhood, as my family kept a peony field in Korea. The roots of the peony have medicinal qualities, and my grandfather grew them to make health remedies as an Eastern Medicine doctor. My sister prominently featured peonies in her Spring wedding as a reminder of our family story. It is a beautiful, lush flower, and I love the various moods it can convey. My only complaint with the peony? I wish it were available year-round!

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Photo Courtesy Rachel Cho Floral Design.

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