Dig that wedding garden!

    Victorian flower images from antiqueclipart.com

Just a brief note, since I’m spending every available moment frolicking in my own abundantly colorful vernal garden--yes, here in Southern California spring arrives early, so we’re all ready to revel when the season officially arrives Friday morning at 4:44 a.m. (I personally won’t be reveling that early, however.)

If you’re planning a wedding or reception at your home this summer, it’s time to squint strategically at your garden and start planting wondrous things to enhance your nuptial affair.  There are many choices to make and factors to consider, including but not limited to:

• your particular geographical region and “hardiness zone,” which you can learn about by clicking here.
• how quickly you can reasonably expect plants to grow, fill in, and bloom.  If you plant a seedling now, it’s not going to be providing shade over an arbor by June; you may need to buy older, larger plants and trees if you have a shorter timeline before your event.
• the color scheme for the wedding or reception.  Choose flower colors that will compliment rather than clash with any theme colors (and if the honored pair are sports fans, it’s a grand faux pas to plant the colors of a rival team.)
• how to design the space to maximize area and conceal flaws (you can get some ideas from garden design blogs if you need inspiration.)

If you have a paved pool area or concrete pad out back instead of dirt, you can still bring live plants to the party by purchasing or renting potted trees and flowers from your local nursery or landscape design company.  Pots have the advantage of being easy to move should you need to reconfigure the space for a larger crowd; you can also give them away at the end of the party as gifts or donate them to a local shelter, rest home, or community center that needs landscaping love.   Pot stands, pillars, or tables add design interest; you can use them to easily delineate an aisle or ceremony space without the use of runners, risers, or arches.

Here are a few sites to peruse as you dream up your lovely lover’s garden:   

Planting a Bridal Garden from DavesGarden.com--this page focuses on plants whose names invoke brides and their attendants. Also from Dave’s Garden: Autumn Garden Weddings--great ideas for potted plant decor and placement--The Love Garden, about plants with the word “love” in their names (maybe you don’t want to plant “love-lies-bleeding” for a wedding, though)--and Planning Plants on your Wedding Day, which has tons of ideas for incorporating plants in your decor and your ceremony too.

Decipher the language of flowers and their meanings at EarthlyPursuits.com, this compendium site of Victorian flower meanings, and this site which also sells Victorian flower clip-art, should real flowers be beyond your means.

While you're here, pop over to my colleague Robin Wedewer’s Gardening Examiner page, and say hey from me.

Have fun dreaming and digging, and Happy Spring!

National Wedding and Marriage Examiner Elizabeth Oakes welcomes your feedback at weddingexaminer@gmail.com; you can easily share this story or subscribe by clicking on the buttons at the top of this column, or read more of Elizabeth's stories by clicking here.

She's also happy to answer your questions about getting married in Los Angeles--check out her work and inquire about availability at MarriageToGo.Com.