J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... >> That flower feeling.

At home.

At work.

Or anytime.

CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom," where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... Dollar Tree.

>> On this episode, we're taking a flight of fancy with birds.

Bird-of-paradise is the featured flower.

We'll get tips on photographing hummingbirds.

We'll create a willow-branch bird sculpture, arrange flowers, and more, on today's "Life in Bloom."

I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

Many a time, I heard my friend and mentor, Frankie Shelton, say, "Put a bird in it, and it'll sell."

She was referring to adding a cute, little bird, like this, to any flower arrangement.

And she's right, not only because the bird is cute but also because we have an endless fascination with birds and flight.

While we long to soar in the sky as birds do, we listen for their curious songs and calls in our gardens and anticipate the first birds and flowers of spring.

Let's explore the kinship of birds and flowers.

Today, my friend James Lutke shows us how to make a willow swan.

Okay, so, James, you're gonna teach me how to do this.

>> We are.

We're gonna make the neck and the head of a swan.

>> Okay!

>> So, we have some beech branches here... >> Okay.

>> ...and some white pinecones.

>> Okay.

>> This will be actually the head.

>> Okay.

>> And then we'll use some wire and bind up the neck and make the swan.

So, you're just gonna take your branches and group them together.

>> Oh.

Okay.

>> I like to use about six to seven branches.

And you cut the branches when they're fresh, they're green... >> Uh-huh.

>> ...so that they have some flexibility to them.

>> Okay.

>> And then it will dry into the position that we put it in.

>> Alright.

>> Alright.

>> Cool.

>> So, for this project, we're gonna use a wire.

It's a steel wire, and I like to use wire that's about 18 to 20 gauge for this type of project because it's strong and flexible.

>> Okay.

>> So, you're gonna start by just attaching the wire around the base... >> Okay.

>> ...and attach it to itself.

And then you're just going to start... >> Ahh!

>> ...winding down the length of the branches, keeping the wire a little taut, if you can... >> Right.

>> ...because, if you remember, these are green branches, and then they will dry.

So, they will shrink.

>> Okay.

>> So, we want to make sure this is tight.

So, you will bind until you're pretty close to the end... >> Okay.

>> ...about this far from the end.

So, this will be my length of neck here.

>> Okay.

>> This is where we're gonna add in the head.

And so, for the head we're gonna use this white pinecone.

I'm gonna have you do two.

So, we're going to just open up our little bound-branch area here.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Bring the branches around them, like this.

Then you will continue to bind over this.

>> And that gives the shape of the head.

>> It gives the shape of the head and gives some bulk in through there.

Bill length of the swan... >> Okay.

>> ...is usually about three-quarters of the head.

>> Okay.

>> So, you can kind of plan it that way.

>> Okay.

>> We're gonna go even tighter with our binding.

>> Oh, okay.

>> And our wire's gonna be closer together because we want to really create that dark silhouette of a bill.

And you're gonna be coming back.

>> Oh, okay.

>> So, if you miss a spot or two, don't worry.

So, keeping that wire tight, yeah, you're just gonna trim it off a little bit.

>> Okay.

>> Maybe a little ahead because you can always cut back later if you need to.

>> Okay.

Cool.

>> And then you're going to be using the wire and just coming back down the whole length of the piece.

>> Oh.

>> Again, in the bill area, we're gonna keep it a little bit tighter.

We're gonna do more of a banding.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And then, when we get back down to the rest of the body, we can just do a more typical bind.

We don't have to be as close together.

>> Okay.

So, I'm gonna come all the way back down to the other end.

>> All the way back down to the other end, and then... >> I'm gonna cut my wire.

>> ...you left a lead piece -- perfect.

>> I did leave a lead piece.

>> And then you'll twist this together, and I just want to make a note that when you're twisting, if you keep your wire open... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...and twist together, the twist goes down... >> Wow!

>> ...and thus giving you a better hold instead of up the wire.

>> That's a great tip.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> And then, always make sure you bend that twisted piece back into the wood so that you don't catch your hand on it later.

>> Perfect.

>> So, here, I'm just gonna clean up just a little bit any of the parts of the neck that I want to.

We're gonna... we're gonna bend these babies a little bit.

We want that swan, and I'll show you a quick tip.

>> Okay.

>> The knee.

>> Really?

>> If you don't have any strength, use your knee.

And you can hear those fibers breaking in there, and that's okay.

They're gonna stay in there because of the wire.

When I'm bending the neck or deciding how the neck is going to be... >> Uh-huh.

>> ...I over-exaggerate the bend because as it dries it'll stay more in that position.

>> I get it.

>> So, like, I may want the neck to do this, but when I dry it, I'm gonna do this to it... >> Oh, okay.

>> ...so then when I release it, it'll stay like that.

>> You bend it over your knee.

I just -- I'm afraid I'm gonna break it, but I'm not.

>> You're not.

Lookit.

You can hear those fibers breaking.

>> Yeah.

>> Now I've taken the neck and just attached it to a piece of 2x4 that was scrap, laying around my house.

>> Okay.

>> Stapled a piece of chicken wire to either side.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Rolled it in kind of a heart shape, as you can kind of see here... >> Okay, great.

>> ...creating the wings and back to the tail and then stuffed it with newspaper.

And the only reason we really stuffed the chicken wire is because we're gonna glue moss on here.

>> Okay.

>> And it gives a little something extra for the moss to hold.

>> Sure.

>> And it's lightweight.

>> Right.

>> I did take the liberty of using a few tips and just creating a couple of extra bound curls, the very same technique that we did with the neck.

>> Just tinier.

>> Just tinier.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And just as a little extension to carry the woodland theme through.

And they're fun, aren't they?

>> It is.

It's really pretty.

>> Alright.

And using a little spray glue... >> Okay.

>> ...and some moss here, we're just gonna get all those areas.

We're gonna even lay moss down the middle of it... >> Okay.

>> ...because what we're really kind of creating here with this piece is a vessel, and it's a vessel that could be used for many things.

>> Right.

>> We're gonna do a little flower power to it because, well, because you're J, right?

>> That's right, yeah.

Bird-of-paradise plants are a tropical plant, the blooms of which make fantastic cut flowers.

The flower is so-named because of its resemblance to bird of paradise, a family of birds found in Papua, New Guinea, and eastern Australia, with 42 species.

They are also known as crane flowers.

Blooms of the bird-of-paradise are actually made up of many different parts.

The base of the flower -- the beak of the bird -- is a bract, or a modified leaf.

The orange petals at the top aren't true petals but actually sepals, or modified petals.

The true petals of the flower are the blue parts.

The multicolored blooms are truly unique, and each blossom can last up to two weeks.

Bird-of-paradise plants are tropical and need protection from cold and plenty of warmth and sun to thrive.

In keeping with our theme of birds, I thought it would be fun for us to make an arrangement using the featured flower, bird-of-paradise.

And we've got a little twist on it.

We're gonna make a nest inside it and treat these like they're really birds.

The first thing we'll do is create our nest.

I'm using craft-covered wire, and I'm gonna take off about 15 yards of it just very spontaneously and creating it in a big ball.

Once I've got 15 yards in my hand, I'll start to form it.

The great part about this is, by wrapping it around and having my fingers go inside, I can make a bowl shape.

It's gonna become our nest.

Shaping it and forming it is part of the fun.

This will be a great way to get your kids involved, as well.

I've placed a piece of soaked flower foam inside my container.

Then, I'll place the nest in the middle of the arrangement.

I'm gonna secure the nest by taking my fatsia-leaf stems and sliding them and catching a part of the back of the nest and putting it into the foam.

Those three leaves will hold it in place.

Then we'll add some dusty miller.

I love the dusty miller because it looks like the container.

It's got the same texture and color.

I'm using the regular dusty miller, with its beautiful, big leaves, and then I'm also using a ruffled dusty miller on the other side.

Then I've got some red tea leaves.

We'll put three on one side, and then we'll reflex the other ones, and we'll stick them in so that they bend back towards the center of the arrangement.

These kind of remind me of big feathers or tail feathers for the birds of paradise.

Then we'll add some bear grass.

Grabbing a bundle of it, I simply wrap around it with my craft-covered wire.

Then I can cut it off at an angle so that all the little pieces are like one big stem.

I can stick that easily into the foam.

My eggs are goose eggs.

I've actually used them for another project and hollowed them out so I could use them as vases.

I can hide those openings and place them down inside here.

It's a great way to reuse that prop.

Now it's time to add our birds-of-paradise.

I've got different lengths -- short ones and tall ones.

We'll put three tall ones on one side and two on the other.

They're like the parents or the family of birds that are looking all excited about the bird eggs hatching.

Then we'll place our tiny, little birds-of-paradise short, like they're peeking up out of the nest, like they've got their mouths open, ready to eat.

It's a fun way to use these tropical, stately, contemporary flowers in a way that tells a story.

It might give someone a laugh.

It's a fun way to enjoy flowers.

As you know, I love to collect vintage pottery.

And I even have friends who send me collectible pieces.

My friend Madonna found this for me.

I love it because the robin is the state bird of Michigan.

And it also has a little apple blossom down here.

So, the apple blossom is the state flower.

I wonder if there was a whole collection maybe of all the different state birds.

I like how big it is, too.

There's a great opening for me to arrange flowers.

We'll fill that with flower foam, and then we'll arrange it with an assortment of flowers.

I selected colors and flowers that look very natural.

This is beautiful boxwood, and I'll put a few pieces in.

We have pussy willow and hellebores.

Of course I have to have some carnations.

There's also ranunculus and a wonderful, little pinecone leucadendron.

The thing about this is, I don't have apple blossoms right now.

But I have these wonderful micro-mini gerberas.

They're so tiny, and they look like apple blossoms.

They're the same size as the flower on the pot.

We'll place all of these flowers into the flower foam, and we'll make an upright arrangement that accentuates the color of the pottery.

Vintage containers like these, even though they were created as green planters, make wonderful vessels for flowers.

So, I'm here with my friend Donna to learn about your photography that you do with hummingbirds.

You started taking pictures on your deck here with these birds.

>> Yes.

>> And so, what inspired you to do that?

I mean, what was like, "Okay, I'm gonna do that?"

because, well, you had a job as a photographer.

>> I owned a photography company right out of college for a few years... >> Okay.

>> ...an event-photography company.

But I never took pictures of birds, never really took pictures of nature.

It was always people.

But then I moved to this beautiful setting, and I started seeing all the birds, and it just was a natural thing to start taking pictures of them.

>> Did you start with hummingbirds, or did you start with winter birds?

>> I think I started with winter birds.

>> Okay.

>> The obsession with hummingbirds came probably about six years ago.

>> Okay.

>> And it has become an obsession.

>> So, what's your tricks?

That's what we want to know.

We want to share your tricks and your tips for photographing your hummingbirds.

>> First of all, patience.

To photograph any bird, you have to be incredibly patient.

You can't chase the bird.

You can't make them come to you.

You have to be still and quiet and let them come to you.

And I also hide out inside sometimes and shoot through the windows.

>> Are you a distance away?

Are you close by?

>> Some of both.

>> Okay.

>> Sometimes -- I always have my camera out with me when I'm sitting on the deck, and sometimes I'm sitting out here peacefully reading, and they'll show up.

>> Okay.

>> And then I -- the best picture that I ever took of a hummingbird came that way.

>> And then you feed them, and you also provide flowers for them, because that's how they come.

>> Right.

I provide natural food with the flowers, and then I make my own nectar and put it in the hummingbird feeder for them, as well.

>> Okay, and there's a specific thing about the nectar that you make.

I mean, we should make our own if we're going to do that, and there's things we should and should not use.

>> We should always make our own.

Never buy the store-bought red stuff.

>> Okay.

>> That's bad on their kidneys.

And so, if you're going to put up a hummingbird feeder, you need to be a good steward.

It's like you have to take the responsibility.

>> Right.

>> If you're not, don't put the feeder up.

Just put the flowers out.

>> Okay.

>> But you have to care for them properly.

You make your own food.

And then, based on the temperature -- and that's really easy to find out in your area, what temperatures -- is how often you need to change that nectar.

>> Because you want it to always be fresh for them.

>> You need it to be fresh because with the heat, it will build up bacteria, and if it builds up mold, it can hurt the hummingbirds.

>> Okay.

>> So, again, you have to -- it's a commitment to have a hummingbird feeder.

>> What about cameras, lenses, things like that?

>> You do need something that can reach a distance.

I, typically, out on the deck will use this 70-to-300-millimeter lens.

I have a longer lens, as well.

I have one that goes up to 600 millimeter.

>> Okay.

>> But this works really well from shooting inside my house out on the deck.

Hummingbirds are so tiny, and birds are so tiny, and they're skittish.

So, you can't get very close to them.

>> Right.

>> So, you have to have a lens that brings them to you through the camera.

>> Got it.

This is what you take time to do, and it's the thing that pleases you.

>> It's so peaceful, and it's satisfying.

>> So, what flowers do you think attract them the best?

>> What I've found is salvia, particularly the black and blue.

>> Correct.

>> They almost always will go to that first.

>> Right.

>> And that blooms -- after I plant it, it blooms really quickly.

>> Okay.

>> And the last couple years, based off the inspiration of seeing someone else's flowers, I started planting the zinnias.

I put in the garden... >> Right.

>> ...because I wanted to raise the flowers up, because one of the things with photography is that you also have to think about what's in the background.

And I didn't want the deck railing in the background.

So, I raised it up.

>> Ahh!

>> And the trees in the background give me a nice, dark background and allows the hummingbird to be kind of silhouetted in that background.

>> Well, Donna, this is amazing, and I love that you're sharing it with us and giving us the tips about it, because I think that that's the best part is when a friend can tell you how to take care of stuff and how to do something.

And that's the thing that I love.

How about -- I did a little bit of investigating.

There is a cocktail called the hummingbird... >> Really?

>> ...and I thought we would make it.

Would you join me for another segment, and we'll make a cocktail?

>> I'd love it.

>> Okay, great.

Here's an easy arrangement you can create with carnations and xanadu leaves in a craft-wire bird's nest.

So, Donna, I found this recipe for this cocktail.

It's called the hummingbird.

There's many, many, many drinks called the hummingbird, interestingly enough.

So, we'll start with a jigger of Campari.

And we'll do a jigger of gin.

And then elderflower.

>> I've never heard of that.

>> So, elderflower is made from elderberries, and it's very popular right now.

People love elderflower.

So, there's that.

And then a little bit of vermouth, sweet vermouth.

>> Interesting combination.

>> Right!

Right, right.

When I was looking at it, I was like, "Oh, this should be fun."

So, we put all those into a shaker together.

And then we'll shake it.

And we're gonna split it up between two highballs.

>> Beautiful color.

>> Isn't it pretty?

I think, you know, that's probably where that hummingbird feeling comes from.

And then we'll finish it with a little bit of soda water.

>> Looks lovely.

>> There we go.

I know, right?

It's pretty.

And then we garnish it with an orange wedge.

So, we got all kinds of stuff in there.

So, now, I have a little tradition here on "Life in Bloom."

And we have a flower crown of zinnias for you for our cocktail.

>> Perfect!

>> So, let's see how it fits.

>> Maybe the hummingbirds will come and land on it.

>> I know, right?

Right?

So, here you go.

Here's a cocktail.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Cheers!

>> Cheers!

>> A pleasure.

>> What do you think?

>> It's very refreshing.

>> I know, right?

>> Delicious.

>> It kind of has a sweet, little... >> Summertime feel.

>> ...summertime feel.

I hope you've enjoyed our flight of fancy with birds and flowers and that you've been inspired to spread your own wings and enjoy flowers in your life, too.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

These birds... >> Yes.

>> ...led to a big exposure for you because the White House contacted you to make birds for their Christmas trees.

>> I got an e-mail asking me if I'd be interested in making some tree toppers for the White House Christmas.

And to tell you the truth, J, when I got that e-mail, I had only had Internet for about two months to my house.

So, when I had an e-mail that said, "Would you be interested in making pieces for the White House?"

is this a joke?

You know, who's sending me a joke?

But I answered the e-mail.

They said they would like some tree toppers made -- peacocks specifically, natural material -- and then they asked me if I'd make a dove for the military tree.

>> Wow.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> Visit J's website, ubloom.com, for flower projects and crafts, complete recipes, behind-the-scenes videos, J's blog, flower cocktails, and more.

"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... >> That flower feeling.

At home.

At work.

Or anytime.

CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom," where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... Dollar Tree.

Closed-caption funding provided by Holland America Flowers.