"Each spring my garden inspires me to new designs; my clients are a great source of inspirations as well." Pat told me. "I delight in listening to brides, their preferences, and visions and help them to translate their ideas into reality. I hone my craft, combining their sense of style with my knowledge of flowers, colors and textures - always striving to give my best. My satisfaction is seeing my work so well received and being recommended to friends."

Over coffee we talked about her latest work while I browsed through her portfolios. I loved the colorful topiary balls made from cymbidium orchids, apple-green button mums, and creamy roses and hung from tree branches by gorgeous ribbons next to the ceremony site. There were countless beautiful seasonal bouquets and centerpieces, a self-designed and constructed chuppah, and topiaries, especially built for a wind-prone winery. "So much more goes into wedding design than taste and flower selection. There is the preference of bride, the ambiance she wants to create, the venue, the time of year, to name a few," she explained to me. "I enjoy meeting with clients and working with them to bring their ideas to life."

I have known and respected Pat's work for many years and still find it fresh and exciting. I am not alone in my opinion. Peers and clients love her creativity, her color sense, and her calming personality. Here are some of their remarks: "Pat is a pleasure to work with. Her work is incredibly detailed; she creates gorgeous flower arrangements, and she has probably the best eye for color of every florist I know!" "I knew I could trust her completely, and the arrangements she'd create would be beautiful. I could not have been happier with the way my flowers looked."

For the past twelve years the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco has invited Pat to the "Bouquets to Art" exhibition, which features the work of one hundred noted Bay Area designers and garden clubs. Her latest piece was a depiction from the Japanese print entitled: "Purple Mountain, Crescent Moon." Learn more about this exhibition in Pat's article; follow th linnk under See Also at the left.