Valentine's Day is coming up. Or Galentine's Day. Or Myselfentine's Day. Or simply, next Wednesday.

And, because of this, I am sure there will be a lot of people looking for a giftie or two for their loved one(s). For some it will be jewels, others a dinner out, and, for others, it'll be the classic bouquet of flowers.

And doesn't it feel good to give a bouquet to someone?!?

For instance, I was invited to a foodie friend's home for a gathering. I decided, along with my wine contribution, to bring her flowers. I hit the local Whole Foods and grabbed a few bundles of floral goodness. Yet, they needed something more. Something that could dress-up the hostess' event, yet be useable once the party had ended.

Knowing that my friend is a lover of all things food, I decided to look to the produce department to fill-in the blanks. I grabbed a stem of brussels sprouts, some chives, and fennel. Anything that was in-season and could be easily chopped and sizzled into a future meal. The WF florist was fantastic, and wrapped the whole bouquet up in such a beautiful way. It was a hit!

I decided to re-create the look just in time for Valentine's Day! If you're looking to pull together a unique bouquet for your love, here's what I did:

I zoomed over to my local Whole Foods, and grabbed a bundle of edible flowers. Good news - Whole Foods flowers aren't hit with all those icky chemical pesticides and fertilizers. For this bouquet, I used a spray of red roses.

Roses are great to add to many culinary delights - from rose honey to rose petal jelly and to one of my favorite ideas, rose petal lip balm (ok, not edible, but doesn't it sound so luxurious?!).

Next stop: the Produce Section. I snapped up some carrots with lush sprays of green on their tops; a bunch of colorful swiss chard;

and one of the most interesting vegetables I have ever laid eyes on - a romanesco.

It is very similar to broccoli or cauliflower, however, it looks like it landed here from another planet! It's mesmerizing. And oh so good for you!

I displayed the flowers and veggies together in a vintage Hoosier Glass vase and took some photos.

Please note: I am by no means a floral artist, and felt like the mom from Six Feet Under when she went to floral arranging classes.

Not. Good.

Yet, once the colors came together, it didn't matter if it was a little off here or there.

And, can we talk about that stunning romanesco again?!

So, don't be afraid of putting something together on your own. Or ask the florist for some pointers!

Happy Valentine's Day and Bon Appetite,

Stacey 

More About Stacey Doyle

I love documenting people, places and food! When I'm not wielding my camera, I love hunting for treasures with the bf at local thrift and antique shops, traveling near and far, enjoying laughs & vino with friends and murder mysteries!

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Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Stacey Doyle | Stacey Doyle Photography