The Twigery sign arrives!

Well, we are ecstatic that our sign has finally arrived. We have been working on the sign since we opened, so this is a special day.

We feel like we received an early Christmas gift!

HO! HO! HO! Or maybe it should AHA!!

Trick or Treat at Twigery!

What a delight we have at Twigery. We have all walks of life as clients at Twigery.

We were graced with six golden retrievers for a look-see and treats!

Dad and his five pups, of course with their masters, were out for a stroll around Carmel-by-the-Sea and had to stop in to see us. Dad is eight years old and his pups are four to five years old.

Being that Halloween is just around the corner, this was a “trick or treat” moment!

Designing for the Carmel Garden Club

Last Thursday, I made a presentation to the Carmel Garden Club. They are a dedicated group of garden lovers!


I created several designs while I entertained the ladies with floral humor.

Ready for Halloween…an easy design that whips together in minutes!

Here is a leaf cornucopia ready for the bountiful harvest for your Thanksgiving dinner.

After the demonstration they raffled the designs to the enthusiastic winners. Just a great afternoon here in Carmel!

Flood at Twigery!

It's not all roses at Twigery!


Last week was very eventful. All of us in California experienced a massive rain and windstorm that we have not seen since the 1960’s.

At Twigery, there was additional excitement. We had a flood in the studio. While most of the businesses in Carmel-by-the-Sea did not have electricity and were closed, we had light, but wet floors. What a mess, but we prevailed and stayed open through it all.

We are back in full swing, however, and look forward to you stopping by to say hello!

Oasis and the environment

Michael has always been conscious of how creating his designs impacts the world in which we all live. Carmel-by-the-Sea is a special place to all of us, and using environmentally-friendly materials is important to maintaining the pristine nature of the area.

We are often asked about our floral foam, a product known commonly as "oasis" since it is manufactured by the Smithers-Oasis company in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Several of our customers recently inquired as to the environmental viability of the oasis foam.

Michael is a floral designer, not a chemist, but he wanted to give you all a real answer. Where better than the people that make the stuff? We called Smithers-Oasis and they directed us to their website - they have posted an Environmental Statement.

Some of the pertinent facts from that statement:

- "Our floral foam is based on inert phenolic resin technology, the same chemistry that is used for the handles of kitchen cook ware. Our resin, when made into our cellular floral foam, is fully polymerized and reacted, with only small traces of free acid (much lower than that of cola beverage products), which may be neutralized by adding water."

- "In 1981, as part of our commitment to being an accountable, socially and environmentally responsible company, Smithers-Oasis was the first in our industry to eliminate the use of freon from floral foam production. Moreover, we've successfully reduced our volatile organic compound emissions (VOCs) by more than 85 percent over the past 25 years."

- "Our post-harvest products are specially formulated to maintain an optimal environment for cut flowers by adjusting the water pH for maximum uptake, providing a source of energy for the flower, and keeping the flower stems open and free flowing."

Michael is monitoring this closely. If he feels that oasis is harmful, he'll find another product.

Carmel Art and Film Festival

Michael was asked to design a centerpiece for the opening event for the annual Carmel Art and Film Festival. The event is to be held at the Sunset Center.


Michael and Cheryl beginning the design:


Michael adding materials:

The finished design:


Delivery in the Twigery "deux cheveau:"



In place at the Sunset Center:

The party is in a few minutes - ready to go in the "deux cheveau:"

Arriving at the event:

The design at the party!

The new ride

We found a great car for the studio - a 1974 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston, more commonly known as a "deux chevaux vapeur" (two steam horses) or just "deux chevaux."

The car has generated a lot of interest - people from all over (including two visitors from Paris today) stop by to ask about it and take pictures. Stop by and see it.