Modesto Garden Club

Some members of the Modesto (California) Garden Club who attended Michael's presentation and demonstation earlier this month sent us some picutres of the event. We thought we would share them with you. (Click on an image for a larger view.)

Michael arrives with the raw materials.

Putting the finished touches on an arrangement.

One of the arrangements.

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!

Twigery and the Cypress Inn

We have been open just a few weeks and are having a wonderful reception by the local community and the tourists du jour. People stop and look at what has transformed in the former interior design studio.



The general manager of the Cypress Inn, Nancy Slade, stopped in and admired the studio. We chatted and Nancy retained us to do weekly arrangements for the Cypress Inn. Also, she has directed her staff to use us exclusively for the hotel and recommendations for their guests. So, I guess, that makes the exclusive florist for the Cypress Inn.


This photo is from the Cypress Inn patio. Walk out, turn left and you're at Twigery!

We are really enjoying ourselves living and working in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. Just living the dream…………

Twigery - Now Open!

Twigery, Michael Merritt (AIFD) Designs is now open in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Michael's newest floral design studio in the the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea on 7th Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln - right next to the Cypress Inn patio.


We will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm, and other times by appointment.

Cheryl and I want to share some photos of the studio. We have a fabulous space inside...



...and a wonderful Zen garden outside!


We look forward to hosting floral design classes along with creating wonderful floral designs for weddings, parties and "just because."


We invite all of you to stop by to say hello when you are in Carmel.

Our new venture

Cheryl and I are really excited about our new venture and want to share it with you. We have just leased the space next to the famed Cypress Inn in Carmel.

We will be located on 7th Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln. Our studio is located on the left just past the Cypress Inn patio.

We have a wonderful courtyard and retail space.

We are also just half a block from the Church of the Wayfarer, located at Lincoln and 7th Avenue.

Our new name will be Twigery...Michael Merritt Designs.

We had always planned to do flowers in Carmel, but thought we would do freelance. However, this space became available, and we could not pass it up. We are working on the inside and look forward to opening in July. We will let you know the progress and when the opening date will be.

Off to work…hi, ho, hi, ho…………..

Spring is here - so is the wedding season

Spring is here and so is the wedding season. Actually, wedding season is anytime during the year. However, spring seems to be the beginning of an era with the blossoms and bulbs making their appearance.

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Love abounds and living in Carmel feels like romance is everywhere from the people to the beauty of the scenery and the flowers in the beautiful gardens.

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Flowers for a wedding take on a whole arena that needs to be addressed from the perspective of the bride and groom’s viewpoint. When talking to a bride I always recommend that she look at pictures of bridal bouquets in the magazines to decide what she likes and dislikes. Visual displays are so helpful in determining what one likes.

I suggest that a bride may like something from one picture and want to incorporate something else she sees from another. That is all possible. The final outcome is to create a personalized bouquet that reflects the bride’s taste and vision. As a designer I have the ability to design the image in a bride’s mind.

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Deciding what flowers to use in a wedding should be determined by what flowers you love and reflect your taste. Your wedding dress will also help determine the style of bouquet that looks best. Flowers are an accent, not the main event. The main event of a wedding is the bride and groom. Our job as floral designers is to compliment and highlight your event.

If I can help assist you in flowers for your wedding, please email me at michael@michaelmerritt.com.