Twigery: Where Flowers and Artistic Genius Meet | Carmel, California

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So you have enjoyed a nice stroll down treasure-filled Dolores Street, bought a hat at The Prestige, and had a meal you won’t soon forget at La Bicyclette, and as you turn the corner going towards the ocean, you think you will be taking a short break from beautiful shops and restaurants for a few minutes. Until you come across the beautiful and creative sign that says “Twigery”. A quick sneak peek and you know that something wonderful is going on inside.

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That was my progress when I discovered Twigery last June. Of course I had to take a few photos, and ended up doing so from the door, before walking around the other side, where I found out that photographs were not allowed without prior permission. Alas, I had already taken a few, but promised I would not use them before contacting the owners first. This did not happen until my second visit, and in December actually, when I e-mailed Twigery about my wish to take a few more photos and explaining what they would be used for: this blog post.

These images are a mix of the ones I took back in June, and the ones from this past December. Just below you see the same view, first in summer theme, then in Holiday theme.

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Twigery is the love child of Michael Merritt and his wife Cheryl, who graciously welcomed me even though they were very busy preparing for a large event. I stayed just long enough to take a few more photos, moving around carefully as I was surrounded by a riot of flowers, some already arranged and some waiting to become part of one of Michael’s exquisite and inventive compositions.

Michael is seriously talented, and quite renowned in the world of floral art for his vision and his mastery. His are not just flower compositions, they are art, unique and extraordinary. Michael’s talent has taken him all over the world, and has now found a base in his beautiful shop in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea.

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In the fifteen minutes I was there I understood why they are strict about photography. In that short amount of time, at least two people walked in, oo-hing and aa-hing over everything, sounding very much like they knew what they were looking at (beyond the beauty of it), and asking if they could take photos with their phone. When the request was kindly, but firmly denied, I remember one of them saying, loud and clear: “Oh, it’s all right! I will still remember this when I get back to Tennessee!” Michael’s assistants and I looked at each other knowing exactly what that was all about.

But can you blame them? By them I mean the competitors who see this and can’t help but be wowed by the artistry. As you can see it is not just expressed in the compositions, but also in the way the shop is styled, even in a busy moment like this. I captured mostly overviews, and then asked which arrangements I could photograph, carefully avoiding the most unusual ones. I also promised I would wait at least a week before publishing them. I certainly made good on that promise given that it’s now been about six weeks.

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You can view more of Michael’s exquisite work on the Twigery website, where you will also find out more about him and Cheryl, and the work they do.

And isn’t this the cutest vintage Citroën 2CV you have ever seen? It looks like a Charleston model.

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TWIGERY

2N on Seventh Avenue btw. Dolores & Lincoln Sts. – Carmel-by-the-Sea, Ca 93921   |   ph. (831) 626-8944   |   website

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If you are enjoying exploring lovely Carmel-by-the-Sea, here are a few more posts for you:

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