I have been asked by an old friend of the family-Plus it's a family that's very up there and I could land a lot of jobs off of this one! And to make the pressure really on, one of the SIL thats going to be at the party is my 3 grade teacher...I haven't seen in 40 years
Anyway I need to make a birthday cake for the mother who will be 86 and loves gardening and has to feed 30, and next SAT.
They really don't know what fondant is, so I hate to cover the cakes in fondant for there first one, but as accents no problem. She wants fancy, and yet has giving me fun run...I keep thinking I want stacked cakes, maybe a square 10 bottom and then on top of that I'm having problems.
I have be between making 3 clay pots,gadening gloves and seed packets, and how do I decorate the bottom 1o"...
or the oval box with the lid and have flowers coming out of the box,.. Please HELP, i'd like to hear your thoughts or ideas...
I can't even sleep over this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you do it with the pots maybe you can decrate the bottom tier like its the ground. You know grass and dirt maybe some gumpaste floweres and leaves. I also like the oval box idea, but i think what you have going with the gloves and seeds would be super cute. you said she wants fancy so did they actualy asks for a garden cake? Maybe you could stack and decorate some cakes really prettty and add some of her favorite flowers, anytime I hear fancy i think luster dust with pearls and light colors. I hope Ive helped

That's where I'm confused too.
I know the mother (86) Is an old farm girl, I really think they are putting me to the test to see what I create...
They have a party in june for 200, and then another wedding in sept and its always something. They now use a really classy bakery here. I just started doing this, so thats how I got asked.....
I think pearl dust and that stuff also....But pearls and white gloves don't go with gardening...
Thats too when I thought make the bottom look like a gift box and have the pots and stuff look like gifts inside..but I don't know how I'd do that either, unless I used a bigger cake on bottom. unless I just make the pot heads ( rims) with the flowers and then gloves etc...make like tissue paper in there too....

but could the box be in BC and still look like a box and the lid be fondant?

You could make a lovely flower garden & on the top tier you could make a gazebo out of sugarpaste/gumpaste with a small bench inside, lying on the bench could be gardening gloves etc. or you could just have a bench on the top tier with a lady sitting on it, enjoying her beautiful garden

I am a little worried about the rim on the flower pot if the sides are BC???
but I'm still think of myself as a beginner...

you could do two stacked flower pots like the one in the tutorial here:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article46-Step-By-Step-3D-Cake-Sculpting-Baby-in-a-Flower-Pot.html

also, I like the cakes that are the little garden with the white picket fence (and of, course I can't find the darn photo right now...)

and one other thought...
I did a garden themed stacked cake for C3. I'm sure you could come up with something better, but I liked how it came out...
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=358413

here's another one similar to what you mentioned
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=47867

i love the flower pots stacked...

Do you think that If I made the flower pots I could use the Rolled Buttercream instead of the fondant on the pots...Taste would be soooo much better...

Ive never tried rolled BC, but my family loves fondant. Have you ever tried making your own? Its delicious, there are quite a few recipes on CC for it. I use Toba Garrett's recipe but I've read that Michelle Fosters is delicious as well.

I just love this flour pot cake:
http://www.jacquespastries.com/wed18f.htm

I did one recently for an elderly lady (was going to a family reunion) and I used 2-12x18's stacked for the base and 2-6"ovals on top with basket weave. If you are really not wanting to use fondant the basketweave would give you that "floral" feel. I am sure you could do better on the decorating than I did, but you are welcome to take a look at it for some starter ideas. HTH!

Kim

<...I really think they are putting me to the test to see what I create...They have a party in june for 200, and then another wedding in sept and its always something. They now use a really classy bakery here...>

You have got to put aside all thoughts of 'putting me to the test' for now!
Concentrate on *this* order and do you most awesome best!!
Yes, any possible future orders will always be in the back of your mind, but......focus on the here and now so you can do the most perfect job possible now
What wonderful ideas you have been given here. Make up your mind which one you can do *and do well* and get started NOW