This phrase from Shakespeare describes just how I feel about this time of year. Nature is bursting with color and life: flowers that we won’t see again for a year are in full bloom – ranunculus, delphinium, peonies, and foxglove – and we can truly enjoy them. I hope you’re enjoying these fleeting days of great spring beauty. Today’s post was a happy whim; usually when I go to the floral wholesalers I‘m on a mission with a list of […]
Recently I planned a farewell lunch for a good friend of mine who was moving to Europe. The RSVPs were in, the caterers lined up, the silver polished, the menu and place cards already on the table, and buckets of flowers waited to be arranged. On the morning of the party, the minor precipitation predicted became six inches of a wet, heavy snow surprise that made our street impassable, and most of Washington’s roads treacherous. It doesn’t take much for […]
There’s never a more welcome time to enjoy a lush arrangement of flowers than in the dead of winter, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, why not indulge yourself? I’ve been loving the evolution of flower arranging in the last couple of years – flower arrangements are looser, with old-fashioned and exotic blooms (or more prosaic and therefore unexpected), and things are joyously natural and free flowing. This arrangement has many different types of flowers, but only a few […]
There’s something so appealing about a tiny plant, and I must not be the only person who thinks so; every nursery or florist shop seems to be selling these adorable little greens in all their minimalist glory. Maybe it’s a reaction to the post-holiday excess of material goods, maybe it’s because they’re inexpensive, or maybe it’s because it’s an innocent indulgence to enjoy for ourselves. You can put a little plant on your desk or bedside table, near the kitchen […]
What a feast for the senses the flowers and evergreens of Christmas are! This year I’ve been unusually short on time and didn’t have the option of a leisurely comb through the cold rooms of the floral wholesalers. Much of my Christmas flower shopping was done at the grocery store – the apples, cinnamon, and astilbes came from Safeway and Whole Foods! The rosemary wreath was a very thoughtful hostess gift from one of my daughter’s friends. With a little doctoring, these basic ingredients became homey and […]
