An Embarrassment of Riches

After a project there are sometimes leftover flowers and little bits of this and that. The ones that didn't get chosen because they were too closed, too open, not the right feel,  came in a mixed bouquet and didn't get used, etc. What a problem to have, eh? I guess a lot of businesses have perishable leftovers; leftover cakes, leftover coffee, leftover vegetables......

Here's some recent leftovers. Time to clear out the studio. Given this occasional predicament I've wondered "who needs flowers?" There's a retirement home I've taken leftovers to. They need flowers. And after this project I took some to the Center for Domestic Peace that helps abused women. I figured that either the women or women/men who help the women might need them too. I mean everyone needs flowers, right- the uplift, the beauty, the pause to look and wonder. But really it's so much more than that. A primal ancient relationship between us and them. 

I'm often surrounded by dying flowers. Tulips are particularly interesting to watch as they go from tight bud through fully open, to falling apart; one petal at a time. Buddy thinks so too.

Getting to that Viburnam

Debra Prinzing, author of many books on the "Slow Flower Movement"
http://www.debraprinzing.com/ and organizer of the Floral Design portion of SFLandscape Garden Show doesn't forget  a thing. I had requested green viburnam when she asked for a wish list of flowers from the designers for the floral demos. She ended up cutting them from a garden of the home she was staying at. That gesture was very touching and indicative of the way she remembers the details for everyone. If I hadn't been so nervous and out of body because of the excitement of having a chance to give a talk, I probably would have burst into tears. And then I promptly forgot to use them during my talk, as well as hitting on a few key elements of my presentation. There's a learning curve to a big stage. I've know from singing performances how effective nerves are for pruning your memory away!




So during clean up today, I played around with them a little, along with the rest of the leftovers.

I think tomorrow I'll just put them in a vase all by themselves. After this past weekend seeing so many arrangements felt like eating a great big visual Thanksgiving dinner. Now it's all over and I want is something simple to look at to cleanse the palette. Thanks again, Debra.

Preservative recipe/ Post Landscape Reflections

Still digging out from the flower debris, boxes, newspaper, emails, etc.from yesterday's talk at the SF Landscape Garden Show. Here's the recipe I promised during my talk for a homemade floral preservative I like to use for all flowers and foliage.

1TB vinegar
1TB white sugar
1/4 tsp. bleach
1/2 gallon water
Mix and stir to dissolve sugar. This is concentrated. It's handy to keep in a squeeze bottle. I use a teaspoon-tablespoon depending on the size vase. It's not a critical measurement like baking a cake- I mean, a little more, a little less is okay.

There's a commercial product called Hydraflor that professional designers use that's very effective for increasing flower uptake and good if you have a major event and need to keep them going in heat or other more extreme conditions.

 

 

When Jon isn't playing the pedal steel, doing energy audits, or getting with Buddy so excited that he bites him, he can  be enlisted in the floral world and makes pretty cool arrangements too.

A lot to digest. 5 days of demos from the some of best Floral Designers the Bay Area has. I saw two days worth and every speaker had something to contribute in this diverse world of floral design. This was the first class I taught that Jon caught on video. So I kind of winced through it (always aiming for a better presentation) but yep, still thrilled to have been there. The video will make a great learning tool.

Taking to the stage this Sunday morning at 10:30 at the SF Landscape Garden Show!

No, this isn't a store bought bouquet. This is straight from my garden. The tender, bronzy olive green of the leaves is as amazing as the flowers.

http://www.sfgardenshow.com/

How to Make Store-Bought Bouquets Look Great
In this 101 Basics-style demonstration, Maryann Nardo will share her secrets for making store-bought floral bunches look better, more composed, yet natural. She will discuss where supermarket bouquets come from and the local vs. imports sourcing question. Learn how to incorporate botanicals and plants from the garden; choose the best container; design composition tips; and how to care for your arrangement.

It's an honor to be on the schedule along with many top floral designers who continue to inspire me. And a big shout out to Debra Prinzing who put this amazing group of people together. Debra is an author, organizer,and spokesperson who is helping to spearhead the "Slow Flower Movement" to bring flower growing back to this country. She seems to know everyone-everyone and has a great, warm spirit. She's raised the bar for this yearly institution because everything she touches turns out first rate and San Francisco deserves an incredible garden show. There is so much talent here and come on- it's San Francsico (now if only they would raise the bar on their food offerings.... ah well, one mountain at a time, I guess).

    www.debraprinzing.com/

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The Incredible Whiteness of Spring

 

  

I've been thinking lately that if spring could have a sound,it would be soprano; high and  delicate. A note that is not held long but is clear and pure. That's what the flowers of spring remind me of. Spring flowers don't hang around for very long. This white Spirea seems to deteriorate while I look at it. It's fugitive; the flowers on their way to  becoming sturdy leaves.

 And how about that white clematis armandii? Does it have a powerful, sweet scent or what? I have a few flowers by my kitchen sink and the sweet, heavy scent almost knocks me over. Maybe I'm just taking in a floral curative. As I'm interested in all matters related to plants, I was curious what the Bach Flower Company had to say about the clematis. 

Bach flower remedies are extreme dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach believed that dew found on flower petals retain healing properties of that plant. The remedies are intended primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress.

Here's a partial description of what the Bach company has to say about the clematis flower:

"Clematis personalities are extremely creative and imaginative and do well in occupations such as music, fashion design, journalism, and film-making. However, when their creativity cannot be put to good use, they fall into the negative Clematis state - where their energies can take the form of exaggerated romanticism, delusions, and various kinds of eccentricity.


You may recognize a person in need of treatment with this Bach flower therapy by their dreamy look - an unfocused gaze and an attitude of slight confusion. Because they are never fully focused on the present, they have poor memories and little sense of detail. They simply can't take the time to listen well enough to absorb things". 

Yeah, pretty out there, I know. There is so much we don't understand in this rather unexplored world of our relationship to plants. They feed & heal our bodies. They heal and uplift our souls through their beauty. Why not our spirits?

Love to ya'll

 
"River" Usually sepia toned, but rose tinted for Valentine's Day. From a series of paintings on wild orchids from around the world. Watercolor on bamboo.

Pave Class

Here are the beautiful results from this weekend's Pave' Class. Pave's are easy to put together.They look deceptively simple, but sometimes simplicity is as difficult to achieve as complexity. And they can be so varied in the result that I think I've become even more hooked on them. 

One of the arrangements was made by 11 year old Gabriela who came with her grandmother. What a good eye she has. Now if we can only get some men in our class! 

Congratulations all!

We have this thing

Don't know what it's called. Jon remembers it being pulled out for serving holiday meals when he was a kid; maybe holding cranberry sauce and what else? The containers are small and shallow. In the spirit of the upcoming Pave' class I pulled it out from the dark recesses of the closet. You know, the one that holds things that almost never get used.  In the past I've looked at it from time to time and sort of winced at it and slid it back in. Too fussy for my tastes. Those fickle tastes, always changing. I don't know if it will get used for food (hmmm. maybe a barbeque?), but I sure love it as a Pave' container.

I made this pretty fast. The anemones left over from another project were springing open and I wanted to catch them. Taping was fast and it shows. So forgive the craftsmanship this time. I wanted it to get from me to you.

For Alice

Ah Geeze, that sounds a little like the beginning of a eulogy. Sorry about that! No, I just became acquainted with Alice by phone recently. She's sad she can't make it to the Pave' Class coming up soon. So here's some Pave's I made recently to tease all of you into the flower fold and to show Alice.

Yes, a Pave' Class at College of Marin is coming right up!
Pave's are low arrangements of tightly packed flower heads. You've seen them most often made with succulents planted in dirt for a wall hanging or table.These are short flowers heads in water in shallow containers. They are a great little option to have up one's sleeve for a low table, in the bathroom, side table....
There's a long tradition in Europe among other countries for using flowers this way. I found them a little more tricky to make interesting than I expected..Come play with flowers. Who is bringing the chocolate??

Note: Addition to the class: I'm going to do a demo only of a Valentine Pave in a small heart shaped box with tiny flowers in honor of the upcoming festival of love. Then we'll commence making Pave's in the container you brought.



Details:
College of Marin 

Feb. 8
Saturday, 10-2,
Fine Arts Building, Room 314
$68


marin.edu/CommunityEducation/schedule

Click on  PDF 2 Mb  next to the picture of the catalog to view the schedule on under pg. 24 in Home and Garden.  

Click on Community Ed Registration Form to Register

Little Bits

Marin County just had it's driest year on record.  I tend to start holding my breath with this kind of news in anticipation of this continuing dry trend and it's consequences.

80% of California water goes to farming. While there are many conservation efforts made for/by home owners, it seems to be a much more complex matter for farmers. In a sense that's good news, because so much more conservation is possible. 

Some little bits of things from my surrounds. The  tomatoes got clipped in November and stuck in water. They ripened and taste like summer. And my new love this year- grapefruit peels.

And Oh Happy Day! Presenting the newest member in my creative family of tools. It's the smallest 35mm type digital, a Cannon SL1.  It's still in the evaluation stage as we get to know one another, so far it's a joy and hey- it focuses when you want it to. It's a wonder these new cameras don't give birth; they have so many bells and whistles. Luckily you can keep it as simple or go as crazy as you want.