Sunday, April 24, 2016

...a home for every bloom...


“Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands.”
~ Japanese Proverb

It’s Virginia Garden Week and as I mentioned yesterday, I traipsed around downtown Ashland. After visiting the gardens and homes on the tour, I headed to the Ashland Cultural Arts Center to (use the restroom) visit the local vendors. I *almost* bought a blueberry bush. In fact, I probably should have asked the vendor to set it aside so that I could run to the bathroom. By the time I returned, the last blueberry bush had sold. I probably do not have the room anyway but still... and I wasn't wasting time in the bathroom. This was me waiting in line. 

I have a ridiculous Facebook photo album titled, “Pictures Taken In Bathrooms” because I have this long (weird) history of taking silly pictures with friends and alone in various bathrooms.

After the blueberry bush was gone, I poked around the table with cut flowers. As I mentioned yesterday, the Ashland Garden Club made these amazing arrangements out of flowers from their own gardens for the houses on the tour. They were stunning. Well, I learned that this table was the leftover flowers that did not get used in the arrangements e.g. oh no! These were the unwanted ones (insert sad face). Each Mason jar filled with flowers was $3. There was only an hour left so the club member was pushing the flowers/encouraging us to buy. I paid for three jars and she tossed in a fourth… which I should point out how challenging it was carrying four full jars of flowers with water a good quarter mile to my car, especially when my nose started to itch. And in true flower style, my black jacket was covered in pollen by the time that I reached my car. I tossed the water for the short trip home, and tucked the jars in a basket in my trunk.

 As soon as I arrived home, I tried my hand at making some floral arrangements using my bat pitcher and red glass vase. I think they turned out great! 

I think these Hellebore/ Lenten Roses might be one of my new favorites. They’re absolutely gorgeous. Also, considering I have four colors of azaleas in my yard, I never once considered cutting them and using them as a cut flower. I asked how the azalea blooms were so large and how each was open. Easy, apparently you have to treat them before displaying them. Simply cut a long stem. Once inside, cut the stem again while holding it under running water. Then place the stem in warm to hot water and leave it overnight. By the next day, the stem will be ready to be placed in a vase with other flowers.

3 comments:

  1. Those are VERY nice arrangements! And I LOOOVVVE the bat pitcher!!!! Not to mention it's perfect with those flowers.

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    1. Thanks! The pitcher was a HomeGoods Halloween find.

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  2. I like that you took the unwanted flowers! They look lovely!

    My parents were some of the first Australians to grow blueberries. They used to even run a business before I was born. I think they still have over fifty plants. I won't go back that far on the property because of leeches.

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