Along for the ride:

Monday, June 17, 2013

Forwards, Backwards, Sideways


My garden is in an "in-between" phase. Sweet-peas are waning. My flashy, lipstick-colored Gladioli have had some early glory, and been burned by a quick heat wave. Their apricot and cream clothed cousins are just unfurling their ruffles. Dahlias are beginning to loosen their tight buds, but not enough yet for anyone but me to know their colors, which are cataloged in my plant memory-banks.
There are nasturtiums and geraniums and Persian, night-blooming jasmine but I didn't think I had enough cutting specimens to make a bouquet to take to a friend who had invited us to lunch on Sunday.
But wait! Behind the jasmine, out of sight, I  have a small and isolated herd of bi-color sweet-peas, pretending to be butterflies as they bob around in the breeze. That's a start.
Fuchsia, begonia and petunia are not for cutting but make a glowing oasis of color in the shade.
I scavenged around and came up with enough blooms to fill a vase, after all. From this angle it looks quite formal, with skyscraper gladioli for verticality and rotund hydrangea for foundation volume. When delivering flowers to an Artist, best have a design theory to present along with:)
Rosemary, snap-dragons, sweet-peas and jasmine fill in the gaps between the building blocks.
The back of the bouquet has a separate identity entirely, a wild-child cluster of chaos which is my favorite aspect.
I don't often cut flowers for myself. I enjoy my garden immensely and don't feel the need to bring it indoors. I do love having flowers to cut and take to friends. This bouquet traveled a hundred miles to its destination, seat-belted upright into the back seat in the vase.

13 comments:

  1. Beautiful. I've heard it said that the Earth laughs flowers. I think this must be true.

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    1. Stephen, That's a lovely thought. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Gorgeous. I do hope these flowers cheered your friend.

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    1. e, Thanks. She moved the fake flower arrangement from the center of the table. She was smiling.

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  3. I wondered where summer has disappeared to. Now I know it's at your place!

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    1. Martin, temps have been quite moderate so far, except for a few days. We're lucky, I know.

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  4. Where exactly do you live to have all that wonderful colour? Here, everythng's wet and green green green... :(

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    1. Frances, Northern California, but south of the San Francisco fog belt. The one downside is that it's really too hot in the afternoon for enjoyable riding. I can't give up my time slot though, so I often sweat a lesson with 90 degree sun on my back.

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    2. Come and ride with me, ER! It hasn't been too hot for a loooong time!

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  5. The gladioli remind of of my parents. My Dad always gave my Mother a bouquet of them for their January 1 wedding anniversary.

    And my Dad always great an abundance of them and other flowers in his garden. He was a flower master. I did not inherit his talent.

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  6. Gorgeous flowers :D
    You have just reminded my that I have some good wildflowers shots to post.... Sad to say I haven't started gardening here, I suppose its because we're in a rented house

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  7. I don't cut flowers for myself either....but it's a delight to be able to give them to friends.
    That looked spectacular.

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  8. Beautiful splurge of colour ! Summer in a vase .
    ( And how lovely to give them already arranged and ready to enjoy . )

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