A Seasonal Palette

Week 23, as we revisit the 10-year anniversary of the book Slow Flowers

Week 22 of the new Slow Flowers book project
Similar to the 2013 floral palette on which this arrangement is based, the palette is silver, pale lavender (mauve) and white botanicals paired with one intensely-hued bloom. Whereas I used hot-pink peonies in the earlier design, I’m using the melon-colored ‘Lady of Shalott’ rose this time around.

This design is loosely inspired by my 2013 “Joyeux Anniversaire” arrangement, which I created for a friend’s birthday. I called it a “soft and feminine gathering of blooms,” and used a vintage butter-yellow Wedgwood Jasperware trumpet vase to create a lasting gift.

2013 Joyeux Anniversaire from the Slow Flowers Journal book
2013 Joyeux Anniversaire from the Slow Flowers Journal book

So the vase is no longer in my possession, but I started with a vintage creamware vase, a favorite that I used last month for “First Peonies of the Season,” to show off peonies, allium and ladies mantle (Week 20).

A juicy palette
Love this juicy palette, especially the combination of mauve with melon hues.

There were lots of swaps, but I’m really happy with the 2023 version, still quite soft and feminine — and seasonally-inspired. Here’s what I traded out based on the original recipe:

Peonies
The white ‘Elsa Sass’ peonies are tucked into the front of this design. I’m excited for them to open and will add a photograph to show you in a few days’ time.

2 ‘Elsa Sass’ white peonies in bud from the #slowflowerscuttinggarden replace 5 stems of hot-pink peonies (variety unknown), harvested from my former Seward Park (Seattle) garden. *Note, this is the plant’s third season and first time I’ve ever cut stems of ‘Elsa Sass’, which grows from roots purchased from Slow Flowers member Mountain Flower Farm. In the online description, owner Walt Krukowski describes ‘Elsa Sass’ as one of the latest of his late-season bloomers and highly fragrant. I am so happy I have this in my garden and plant will only produce more blooms in the future.

3-4 stems of mauve Delphinium (grown by Free Range Flowers for Seattle Wholesale Growers Market) replace 5 stems of late-blooming lilac from my former garden.

5 stems of white bachelor’s buttons (California grown for Seattle Wholesale Growers Market) replace 5 stems of Centaurea cyanus harvested from my former garden.

3 stems of ‘Lady of Shalott’ David Austin garden roses from the #slowflowerscuttinggarden replace 3 stems of ‘Supergreen’ hybrid tea roses, grown by Peterkort Roses and no longer available (Sandra Peterkort Laubenthal told me they have discontinued growing this variety).

6 stems of white Camassia Camas Lily (grown by Field to Heart for Seattle Wholesale Growers Market)  replace 6 stems of Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum nutans).

6 stems each Dusty Miller and Lamb’s Ear are repeated from 2013.

NEW: I also added 3 stems of mock orange in bloom (Philadelphus lewisii), a rather young shrub in the #slowflowerscuttinggarden. The branches lend line, height, and texture to the design.


A bonus design from the leftovers

A bonus arrangement using this week's leftovers
A bonus arrangement using this week’s leftovers

Most of the elements in this low footed bowl design were leftovers from the arrangement show at the top of this post. I did add goodies from the #slowflowerscuttinggarden to punch it up: 2 Allium Giant Christophii grown from bulbs I ordered from Longfield Gardens and four stems of Dianthus carthusianorum, a quirky dianthus gifted to me from Gillian Mathews. I’m pretty sure she brought the seeds home from a UK Garden tour and grew starts for all her friends. Lucky me!

Debra Prinzing

Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for American-grown flowers. Through her many Slow Flowers-branded projects, she has convened a national conversation that encourages consumers and professionals alike to make conscious choices about their floral purchases. Debra is the producer of SlowFlowers.com, the weekly "Slow Flowers Podcast" and the American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4) campaign. Debra is author of 11 books, including Slow Flowers (2013), The 50 Mile Bouquet (2012) and Slow Flowers Journal (2020). She is the co-founder of BLOOM Imprint, the boutique publishing arm of Slow Flowers.

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Slow Flowers Journal is brought to you by SlowFlowers.com. Slow Flowers is an award-winning online directory created to help consumers find florists, studio designers, wedding and event planners, supermarket flower departments and flower farmers that supply American grown flowers. Founded in 2014, the site has grown to 850 members across the U.S.

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