Week 23, as we revisit the 10-year anniversary of the book Slow Flowers
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.
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).
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:
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
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!
