Week 39, as we revisit the 10-year anniversary of the book Slow Flowers
There is a common language between my 2023 floral arrangement and the original 2013 design in a chapter called “Rhythm in Glass,” including:
(Then) pale apricot snapdragons, grown by Everyday Flowers and (Now) peach stock, California
(Then) dark maroon chocolate cosmos, grown by Marigold & Mint and (now) dark maroon chocolate cosmos, grown by Sonshine Farm and chocolate dahlias from the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
(Then) pink-plumed celosia, grown by Charles Little & Co. and (Now) apricot celosia, grown by Free Range Flowers
(Then) finely-textured geranium foliage, grown by Charles Little & Co. and (Now) large-leaf scented geranium foliage, grown by Field to Heart, and finely-scented geranium foliage from the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden.
(Now) Additions:
Limelight Hydrangea, grown by Jello Mold Farm and Sonshine Farm
Trailing Amaranth (coral), grown by Free Range Flowers
Yarrow (peach), grown by Diamond Day Bouquet
Dahlias (orange), grown by Salty Acres Farm and Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
VASE Details:
In 2012, I knew the publicist for New York glass artist Tracy Glover. When she asked if I wanted to create a bouquet to pair with one of her vessels, I selected her “Licorice Stick” design with ribbon-like bands of glass. The upright arrangement featured botanical ingredients that complemented the 8-inch tall x 4-inch diamter hand-blown glassware (sadly, I had to ship the vase back to the studio when I finished).
This time around, I was inspired by the work of another special artisan: Karra Wise. Seattle-based, Karra is the potter who we commissioned to create 32 one-of-a-kind vessels for students of this past weekend’s floral design intensive with British floral artist Shane Connolly. Karra attended the workshop as my guest and she shared with the students how she created each of the approximately 6-inch tall x 4-inch diameter hand-built vases using the coil method. Karra’s glazes are reclaimed from earlier projects’ leftover glazes, so each of the naturally-glazed vessels had a surprising interior color: teal, sage, and other earthy hues.
It was a delight to design in Karra’s vase, using Shane Connolly’s natural, botanically-inspired approach to floral design. With all locally-grown and foraged ingredients, it was an amazing workshop and unparalleled immersion in seasonal design and art.
