Week 50, as we revisit the 10-year anniversary of the book Slow Flowers
In 2011-2012, the time span covering my creation of weekly floral designs that St. Lynn’s Press eventually compiled into a 2013 book called Slow Flowers, my acquisition of vintage American pottery was habitual. My friend and garden design muse, Jean Zaputil, and I went to the monthly Second Saturdays sales at Seattle’s Magnussen Park, the best flea market I’ve attended!
Every single month, I found a bargain on pottery and vessels, including the robin’s egg blue-glazed McCoy urn you see here. I distinctly recall paying $50 for it – a big purchase as I tried to keep my vase budget under $20. But in the 12 years since I brought this gem home, it has been a constant source of appreciation for the craftsmanship and details of a now-lost U.S. pottery maker. Similar vases on Etsy are now priced between $100-$220, so these are still quite collectible.
The text from my 2013 design brings back memories! I had forgotten that the blue-green conifers were mostly gathered from the driveway after a storm; and that I had clipped some ivy that hung over the fence from our neighbor’s yard. I also had forgotten that Nicole Cordier, then manager of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, had gifted me a bunch of raspberry pink ‘Rio Negro’ hybrid Oriental lilies.
This floral palette of dark pink and teal is a modern twist on holiday red-and-green, just as festive and definitely a reminder of the gifts of nature.
Slow Flowers, 2013
For December 2023, the “new” version of this arrangement includes almost the same elements. I foraged downed branches of Douglas fir; used camellia branches and Western red cedar from the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market; clipped ivy hanging over the neighbor’s fence (and mind you, we’re living in a completely different neighborhood these days!); and was lucky enough to grab one bunch of Peterkort Roses‘ stunning greenhouse lilies at SWGMC. These are classic ‘Stargazer’ lilies, fragrant and elegant.
