52 Weeks of Local Flowers Archives - Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing

SLOW FLOWERS: Week 51

Sunday, December 22nd, 2013

THE ALLURE OF AMARYLLIS

‘Joker’, a red-streaked amaryllis – perfect for a long-lasting holiday display

Ingredients:

2 amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum ‘Joker’), available via mail order, online and garden centers beginning in autumn. Store in a dry, cool space until planting. Can be planted and “forced” four to six weeks prior to desired bloom.

Vase:

8-inch tall x 8-inch diameter glass trifle dish used as a bulb planter

Design 101

Better than a flower pot: I realize it’s a little unconventional to fill a clear glass trifle dish with soil. But the elegant footed serving piece seems fitting for the graceful amaryllis plants it holds. Glass and ceramic serving pieces can quickly change the ordinary flowering bulb into a stylish floral display. I snagged this piece for $14 at a holiday flea market – and as a bonus, it was actually filled with the slightly faded Christmas balls!

Posted in American Grown, Blog Posts, Creativity, floral design, General, Plants, Slow Flowers: 52 Weeks, Writing | No Comments »

SLOW FLOWERS: Week 50

Sunday, December 15th, 2013

ILEX BERRIES AND PAPER WHITES

One must maintain a little bit of summer,
even in the middle of winter.
–Henry David Thoreau

Welcome to the Holiday Season, when flowers are less likely to originate – at least in my garden. This festive combination is a great option.

Ingredients:

5 paper white bulbs (Narcissus papyraceus), available at many garden centers beginning in autumn. I like to plant pots of these bulbs indoors around Thanksgiving so that their blooms (and scent) fill the house by the December holidays.

20 stems scented geranium foliage (Pelargonium citrosum), grown by Charles Little & Co.

10 stems winter berry (Ilex verticillata), grown by Charles Little & Co.

This is how all three ingredients appear together in a low tray.

Vase:

2½-inch deep x 6 inch diameter ceramic dish used as a bulb planter (this one has no drainage, so I watered sparingly)

2½-inch deep x 13-inch long x 9½-inch wide oval tray (wicker with a metal lining)

Eco-technique

Divided arrangements: When the ingredients in your bouquet have different requirements, you can devise a two-sectioned vessel. Here, the bulbs needed a small amount of soil, but the cut foliage and branches needed only fresh water.

The solution was to place a dish with the planted bulbs in the center of the wicker tray. Then, I arranged the ingredients needing water around its edges, making sure to keep the water level lower than the rim of the center dish.

Posted in American Grown, Blog Posts, Creativity, floral design, Gardening, General, Plants, Slow Flowers: 52 Weeks, Writing | No Comments »