Debra Prinzing

Get the Email Newsletter!

SLOW FLOWERS: Week 34

Sunday, August 25th, 2013

FRUIT AND FLOWERS

Silver bowl with roses and hydrangeas

Bowls and urns are ideal for low tabletop arrangements. And this vintage silverplate bowl is perfect for summer’s best blooms.

Ingredients:
 
9 stems ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’), grown by Jello Mold Farm
3 stems Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, grown by Oregon Coastal Flowers
7 stems ‘Abraham Darby’, a David Austin English rose grown by Westmont Park Roses
7 stems Zinnia elegans ‘Queen Red Lime’, grown by Jello Mold Farm
7 blades burgundy millet (Setaria viridis), grown by Charles Little & Co.
5 stems thorn-free blackberries (Rubus fruticosus), grown by Charles Little & Co.
5 stems Vitex agnus-castus, grown by Charles Little & Co.
 
Vase:
7-inch tall x 8-inch diameter vintage Gorham silver plate bowl
 
Beauty is in the details here.

Beauty is in the details here.

Seasonal Choices

Pretty enough to eat: Adding fruit and vegetables to a floral arrangement is a technique as old as the still-life paintings of the 17th century Dutch Masters.
 
The practice has returned and floral designers are harvesting all sorts of edibles from their kitchen gardens and farmers’ market stalls. In addition to the yummy blackberries used here, other delicious ingredients can include Alpine strawberries, unripe plums or crab apple fruit on the branch, cherry tomatoes on the vine, colorful Easter egg radishes and bright orange kumquat fruit (insert a wooden pick for easy placement). In general, it’s best to use unripe fruit or vegetables, so they last as long as the flowers.

 

SLOW FLOWERS: Week 33

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

SUMMER CONFECTIONS

Yellow Vase with local flowers

The stars of this arrangement are the alluring ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnias.

Ingredients:
5 stems Zinnia elegans ‘Queen Red Lime’, grown by Jello Mold Farm
5 stems Dahlia ‘Rebecca Lynn’ in flower and bud, grown by Jello Mold Farm
4 stems Sedum ‘Green Expectations’, grown by Jello Mold Farm
7 blades green millet (Setaria viridis), grown by Jello Mold Farm
5 stems golden ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Luteus’), grown by Jello Mold Farm
 
Vase:
8-inch tall x 5-inch diameter fluted vase by artist Frances Palmer
 
Potter, artist and flower-grower, Frances Palmer created this yummy buttercream vase.

Potter, artist and flower-grower, Frances Palmer created this yummy buttercream vase.

Design 101

A very special vase: I was first introduced to the work of Frances Palmer when Stephen Orr profiled the American potter and her Connecticut cutting garden in Tomorrow’s Gardens. Then Frances appeared on Martha Stewart’s television show, where she discussed how she creates her exquisite one-of-a-kind vessels and dinnerware, including vases for the flowers she grows. Her delightful pottery style – classical with a touch of whimsy – is a floral designer’s dream come true.
 
Naturally, I set my sights on acquiring one of Frances’s pieces. For the vase-lover on a budget, her Pearl Collection reflects the artist’s signature style at everyday prices. I chose this fluted vase because of the generous diameter of its opening (nearly 5 inches). And to me, this butter-yellow glaze is a perfect foil for all sorts of flowers, but especially the zinnias and dahlias.