Petal, Twig and Vine

I often wonder...do I love cut flowers and beautiful bouquets because I garden...or do I garden because I love cut flowers and beautiful bouquets?

Earlier this week, I attended a luncheon for which I provided the tables' flowers. A quick lap around the late February garden, pruners in hand, produced some delightful components for these late winter arrangements. 

Inspired by the lovely plum hue of this un-named hellebore, I looked for anything and everything


flower, branch or leaf, that would echo this lovely wine color.

Trailing cuttings of creeping eponymous 'Gaiety', emerging 'Plum Passion' nandina leaves, thin, winding canes of blackberry vine holding on to the very last of their winter-purpled foliage...the grape colored veins of some gorgeous swiss chard leaves

and some on-hand, leftover (but still fresh enough to pilfer) alstroemeria, hypericum berries and willow branches from a previous week's grocery store spray.


I added a few trailing ivy tendrils to spill over the sides of the footed compotes I used as vases...to lovely effect I think.


Then, the final delicate touch to make the whole composition speak to the season...



a few just-opened white flower buds on some blossoming pear tree branches.


Petal, twig and vine.  From the late winter garden.