A Proper Arrangement

Ahhhhhhhhhhh....... Spring is truly here!  The gardens are in bloom, busy birds chirp from branch to branch, and a fresh color palette rises from the earth as all watch in wide-eyed wonder.

 My green thumb is inspired by my mother's and grandmother's gardens where height and texture variations created a natural canvas that kept admirers oohing and ahhing, begging to pick a few blooms, me included.  I think they both new that a childhood me + a pair of garden scissors = total deforestation.  Patience would have to be learned first. 

One of my favorite floral traditions is the flower frog.  My grandmother introduced me to these glass wonders when I was a little girl; when it became obvious that my wee hands could not be kept out of the garden. 

My grandmother's home was (and still is) formal, as were her gardens.  Cutting flowers would be a precise task with a specific end. The reward would be a table centerpiece fit for a proper ladies' luncheon.  So with scissors in hand I was allowed to snip prized blooms to fit in the flower frog.  I would spend hours in the garden, visiting ladybugs, and making the final cuts. Back inside, my Grandmother was selecting a fine crystal bowl for the finished frog. Once the bouquet was arranged and set in the bowl, my work was given a place of honor at the center of the dining room table.  We would then sit with our lunch, note the sun reflecting prisms through the crystal bowl,  and admire my work.

Now as a big girl, I fill the frog in much the same way.  Color, color, and more color!  Varying heights for definition, and texture galore!

 I take my time to choose just the right bowl.  Today I am going with a vintage country feel as this bouquet will grace my outside office space.  

 With today promising to be beautiful spring weather in Connecticut, I know both my Grandmother and my mother will be outside tending their gardens.  Perhaps at lunch time, all three of us will be sitting on our patios, admiring the rewards of our patience.

 

LOVE  &  GARDEN TRADITIONS

 

 

 

Playing In The Dirt

One is never too old to play in the dirt.  In fact, as we get older we hone our dirt playing skills into the fine art of gardening where we play with the hands-on wonder of a child.  Mounds are palm-sanded to smooth perfection, dirty kneecaps prevail, and colors are chosen like crayons from a fresh box.  Yes, playing in the dirt is good for us.  Every gardener knows this.  And the unspoken truth is that much more than we tend our gardens, our gardens tend to us.

Unfortunately, my body doesn't always support my child-like ambitions and much of spring's garden prep work usually leaves me in a head to toe Thermacare body wrap.  But this weekend I was blessed to have two helpers with strong backs to do all my heavy lifting, weeding and mulching.  It was the best gift ever!

  All that remained was the task of setting the flowers in place. 

Having lived in this house for a full year now, the first year plants have secured their roots and have filled in the backdrop.  I added daisies, zinnias, and vinca for color pops.  In between, coriander has exploded everywhere!  Peppers, crepe myrtle, and grapefruit tree seedlings have also been carefully transferred to sun themselves in well fed pots.

You'll have to check back to see what that spider-ish looking thing grows into.  I am constantly collecting seeds and chucking them into the winter garden to see what will take root and offer me a spring surprise. I am hoping it is from the seed pods I gathered back home in Connecticut last fall. 

 

LOVE  & SOUL TENDING