Little Sneak Peak at Summer

Summer bouquet of wild garden roses picked from our own bushes, corn flowers, phlox and silver dollars.

The Democratic Eyes of Fashion

Just came from watching the film "Bill Cunningham New York" a documentary by Richard Press about the legendary man on a bike that signals trends and fashion insights before the editors have had a chance to consider.

My personal rules on when to clap at the end of a film.

1. When the film makers or subjects are in the movie house
2. At a premier screening
3. When it's about a New York personality who could be discreetly sitting in the audience and either they or the film merit an applause

I have always admired the inspirational Bill Cunningham- the world's democratic eye for style and self expression. Seeing him race around town while I was a student at Parson's, or discreetly meandering through the crowds at fashion week or buzzing through the bluebloods at the galas for the past 25 years has always given me a thrill, like spotting an endangered species or a rare bird.
Once I had the great thrill and honor of speaking with him briefly when he was fact checking a photograph he had taken of a tabletop I designed for the NY Horticultural Society Gala. When I hung up I found myself skipping around cloud 9 for days!!!! Alas!!!! Something I made was shot and would be featured in a Bill Cunnigham spread!!!!!!. I'm not fashionable enough to make onto his film but my designs are! Yes!!!This particular smile lingered for a while!
A feeling many of his subjects have undoubtedly shared.
Enough about me and that little tiny thumbnail image that made it into his article, more about him and the film that reveals the darling human being that he is and the commitment he has for his "play"- not work as he says! I love you Bill!!!!! Marvelous Bill!!!!!

"I just try to play a straight game and in New York that's very.....almost impossible. To be an artist and straight in New york that's like Don Quixote fighting windmills. Shut up Cunningham! Lets get this thing on the road! Get up and work!"

...........Bill Cunningham

APPLAUSE

Flower School 06 Winter Aconite

The Winter Aconite Fairy published in London by Blackie,
1944 in Flower Fairies of the Garden

Lithograph Familiar Wild Flowers (circa 1890)

by Frederick Edward Hulme

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

A tuberous perrenial and an early Spring bloomer who likes moist soil and will be amongst the first show of color( bright orange/yellow) at the break of winter- often seen bursting through mounds of snow. Great for bringing a bright spot to a mossy ground cover as it grows on short stems 2-3" with lovely buttercup shaped blossoms and bright green ruffled collars (bracts). Sweetly paired with other early bloomers like snowdrops and primrose. May easily be divided to form new colonies once the bloom has faded. Simply dig up the tuber, wash, divide and replant to settle into new parts of the garden. Not commonly used for cut flowers but if you want to introduce it into a bridal bouquet a longer stemmed variety(E. tubergenni) could facilitate this purpose better. The blossoms can be wired by applying a wet cotton swab to the stem's ends and sealing with floral tape- a tedious job but possible and rewarding for it's originality. It's lifespan will be limited so be sure to wire directly prior to delivery for this special occasion.

Your Individuality Makes You Beautiful

The Curious Case of the Four Legged Chick

Chick's head is a sunflower, calla lilly and button mum bouquet
featured in Town and Country Weddings this month.

Martin Johnson Heade

Tropical Landscape With Ten Hummingbirds 1870

letter to Sarita Brady

My photo-editing "exacto-blade" impulse is comletely thrown out the window with the works of Martin Johnson Heade! You can see his "complete" works. I say"complete" because his works are still found in the oddest places around America including rummage sales. Many accounts of people buying his works for a few dollars then reselling for hundreds of thousands keep occuring due to the fact that he often sold his paintings to the middle classes. If I found one of these gems I'd never part with it! But then again you can always order reproductions from China (make sure get the size right). His romanticism not only shows in his work but in his writings. Above is a letter from him to Sarita Brady. Why don't men like this exist today? And if they do, why aren't they straight! I guess it wouldn't matter, he'd charm me without the need of removing said pants.

Flower Symbolism

photo by: Hannah Davis

In the late 19th, early 20th century there was a revival of the use of symbolic meanings of plants and flowers. Nature seemed to be a forest of symbols, and flowers were saturated with deeper meanings.

Jewelry was often imbued with the meanings of the times. The romantic facet of ivy is based upon its tendrils which attach itself to a wall, a gold necklace made of ivy might be given to a coutesan while saying,

"Je m'attache ou je meurs" which (freely) translates to "I will cling to you or I will die"....

During the Renaissance, nature was viewed as a reflection of the divine. Botanical symbolism was included in much of the religious art of the day and medieval gardens were often created with both symbolic and spiritual meanings. In the late Middle Ages, depictions of the Virgin Mary in an idealized garden were common in Flemish and German paintings. The flowers in these gardens symbolized Mary’s virtues and significant events in her life. Some churches began creating actual gardens devoted to Mother Mary for worshipers to visit for meditation and prayer. Flowers that could be grown in such “Mary Gardens” included the following: Christmas rose-purported to have flowered on Christmas Day; daisy-symbolic of purity and simplicity; iris-the blade shaped foliage denoting the sorrows that ‘pierced her heart’; lady’s mantle-likened to a cloak for the Blessed Virgin; lily-associated with the annunciation of the birth of Jesus by the angel Gabriel; marigold-’Mary’s Gold’, golden gifts offered to the Virgin by the poor. Although the legendary associations and religious meanings of flowers have existed for centuries, the specific symbolic meaning of particular flowers to represent emotions was developed to a high degree during Victorian times. Due to the strict protocol of the times, emotions, wishes and thoughts were not openly expressed between men and women. Instead, an elaborate language based on flower meanings was developed. Both gifts of single flowers and bouquets conveyed clear messages to the recipient. With the increasing complexity of the language of flowers, handbooks were written to guide the understanding of flower meanings. The first book written on the subject in modern times was Le Language des Fleurs by Madame Charlotte de la Tour in 1819. The most popular book on the subject, which remains a prominent resource today, is Kate Greenaway’s Language of Flowers (1884).
Flowers are still used today to convey feelings in a more general way. Modern flower meanings include the following: bluebells-symbolic of humility and gratitude; foxglove-symbolic of both healing and insincerity; lupines-symbolic of the imagination; marigolds-symbolic of passion and creativity; poppies-symbolic of beauty, magic, and eternal life; sweet peas-symbolic of bliss and delicate pleasure; zinnias-thoughts of absent friends, lasting affection and constancy.

An extensive list can be found on Wikipedia "Symbolic Meaning of Flowers"
and
Flowers Symbolism List from Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, compiled by Nugent Robinson. P.F. Collier, 1882

Flower School 05 Acidanthera bicolor

photo by Eduard Sjoukes

Chromolithograph by Guillaume Severeyns after painting by H.G. Moon 1895

The Acidanthera bicolor is a late summer(mid August- mid Sept) blooming bulb perennial which likes to be planted in the spring and grown in clumps on a sunny southern facing border or bed in the garden with excellent drainage. It will reward with a heady scent and delicate contrasting blossoms of pure white petals with dark maroon centers. Commonly mis-named peacock orchid, the Acidanthera (Gladiolus Callianthus) is actually a gladiolus and a distant relative to the Crocosmia.
Conditioning: since blossoms occur one at a time, deadhead any that are wilting and place stems in a generously filled container of water.

Grey Sky Mornings

Some grey sky

mornings refuse to

give up their form

until they've been

perfect vehicles for

our thoughts

.....R. Cowans

photo by Hannah Davis

Bouquet is composed of lemon scented geranium, scabbiossa and tweedia.

Fower School 04 Achillea (Yarrow)

Photo by Hannah Davis

Achillea growing wild in a field

History: Achillea belongs to a genus of approx. 85 flowering hardy herbaceous perennials. The genus name refers to the mythical Greek hero Achilles and a thousand leaves refers to the leaf cut into a thousand parts. During the battle of Troy it is reputed that Achilles may have healed many warriors after being instructed in the yarrow’s ability to staunch the flow of blood from wounds hence common names of "allheal", "militaris" or "bloodwort". Yarrow was also used in an herbal tea to reduce fever, fight cold and cure indigestion. It may also be used as an insect deterrent by burning the leaves on hot embers and it's essential oils contain more of this powerful anti-inflammatory compound than chamomile. Yarrow essential oil is used for women's problems such as irregular and painful periods and to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding.
The ancient oracle of the I Ching is traditionally cast with Yarrow stalks which are thought to represent the Yin and Yang forces of the Universe in perfect balance.

Gardening: Easily grows in North Eastern temperate zones and can thrive in moderately irrigated soil and can sustain drought. Will bloom through summer and fall when deadheaded.
The bright yellow color against it's gray foliage can provide nice transitions in flower beds as well as arrangements to cooler hued less saturated parings.

Conditioning:This flower should only be cut when all the tiny flower heads are open then slice the stem vertically 2.5" remove lower foliage and place in clean cold water with a bactericide or biocide(needs to be re-cut daily and placed in fresh water for shop use). To preserve dip heads in powdered borax and hang upside down or place in a vase with very little water. This is actually a flower that is preferable to use when dried because of its tendency of corrupting the water for the accompanying stems and hasting the overall lifespan of the entire arrangement.

Sophia Emma Magdalene Grieve (Neé Law)
(also known as Margaret, Maude, Maud or simply Mrs. Grieve)(1858-1941)

According to the Principal and Founder of The Whins Medicinal and Commercial Herb School and Farm at Chalfont St. Peter in Buckinghamshire, England, Mrs Grieve, girls determine whether their loves be true by sticking a yarrow leaf up into their nostrils while reciting the following rhyme:

Yarroway, Yarroway bear a white blow
If my love, love me my nose will bleed now...

Title: Flower School 03 Acer (Sycamore, Maple)

(Fig. 344 from E. Gilg and K. Schumann, "Das Pflanzenreich. Hausschatz des Wissens.", ca. 1900 published by Kurt Stüber

Various examples of Acer (Sycamore Maple) used in decorative arts :
Antique Botanical print of Acer Sycamore
Maple Leaf (pricked with design in reserve) Made in Switzerland ca. 1835, Unknown artist
Porcelain painted in overglaze enamels, early 19th century, Inuyama, Japan

Fall Wedding at The Foundry

The Sycamore Maple was often confused for the biblical Ficus Sycomorus because of their similarly shaped leaves, hence the name. A mature tree grown in deep soil can grow up to 130' high with a width spanning 6.6' or more. The Japanese Acer palamatum is a dwarf tree which can grow from 2'-32' depending on the variety and is closely associated with the high art of oriental gardens. The Japanese common names for their shrub varieties are "hands of frogs" or "babies" because of the delicately pronged leaves. The first Botanist Carl Peter Thunberg also named the species "palmutum" for the same reason.
The many varieties of trees and shrubs in the Acer family are especially showy in the fall when their leaves turn vivid warm colors. This makes them ideal and valuable for areas in the garden where shrubbery is called for. It's also a worthy investment to plant a suckling maple tree in a featured spot which will grow through the years to enormous heights and add a sentimental entity to a family's yard.
In arrangements the blossoms will not survive long after being sheared but the Acer japonicum aureum "Full Moon Maple" (chartreuse in the spring and into the summer) will do better than others and the "Norwegian Maple" A. platanoides, carry bright green blossoms on ebony branches in early spring with moth shaped seedpods which add unexpected texture and a touch of the woodlands to compositions. A. pseudoplatanus "brilliantissimum" (pale coral to lime green in the spring, bright green in the summer and golden orange in the fall) provides luster and a jolt of saturation to any landscape. Hammering the stems of this variety and peeling the bark at least 2" before it drinks will ensure a long lasting life unusual for all other maples. In the fall nothing beats the fiery colors that some varieties offer although they will dry out quickly so should be used immediately for special occasions.
Conditioning: Hammer ends very well and peel bark back then place in warm water. To help sustain the life of specialty varieties for fall themed events place wet newspapers around and through the bundles securing a large plastic bag over and sealing it at the trunks. This technique coupled with refrigeration will keep the leaves fresh for many days.
When preserving the leaves, wire the spine and seal with floral tape for use in future arrangements.