Late Long Loving Spring

Central Park

Allegheny Mountains; NW PA
Photo by Paco Rodriguez

Jersey City back yard and massive old magnolia tree.

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.~ e.e. cummings

You Were All Yellow

coldplay

I swam across
I jumped across for you
oh what a thing to do
'Cause you were all yellow......

MAY DAY

The Maypole Dance

Here Comes the Bride

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.

The flowers’ meanings in the bouquet are:

Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness

Sweet William – Gallantry

Hyacinth – Constancy of love

Ivy – Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection

Myrtle - the emblem of marriage; love

The bouquet contains stems from a myrtle planted at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845, and a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.

The tradition of carrying myrtle begun after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany. In the same year, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House as a family retreat, and a sprig from the posy was planted against the terrace walls, where it continues to thrive today.

The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858, and was used to signify the traditional innocence of a bride.

The Church was decorated with seasonally occurring blossoming branches. Almost 30-thousand flowers are to be used for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, and most of them were taken from the Royal Estates at Windsor Great Park’s Valley Gardens in Surrey

Cake designer Fiona Cairns has been chosen to make the traditional multi-layered fruit cake for the Royal Wedding.

The flowers on the cake are all based on ‘The Language of Flowers’ and were chosen by Kate herself.

The Bridal Rose symbolizes Happiness.

The Oak and Acorn symbolize Strength and Endurance.

The Lily of the Valley symbolize Sweetness and Humility.

The cake will include the English Rose, Daffodil, Thistle for Scotland, and the Shamrock for Ireland – the four national plants.

Cairns incorporated the Lambeth Method to decorate the cake a technique which is derived from a style of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use a lot of intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decoration on a cake. The Lambeth Method is still popular today and is frequently used by wedding cake designers and decorators to create ornate wedding cakes. A cake decorated in the Lambeth Method and accented with fresh fruit or flowers is the wedding cake of choice for anyone who wants a traditional looking, elegant wedding cake.

Flemish Inspiration

Inspiration for Samples below

Easter Sunday Part II

Yellow Magnolia Trees and friend

Bed of Candy Colored Tulips and a young Birch Tree

Bleeding Hearts in the Brambles

Mock Orange

Viburnum x carlcephalum ( Fragrant Viburnum )

Williamsburg Sky

After sleeping in late today my best friend stopped by and we took a walk to the park. It's nice how it's blooming bit by bit this year. Everytime I go there's something new to see. Today the Yellow Magnolias at the entrance of 72nd St were at the height of their regal elegance and the Willy Wonka epiphany of candy colored tulip beds around the perfectly white peeling birch trees was delightful. Bleeding Hearts, Lady's Lockets, Snowdrops, Blue Bells and Forget Me Nots were hosting their own party for fairies by invitation only.
A little deeper in the mock orange was making an early appearance. The leaves are so beautifully textured this time of year, they call to mind Mary McFadden dresses. And finally I ran down the slope from Strawberry Fields as the rain set in to see a splendid display of fragrant viburnum. Oh the scent of these clusters are so powdery and feminine as I inhaled I felt like I was immediately cast back into childhood! Then the droplets began and although we hadn't made it very far into the park we were satisfied with our little flower fix. I hopped on the A train and headed back to the studio to finish a ridiculously early delivery for tomorrow for my favorite client.
Back in Brooklyn the sky was so pretty with a gilded sun peeping out through pale blue patches swallowed by smoky cloud puffs. At mission control, the Easter Lilies filled the air with an intoxicating intensity! It was a lovely fragrant and colorful Easter.

Easter Sunday

Easter Lilies

Holy Wednesday! It's almost "Maundy Thursday"!

Great Nettle 1854 William Bradbury

"Maundy Thursday" is also known as Holy Thursday, among other names, which commemorates the Last Supper. In medieval times people took to bathing and washing their clothes on "Clean Thursday". In German traditions it is referred to as "Green Thursday". Greeks dye their Easter eggs a bright red to represent the blood of Christ and call it "Red Thursday". In central Europe folk customs include recipes for green soups made with Spinach, Kale, Leeks and herbs including Nettle (see print above). The Eucharist serves as an important religious symbol for Maundy Thursday so I included a print of a Eucharis Lily and a bridesmaid's bouquet with the same flower in it.

Promises Promises

Promises are meant to be broken but I couldn't help but keep mine. Here are the photos from an event earlier this week that I promised. Working with these materials is absolutely euphoric. I feel like the luckiest gal in the world this week to have my fridge filled with to the rim with everything light and splendid! Tomorrow I'll play a little more with what was left from this fashion launch. It will be my Sunday!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Peonies, Stock, Viburnum, Chrysanthemums, Geranium, Queen Anne's Lace, Azalea, Dogwood, Ferns Jasmine

Delivered this bright and cheerful get well gift of mixed spring white flora this afternoon.