Last night we went to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens to see artist Tyrone Sheather’s sculptures as part of the Hobart Dark Mofo festival.
The trees along the avenue to the gardens were lit up red and the effect was very beautiful, it reminded me of oriental embroidery or brocade.
all images © Sandra Alcorn 2015
Several glass jars filled with water were the perfect size for small hands to do some flower arranging when my five year old friend Audrey came for a visit.
We took my flower basket down into the garden to pick some flowers and I showed her how to pull the leaves off the lower part of the stems.
The arranging was all Audrey’s and it was fascinating watching her at work choosing what she put together. I love the ‘looseness’of the arrangements.
That evening I had visitors coming for dinner and arranged all the vases on a wooden tray with some tea lights – a happy colourful display for a winter Sunday supper.
The heartsease seeds I planted in summer are thriving.
Even with our cold start to winter they are still flowering and I find myself wandering down to where they’re growing just to see their ‘sunny faces’ – such a simple thing always makes me smile and lifts my mood.
I’ve been picking some and letting others go to seed so I can scatter them in other places.
You may remember the tiny no bigger than a thimble vase I use for them in Love-in-Idleness – just one of the other names they go by.
I have been contemplating designing a dress with them for My Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe but so far have just picked enough to create this delicate bodice.
© Sandra Alcorn 2015
© Sandra Alcorn 2015
Since it was cold and drizzly it was a quick sprint outside to pick something to use for joining in with Julie’s ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme today.
At this time of year I can always find some bergenia flowers in my garden. I chose an old brass vase which I don’t usually use for fresh flowers and its oriental style has influenced the style of the arrangement.
The plum sticks I used in my ‘String of Pearls’ vase have dried nicely (as have the rowan berries) so I decided to make a lattice like element with them.
Combined with the bergenia flowers are three bergenia leaves in graduating sizes, a piece of clematis vine and a sprig of a variegated ground cover that no matter how much time I spend pulling it out of the garden it persists!
I have also added one of my silk butterflies – you can see how I’ve used them before in my post Butterfly Wings & Other Things.
© Sandra Alcorn 2015
I have photographed it in the corner of the fireplace bookshelf near a lovely embroidered panel my sister bought me on a trip to China, it’s not a spot I usually sit a vase but it works rather well so perhaps it’s time to rearrange a few things.
© Sandra Alcorn 2015
© Sandra Alcorn 2015
I have made several dresses for My Garden Fairy using bergenia flowers that you can see here and here .
If you have been enjoying seeing My Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe designs I have three new card collections available from my new petal & pins shop and I’m offering free shipping worldwide on the card collection sets until the 30th June 2015 with the code FREESHIPPING615
Petal & Pins 