Petal & Pins

The japonica is just starting to flower in my garden and I picked a few sprays to put in a vase with the buds still closed.

In the warmth inside they opened into lovely tones of cream and peachy pink instead of the usual bright colour that punctuates the bareness of my patchwork hedge in winter.

The colours remind me of a hat that once belonged to my grandmother. I think the delicate layered feathers would have once been a more uniform tone but I like the subtle shading created by the passing of time.

That faded glamour also inspired me to create this dress for my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe with the japonica flowers.