Petal & Pins

Tag: bergenias

July 26, 2017

Winter’s Pink

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When winter is at its greyest the bergenias add a much needed spash of colour in my garden and the rusty coloured stems make a striking contrast to the dusty pink petals.

Massed in a bed on a gentle slope in the middle of the garden, come spring the odd jonquil will poke its way up. Most things have been flowering late this winter – I only noticed the first of my violets today and not many at that but I can always depend on the bergenias to show up as a pretty visual antidote to the cold and grey.

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June 24, 2016

Unexpected Colours

vintage flower dress

We were sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers at the end of May and I put them in the hallway to enjoy in passing and to avoid the rapid decline that a vase of flowers can have in a room that is heated during winter.

I try to remember to change the water and snip stems regularly but sometimes it’s easy to forget in the bustle of life. I also like to let a vase linger past its prime – there is beauty in decaying flowers – shapes change and unexpected colours appear.

Ahead of the weekend I decided to empty that hallway vase and another, but not before turning the aged beauty they contained into a Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe dress.

In my Meet The Maker interview I spoke about my childhood ‘dress up box’ and my inspiration for this particular Garden Fairy’s dress was the idea of it coming out of such a box or an old suitcase – transformed with age and time into something quite different with a special beauty.

There are bergenias, lilies, proteas and gerberas in the mix, can you imagine it brand new!

floral decay 1
blue tinge

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May 26, 2016

De Rigueur

flower glove

There has been a distinct chill in the air this week in Hobart so there is no mistaking winter is almost here. I’ve delayed walking the dog until late morning hoping for a little sunshine – but I’ve needed to be quick to catch it. A coat is now de rigueur and its time to bring out the gloves too!

4 Comments
May 17, 2016

Berries & Birdcages

ivy berries

Walking back from the post office today I picked a small piece of Hedera helix – also known as common ivy, English ivy, European ivy, or just ivy!

I do have ivy growing in my garden but not with the dark purple-black fruit and I’d been thinking it would be striking in a flower arrangement, so today I’m sneaking it into  my In A Vase On Monday arrangement with flowers and foliage from my garden.

snake flowers

May vase

You may remember my peony tree  ‘pink sticks’ from a few weeks back – I’m pleased to report they kept their colour once dried – so I’ve added a few of those and some blackened plum sticks (the water shoots that grow nice and straight up from the base of the tree).

I’ve used 3 cobra head lilies, one pink rose and some bergenia  flowers that after a few days of good rain and a little sunshine are providing a lovely splash of colour in the garden.

I’m not sure the sticks work so in the morning I may have a fiddle and try it without them but I am pleased with my choice of vase – an old tarnished silver sugar bowl, which I’ve used with a ceramic flower frog to help hold the arrangement in place and my miniature wire bird cages from Faff & Rambling seemed the perfect little props to sit along side.

faff & rambling wire birdcages

Cathy from Rambling In The Garden started In A Vase On Monday to inspire people to bring something from their garden inside to enjoy – what ever the season. Pop over to her blog to see what she and others have gathered this week and if you feel like joining in one Monday put a link to your vase in the comments on her post.

10 Comments
July 1, 2015

After the Solstice

winter vase

vase of bergenias, hellebores, jonquil and camellia buds & leaves

 

For a couple of weeks before the winter solstice my garden seems devoid of flowers and then after it seems like each day something new appears in bloom.

It starts with a smattering of jonquils and then a patch of snow drops. I can begin to gather tiny bunches of violets and the hellebore buds start to open.

But it’s the bergenias and swamp iris that make a real statement with their pink and purple splashes of colour throughout the garden. They invoke an air of anticipation although there is a good two months to go until Spring.

When the sun’s out and the temperature agreeable it’s a great time to be in the garden which is just how I spent my Saturday with Mr Petal & Pins.

swamp iris garden fairy's wardrobe dress by petal & pins

swamp iris dress for My Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe

8 Comments
June 1, 2015

In A Corner

© 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

© 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

© 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

12 Comments
September 1, 2014

Sultry & Stirred

© Sandra Alcorn 2014

© Sandra Alcorn 2014

 

I photographed this Garden Fairy’s dress made from Bergenia flowers with my iPad. I like the unexpected effect – a grainy vintage sultry summer feel.

I imagine her standing outside in the late afternoon sun with the heat radiating off the buildings, the sun casting long shadows. Martinis being stirred, palm trees and a poolside location.

Maybe she was swimming earlier in the day in her St Tropez style ‘forget-me-not’ bikini..

Miami, Florida. Photographer unknown circa 1950

Miami, Florida. Photographer unknown 1950

Or perhaps I’ve been daydreaming a little as I start to think what to pack for going to Magnetic Island later in the week!

 

2 Comments
June 25, 2013

Mon Petit Chou

My garden is rather bare on the flower front at the moment, apart from the beds of Bergenias – affectionately know as ‘elephant ears’ that are just starting to show their winter display of small pink flowers. It’s meant a bit of ‘thumb twirling’ as far as my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe is concerned.

That is until last month when Mr Petal & Pins gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers for our wedding anniversary, which you may know about from my post A Spring Proposal.

The bouquet was a divine surprise – pinky mauve roses, heavenly scented freesias and brassica – yes that’s kale or cabbage!

Wedding Anniversary Bouquet

Wedding Anniversary Bouquet

Brassica sounds much more sophisticated than cabbage – but so does the french endearment ‘Mon Petit Chou’ than it’s english translation!

What ever you choose to call them they were exquisite and gave the bouquet a dramatic edge. One month on I’m still enjoying some of the brassica in a vase (they out lasted the freesias and roses) and some gave new inspiration for my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe.

I think I’d like to plant some in my garden … as for Mr Petal & Pins – well he’s ‘Mon Petit Chou’ x

© Sandra Alcorn 2013

© Sandra Alcorn 2013

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