vase | Petal & Pins

A Beautiful Mess

The big voluptuous blooms from the tree peony started to slump in the cut glass vase and as the petals started to dry the colours intensified.

I left the vase sitting on the cocktail cabinet and every day more petals gathered around the base of the vase looking like a decadently dishevelled ball gown discarded by my garden fairy.

When it became more mess than beautiful I scooped up the petals to design with – their texture like silk paper taffetta and each one uniquely shaped and coloured I almost got lost in admiring their detail.

There is beauty in decay.

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July 12, 2017

Flower Head

flowerhead

January 4, 2016

Imprint

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It’s a new year and I have a new vase, a Xmas present from Mr Petal & Pins!

It is by Tasmanian designer Sally Cassandra and features a striking imprint of lace that has been pressed into the surface and highlighted with black glaze.

It also has this interesting detail applied to the inside which makes it a striking object just on its own which is how I’ve been enjoying it displayed on the mantle piece since Xmas.

Yesterday we did some pruning in the garden and with a few small branches of maple leaves too beautiful to just add to the compost pile I decided to create my first 2016 flower arrangement for In a Vase On Monday.

I picked hydrangeas and lavender growing by the front of the house, both are such a mass of blooms I will be able to have several vases full and still have a showy display outside. The last addition was a piece of trumpet vine – the flowers similar in colour to the hydrangea but a nice contrast in shape.

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In a Vase On Monday was started by Cathy from Rambling In The Garden as a weekly ritual of bringing something from the garden inside no matter what the season – why not join in for 2016 – post a link to yours in her comments section or add #inavaseonmonday to your instagram pics.

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June 1, 2015

In A Corner

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.

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.

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

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April 7, 2014

Minarets & Lion’s Tail

This morning I wandered into the garden to choose some flowers for ‘In a Vase on Monday’.

Some of the things I picked for this arrangement are Kahili Ginger Hedychium gardnerianum, Lion’s Tail Leonotis leonurus, Iris foetiidissima seed pods and Bergenia leaves.

The dark chocolaty brown leaves are from a bush that perhaps someone can identify for me – I don’t think it’s a particularly attractive bush – but I must say it is very effective in a vase.

When I was picking the lion’s tail I liked the stems with just the sculptural trio of green ‘balls’ as much as the ones with the burst of orange petals. In writing this post I discovered they are also referred to as ‘minaret flowers’ which is easy to see why.

The still life was arranged on my lounge room mantelpiece and includes some of my vintage wooden cotton reels, the petite shoes bought on my last day in Paris and several volumes of the New Harmsworth Self-Educator that belonged to my grandfather.

It was published circa 1913 and there are some interesting and eclectic topics. Since my blog is called Petal & Pins I found something with a ‘pin’ theme to share with you.

‘In A Vase On Monday’ was started by Cathy from Rambling In The Garden – take a look at hers and perhaps one Monday you might like to share yours!

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Petal & Pins

Tag: vase

November 2, 2017

A Beautiful Mess

July 12, 2017

Flower Head

January 4, 2016

Imprint

June 1, 2015

In A Corner

April 7, 2014

Minarets & Lion’s Tail

Tag: vase

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