Little White Jug #3

My hydrangea is blooming and how could I resist cutting some for my latest little white jug flower arrangement? These beautiful blue hydrangea had turned pink in my garden but I had read that if you save your old used tea leaves and scatter them on the ground around the plant, it will turn the soil acidic causing the colour to change from pink to blue.

So last summer,  I faithfully saved all my old tea bags by the kitchen sink in a small stainless steel bowl, scattering them around the base of the plant whenever the bowl was full.

And wonder of wonder it worked.  Some of the pink is now lavender coloured, but other blooms are blue.

So many beautiful shades!

Turn the jug around, and every view is gorgeous with a wide range of soft pretty colours. 

Ranunculus - NYC

I discovered these gorgeous ranunculus blooms in the Union Square Park Market in New York City. We came across this farmer's market by accident while walking  on a glorious spring day. It is a great market and these beautiful bouquets in salmon, coral and ballet pink were irresistible.

Little White Jug #2

With the peonies in bloom I thought it was time to bring you no. 2 in my Little White Jug series.  I don't think there is much that is more beautiful than a pink peony, except perhaps a white one. The pink are so pretty.

And even prettier up close!

Little White Jug

Here I am, almost one year to the day since my last post. How could so much time have passed? A longer break than I anticipated, but here I am feeling inspired once again and raring to go.

I thought I would mark the occasion with a blog about my little white Lord Nelson Pottery jug from England.  This jug is very special to me because it was a gift from my lovely friend S.  She and I were on an antiquing trip in Almonte, Ontario and S. found this jug at one of the shops, fell in love with it, bought it and took it home. Some time later, she surprised me by giving it to me, not because she did not love it anymore, but because she knew how much I loved it.  Now that, is a special friend.

I picked the flowers this morning from my garden. Alliums from the bulbs that I planted last fall.

 
Siberian irises, which I just love. These are a dark blue purple and the clumps that they form are full of spiky thin green leaves. They don't last long but their slender elegance makes them a favourite of mine.

And last, but not least, in this lovely trio is a perennial bachelor button, more larger and showier than the annual variety.  This year, mine are much larger than I have ever seen them grow in my garden. Their spiky spheres are remarkable.

Put all three together and they are even more beautiful.  Have a look and see what you think...

I think they work so well in contrast with the simplicity of my little white jug.  I also think that I will continue to make other flower arrangements in this jug and share them here so you can see just how versatile this wonderful receptacle is. I am willing to bet that the mood of the arrangement will change with the flowers. Time will tell.

Warming Up Winter with Ikebana

After attending an Ikebana Exhibition at the Japanese Embassy, I was inspired to create an arrangement of my own.

So I took myself off to Belfiore, a favourite flower shop of mine, to see what wonderful exotic blooms they had to offer that day.

 

I chose some beautiful orange Star of Bethlehem,

some mimosa with its cascading tiny yellow pompom buds,

 

as well as some long-lasting orange and yellow alstroemeria.

 

combined with a glossy green leaf and interesting pieces of driftwood. Et voila!

Ikebana, a Gift for the Senses

What better time than February to be reminded of the beauty of nature? These lovely Ikebana arrangements, on display at the Japanese Embassy, were a welcome sight for the winter-weary guests who attended.

Not only all the colour, but also the fragrant-filled air, were gifts for the soul.

Beautiful!

Pretty in Pink

Such a shame that peonies only last a couple of weeks, in all their ruffly beauty.  Their delicate petals, so like the tissue-paper flowers we made as children, and yet so bold in their exuberance.

Spring Arrangement

After visiting the Ikebana exhibition on the weekend, I thought I would create an arrangement of my own. I cut magnolia branches from the garden. Hopefully, the buds will open indoors for pretty pink blooms.

Ikebana - Horizon

Last weekend I visited the annual Ikebana Show that is presented by the Ottawa Chapter of Ikebana International, which showcases the styles of the Ohara and Sogestsu schools. As it was explained to me, if you were thinking in terms of art, the Ohara style would be a landscape, the Sogetsu an abstract.

This year's show was entitled "Horizon" and in the midst of this snowy March, it was a burst of much needed colour. This year's arrangements often used lots of twisty branches. 

Sometimes the most simple are the most lovely... serene and with space to breathe.

The arrangements pictured here were some of my favourites at the show. 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  I picked up this cloth heart-shaped box in a thrift shop a couple of months ago, thinking that I might be able to use it for Valentine's Day in some way.

 

I found a bunch of these lovely two-tone pink roses at the supermarket and cut the stems down so that they would just peek out the top. The box is covered in fabric so I placed a squat jam jar inside to hold the water. The box's lid has a lovely lace top. It makes a lovely Valentine's vignette.

Tea in the Zen Garden

After the delightful task of viewing all the various display areas at 1001 Pots, and selecting and buying the pieces that I wanted, it was such a joy to sit down in one of the three tea salons. I chose the one located in the peaceful shade of the Zen Garden and was treated to a delicious cup of coffee by friend D. The same delightful friend who had discovered 1001 Pots and invited me along for the day.

There was a demonstration of the Japanese brush painting that adorn these banners that hang from the tea salon's roof and top the small tables.

There is a selection of Japanese teas for your enjoyment, served in gorgeous handmade ceramic teapots and tea cups, but the delicious smell of the brewing coffee was too much to resist. It was a serene place to rest and collect my thoughts after giddily traipsing about the garden trying not to miss anything.

The beautiful bouquet of garden flowers atop the worn wooden cabinet were resting in an handmade ceramic vase that suited the collection perfectly.

Peony Perfection

Just like large tissue-paper flowers, peonies are oh, so beautiful but bloom for such a short time that I have to make sure that I take the time  to cut them and bring them inside to enjoy, before a rainfall or windy day takes them away. I love their blowsiness, but my goodness how the petals drop.

The First of the Season

I am so very happy to have the first David Austen roses in my garden in bloom again. They never fail to delight me with their sweet fragrance and breathtakingly delicate beauty.

Kaleidoscope Centres