Sunday, 22 September 2013

Sleigh bells in September

No, this post isn't a moan about music in department stores - not even they have started their Christmasitis yet.  It's simply that the flowers for my stall yesterday seemed to encompass the look of about three different seasons:

dahlia 'Peaches', salvia, alchemiila mollis and magenta dahlia 'Purple Gem', arranged in an informal bunch with cosmos 'Purity' and 'Seashells'.
Summer

The rich colours of faded hydrangea heads combine well with rosehips. The up cycled beer bottle vase makes a perfect container! (from Tuckshopflowers.com)
Autumn

This screams Christmas! Falstaff and Black Baccara roses with fennel and ivy flowers in a victorian fluted teacup. By Tuckshop Flowers.
Christmas

So many vibrant colours still around - love the summery abundance of cosmos (at last, after a very slow start), dahlias and salvias which bring bright and brilliant hues to the first bunch.  I also adore the faded glories of hydrangea heads as they start to turn deep reds and greens as the colder weather comes along.  As soon as I put this clustered head together with rosehips, I thought "I know just the vase for this" and I was right - a cut off classic beer bottle from St Peter's brewery formed the perfect container for this combination.

And then there were the Christmas roses.  What a genius cup to set them off!  If only deep red roses bloomed in my garden in December... I know what I'd be selling lots of come the festive season...  I might just have to print this one out for Tuckshop Flowers Christmas cards!

Arranging flowers for this weekend's stall, I was also raging against the dying of the light.  At 5 o'clock in the morning, it was pitch black and even with the house lights on, I could barely see what I was arranging on the outside table. (Evil plan to turn garage into flower studio goes up by one notch at this point).  Swearing abounded until about 6.45am when the sun got switched on and made the world a better, lighter place.

When I returned from the market, I spotted a fabulous colour combination which had got left on the table.  Inevitably, some blooms are too spoiled and tatty for the stall, so get shoved unsentimentally into the compost bin.  But in my haste yesterday, I just shelved the rejects in a small vase and their colours leapt at me when I got home.  Tatty or not, they are now on my kitchen window sill and I am inspired by this combination - not something I would necessarily have planned, but wow!

Dahlia 'purple gem', rose ' Savoy Hotel' and dahlia 'Peaches'.
Faded beauties
The last flowery stall of the season is now done and dusted.  Have made it through my first year of flower selling and have enjoyed it hugely, but now have to cope with the flatness of the wind down.  Ah well. September sowings still to do, damsons to pick and an immense tidy up to be done everywhere to get things shipshape for next spring.  And a garage to transform??
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4 comments:

  1. Janneke 22 September 2013 at 06:22

    I suppose you will miss the flowery stalls on events and markets. I think it is a lovely occupation. But autumn is on our doorstep and as there are lots of autumn and winter chores to do in my garden and in your garden too I think, our outdoor life will go on. Have a rest with frosty days and then spring is arriving again.........yippie.

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    1. Unknown22 September 2013 at 12:22

      I'll be doing a few Christams wreaths and so on to keep my hand in. As for a rest..... the other people I garden for are all queuing up with jobs that need doing, as well as those I'm desparate to do on my own allotment and back garden. Have just done my spring bulb order as well, so when those arrive a mass planting will be needed. I've got seedlings screaming for my attention in the greenhouse and a friend's garden to clear, so don't think I'll have time to get bored any time soon. Also housepainting and a few hard landscaping jobs in my own garden are begging to be done... kind of makes me glad not to have flowers clamouring for my time as well on a regular basis, but I will miss them.

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  2. Sarah Shoesmith30 September 2013 at 05:49

    Who would have thought those pinks would have worked so well together? I know how you feel about these dark mornings - it makes such a difference, doesn't it? Have I missed something? What is going on with your garage?

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    1. Unknown30 September 2013 at 06:08

      Nothing as yet, sadly, but I dream of booting out all the bikes and DIY stuff and turning it into my flower studio. Think I'll have to start planning an overflow shed to house all the non-flowery detritus (not that my family would thank me for calling it that...).

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