It was my 'baby' sister's birthday on Saturday...no longer a baby, actually something like five years younger than me. We three 'girls' live continents apart, and birthdays these days consist of thinking, loving, and sending kind thoughts. I usually make a special arrangement, and have often used them later as IAVOM posts later.
This Saturday is was too wet to venture out and the blooms were just washed out in any case. On my birthday wishes, I posted an arrangement from three years ago. I was slightly unhappy, but the situation took on a rather humorous turn when Mr S thought that I had wanted to post: in a box with stamps etc, but I explained that post meant putting up a picture and message! He really doesn't do social media...
This morning it has stopped raining, but I have never seen the garden quite so wet. We are on a slope, well up, so don't get any flooding, but a friend told me of a car being washed down the road in nearby Crosscombe, with water no longer contained by the River Sheppey. Storm Angus battered us all weekend.
The main star is Alstromeria Indian Summer, which I bought at the recent Special Plants fair at the Bishop's Palace. Everything else has already made an appearance this year: Hakornechloa macra 'Aureola', Dianthus, Persicaria Red Dragon, Gaillardia, and the lovely winter green Fern Polypodium cambricum Richard Kayse, which has just started to send up its new leaves. Granted it is acting a little shy here, but what else could it do since Indian Summer is taking centre stage.
The Vase is a blue cloisonne which I presume my mother bought on her trip to China many years ago. It is one of a pair, and Jenny whose birthday it is, had them, and gave me one, so that even though we are far apart, we can think of each other. It was the perfect choice for her belated birthday flower bouquet.
Cathy has some lovely autumnal hues in her post this week, together with apples and a pear.
Beautiful arrangement. Love that Alstromeria. Happy Birthday to your little sister. Hope things dry out quickly Noelle.
ReplyDeleteOh this is glorious, Noelle - the overall shape of the arrangement and the way the different elements pick out the features of each other, like the persicaria nd the dark shadows on the alstroemeria. Like you, our family is spread about, but that's the way it always has been - but I suppose I am lucky now to have one daughter who is only a couple of miles away.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy, of course the persicaria comes from you, something I tell people when they get plants. I give plants away each year, and everyone says how good it looks in their gardens.
DeleteWhy Mother Nature has to be so indiscriminate about her rain deliveries I'll never accept - you get flooded and in my part of the world we remain dry as burnt toast. Your birthday remembrance for your sister is lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful story to your vase this week. Happy Birthday to your sister.
ReplyDeleteI love all the different ingredients you have used in this vase Noelle, and it is really a lovely birthday greeting for your sister. Hope your weather has now improved. It is currently pouring here!
ReplyDeleteThat's so lovely that you and your sister each have one of a pair of vases from you Mom.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful arrangement--each flower and bit of foliage so precisely placed as to display maximum beauty. Wish I could do that.
'Indian Summer'--the plan was that this beauty was going to join my garden this past spring, but, you know, Covid-19...maybe next spring. The mix of colors in the flowers is so nicely balanced.
I hope your area has dried out somewhat. Wish we could send you some of our endless sunny dry in exchange for some of your rain!