flowers for ballet recitals

As the summer approaches and the school draws near its end, the little ones get busy with a flurry of activity to show off their newly acquired skills. Fidgety little girls have a hard time holding onto a bouquet or wristlet for longer than a few minutes, but put a flower (professionally wired and properly taped) in their hair and they will hold their head up and walk like the true little ballerinas they are.

Lasting beauty

These Hearts roses, dendrobium orchids and Virginia peonies lasted three weeks in a low modern square vase - shades of soft pink offset by hot red roses... three distinct textures, each in dialogue with one another while existing on their own level. So simple, endlessly interesting - and you have 2 to 3 weeks to explore all the angles.

the extra touches

Cymbidium orchids, wired and taped with a touch of seeded eucaliptus make a perfectly stunning and lasting decoration and can double as a party favor. 

violets

 Happy Spring!

Tree Peony

This year I thought I would document the way these awesome flowers bud and open. Unfortunately, the non-stop rain of the last few days beat the flowers down without any regard for my project, but I did walk away with a few pictures.

Then the sun shines and throughout the day the flower lives as intensely and carelessly as if time were its friend.

I did not take its final picture, will wait for lovely seedpods to appear. And now, again, time is our friend - faithfully bringing us closer to next spring every day as the tree peony prepares for the next 3 days of its yearly glory.

Landscaping - before and after

A lot of planning, searching for just the right plants, careful  placing and planting and the glorious rain to make it all that much more fun. The plants loved it: 40 boxwoods, pink Skimmia, siberian iris, amsonia and 500 little pachysandras. No matter how vivid the design is in my head, still I can never believe the before and after photos. What an amazing diffirence!

Before

After

What a great way to start the season.

signs of spring

 

At Pensive Weeds we start calling out to spring in mid February, right after the floral tornado of Valentine's day. We plant seeds, cut back and prune in the greenhouse, bring glorious bulbs out of their slumber and make sure our signature Clivias (photos coming up) are happy and healthy and getting ready for their spectacular blooming season in late March-mid April.

We use clear plastic egg cartons (which we carefully rinse and put away all winter) to start our seeds to maintain our sustainability goals and re-use for years to come. The individual egg cups are perfect for little seed darlings and the other half serves wonderfully as an incubating, moister conserving cover. 

Then just 3-4 short weeks later, as on the picture above, we have a promising greenhouse filled with strong seedlings of nasturtiums, green peas, decorative sweet peas, morning glories and on, and on, and on.

And occasionally we are rewarded for our unconditional love of plants and all things growing in nature and efforts in their nurture by an unexpected flower - as did this tillandsia, attached to burlap and wooden frame.