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.

mostly reds

 A party in January with predominantly red tones: gerberas, snapdragons, roses, hypericum berries - available all year around and all stand in great complement to one another. Anemonies are a less obvious choice and more expensive, but add and unexpected touch and reward the hostess and guests with a lovely surprise once the flowers begin to unravel their petals and reveal their full glory. Tulips - never a miss this time of year. They love the cold. Cyclamen foliage - intricate, almost perfectly round, a great choice for hiding the stems inside the vase. 

creative gifts

 Simply roses was H.'s solution to the many holiday something-somethings we have to come up with each year. For each school teacher, co-worker and lucky friend she created a beautiful and unique arrangement of roses in a vase. In just two hours her very creative hands transformed 325 roses in plastic buckets to 14 beautiful arrangements, stricking combinations, complete with gold ribbon. Notice the wonderful dozen and a half red freedoms in a tall fluted vase - wonderful accomplishment for someone starting out doing her own flower arranging.

the wow effect

every once in a while a combination of flowers comes together that is simple and flawless, interesting and very real. this thanksgiving it was the way the 'mumbo' roses and the mini fuchsia callas opened simultaneously and in complement, the perfection and shine of the english ivy and the 'summer meadow' look of the wheat that gave this bouquet its exclusive, delicious and timeless look.

Thanksgiving centerpiece class

I thank my very talented students for coming to share their time and original visions. We had a very productive evening with low clear glass containers, decorative kale and calla lilies, roses and snapdragons, mini gerbera daisies, lysianthus, wheat, thistle and solidago, even carrots, parsley, burlap and ivy.... A thanksgiving decor according to all our different personalities, traditions and tastes. Lovely combinations, great choices. The flowers lasted well. Some in my studio are going on two weeks. Great work, ladies.