Flower Arranging – Page 2 – thewelldressedgarden.com

GIVING THANKS FOR NATURE’S BOUNTY AND BEAUTY

November 28, 2013/0 Comments/in Flower Arranging, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

Richmond’s talented arrangers got creative once again for Thanksgiving. Now that the ugly weather has finally passed through, and the sun is bringing in a glorious day, these arrangements might lure you to take a walk and enjoy — and be thankful for — nature’s beauty, even on a cold November day.

Melinda Hardy supplemented the native Bittersweet with Seeded Eucalyptus, twigs, and even feathers. Rumor has it she plucked that turkey herself.

On her dining room table, Melinda filled three containers with white Roses, Lilies, Rose Hips and more Seeded Eucalyptus and Eucalyptus pods.

Melinda gathered her leftover Eucalyptus pods and created a stark, yet stunning composition.

Melinda filled the test-tube container with the same flowers and fruit, but what a completely different feel it has!

Susan Robertson combined hot colors with the Mums, Carnations and berries, but provided the cool anchor of Rosemary, Ferns, Seeded Eucalyptus and white Roses to allow the warmer colors to shine.

Susan cut some Bittersweet growing on a tree in her neighborhood. The berries and the pumpkins frame the countryside painting so beautifully.

Nan McVey sent this picture to me a couple of weeks ago. Nan’s flair for elegance is on display here, where white Roses and Orchids are reflected on a mirror-topped table.

Ashley Wallace and Jeannie Shutt filled this beautiful, abundant arrangement with the foliage, flowers, berries, branches and gourds of the season, including Magnolia, Japanese Maple, Oakleaf Hydrangea and Deodar Cedar foliage. They spiced it up with Spider Mums, Lisianthus, Hypericum and Kangaroo Paw blooms.

Laura Valentine created a work of art in her dining room, surrounding the Great Bird with a subtle palette of grays, greens, creams and a touch of gold. Pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, white Roses and Seeded Eucalyptus create a sublime tapestry.

Laura gathers the same bounty on the mantle, underneath a wreath made of pine cones and seed pods. I love the cool palette of the pumpkin (yes, it’s real!), the Seeded Eucalyptus and Roses in combination with the rich browns of the pine cones.

A simple bunch of Amaryllis stems greets visitors in Laura’s entrance hall.

Jeanette McKittrick’s arrangement veritably glows. She filled a copper pot with Mums, Clementines, Kumquats and Date Berries. Australian Pine (note the new red growth at the tips) provides a dramatic backdrop.

Jeanette filled the shedded bark of a Palm Tree with the same Australian Pine, Kumquats and Clementines, and added Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs and little Pumpkins to the overflowing cornucopia. Jeanette worked some of the Pine branches to repeat the gentle curve of the Palm bark.

Jeanette used some of her Mums to create a simple, beautiful line arrangement.

The flower power team of Jennifer, Blakely and Charlotte Sisk took their dynamic art collection as inspiration for these Thanksgiving arrangements. They created a colorful, earthy vignette by filling terracotta pots with Sunflowers, dried Hydrangea blooms, Tulips and Euphorbia, then placed them in a long rustic wooden container with candles wrapped in Birch Tree bark.

Tulips and Wheat are happy together.

The dried plumes and leaves of these grasses simply, but dramatically, convey the turn of the seasons. May you and yours take the time this Thanksgiving to drink in, and give thanks for, the beauty and the sustenance that nature brings us each and every day.

THE ARTISTRY OF FLOWERS AND GREENS: HGW 2013

May 27, 2013/4 Comments/in Flower Arranging, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

A few weeks ago, I wrote about three gardens on the Historic Garden Week tours in Richmond. The women in the James River Garden Club cut greens and flowers, got very imaginative with containers, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work creating beautiful arrangements from the bounty of their gardens.

Blanche Toms and Dianne Butler are raring to go.

Apricot Tulips and Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum variegatum)

A riot of Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)

Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) and White Tulips

Peggy Valentine uses some of her prized Peonies in this arrangement for the dining table of her daughter-in-law, Laura.

Bridalwreath Spirea (Spiraea vanhouttei), Pieris (Pieris japonica), Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), Roses and Herbaceous Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora)

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) and Variegated Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’) float in a bowl

Margaret Reynolds and Susie Rawls work their magic

Betsy Trow is the master of mantlepieces. Here, she has combined Burford Holly (Ilex burfordii), Arborvitae (Thuja), Eucalyptus, Prague Viburnum (Viburnum pragense), Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria), Eleagnus (Eleagnus angustifolia), Horsetail Palm (Equisetum arvense), Carolina Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), among other plants.

Claire Williams, Mary Frediani, Kathleen Reid and Liz Talley take advantage of a spring that gave us a bonanza of Viburnum.

Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’), Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum variegatum) and the other Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum)

Ranunculus, Tulips, Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis), Bridalwreath Spirea (Spiraea vanhouttei) and Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora), arranged in individual baby cups, julep cups, bottles and bud vases, brighten the bar.

Margaret Valentine is off to work.

A mass of white Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

A fuzzy fern frond (don’t know which one, daggone it!) and native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Page Fitchett and her daughter Mary Carpenter take their cues from the colors in daughter/sister Susan Robertson’s dining room.

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), Ligularia, Kerria (Kerria japonica), Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Azalea, Roses and Curly Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’), among other plants

Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Yew (Taxus baccata), Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’), Variegated Euonymous (Eounymous japonicus) and Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) in “Wellies”

DECK THE HALLS!

December 20, 2012/0 Comments/in Flower Arranging /by mturner

Richmond glows in December, as its residents cut greens and bare branches, gather fruits and nuts, collect colorful ornaments and fabrics, and string lights. These creative souls then drape their mantles, doors and tables with their festive arrangements and the results are nothing short of spectacular.

Jennifer Sisk’s hall mirror framed by greens

MANTLES

Jeanette McKittrick and Martha Crowley created a feast on Martha’s mantle.

Mary and Dick Fowlkes worked with Tom French Flowers to transform their beautiful Fan home, including this dining room mantle.

A Mantle at the Country Club of Virginia’s Westhampton Clubhouse sparkles.

This mantle is just greens — Paperwhites, Magnolia, Variegated Ivy, Fir wreath, with a bow created by Sarah Gibson.

Jennifer Sisk’s mantle and glass vase were featured in my Thanksgiving blog. Here, she again goes minimalist with Magnolia and Poet’s Laurel.

Katherine Hill and Bocky Talbott decorated Katherine’s home for the St. Catherine’s Open House.

TABLE-SCAPES

Nan McVey, of McVey Valentine Interior Design, created this dazzling centerpiece by placing trees (bought at Paper Plus) on a mirrored tabletop, then scattering the table with pomegranates, nuts and branches sprayed with silver paint, and little silver containers (wedding presents) filled with chocolates (from For the Love of Chocolate).

Katherine and Bocky underplanted the orchids with greens and red Cyclamen.

This arrangement, with its metallic branches, complements the silver candlesticks on Mary and Dick’s marble-top table. It’s softened by the lilies and moss.

Tom French Flowers had fun with Mary and Dick’s dining room table!

A silver bowl on Katherine’s dining room table is overflowing with Lilies, Bittersweet, Roses, Magnolia and Cedar.

A picture does not do justice to this smashing arrangement. Jennifer cut Paperwhite Narcissus and Amaryllis and tucked them in water tubes (hidden by the wood), then added Curly Willow, moss and Eucalyptus. It is fun to see how one container can be the source of such different treatments (see Thanksgiving blog, for an arrangement done by Deborah Valentine and Bocky Talbott in the same container). If Deborah can track down the man from whom she bought the wooden containers (on the side of the road), they’ll be available at her shop, V for the Home.

Debbie Berg gave Jennifer this artfully planted Amaryllis.

Ashley Wallace and Jeannie Schutt used Roses, Japanese Cryptomeria, Blue Atlas Cedar, Boxwood and Eucalyptus to create this beautiful arrangement.

Jeanette McKittrick used the traditional Christmas colors of red and green to dramatic effect in this stunning arrangement where Variegated Aspidistra leaves, Cranberries and Cinnamon sticks take the plunge.

OUTDOORS

Becky White, CCV’s Head Horticulturalist, does an amazing job keeping the grounds and containers looking spectacular year round. Not surprisingly, she went to town on the Club’s urns.

Becky decorated what appears to be a weeping Deodar Cedar.

Less is more, as Becky decorated only the base of the urn.

Any wonder why the kids all love Becky?

Mary and Dick’s front door: wow.

A river of lights cascades down the front steps of Mary and Dick’s home.

A gilded Magnolia wreath adorns the front of Deborah Valentine’s shop, V for the Home.

The Tuteur is stuffed with Magnolia leaves then strung with lights.

My niece, Whitney, brought the outside in. She decorated a live Japanese Blueberry, and will plant it in her yard after the holidays. She’s near Jacksonville — wish we could grow those in Richmond. They look nothing like our Blueberry bushes!

Jeanette used the Christmas version of a Fig leaf for her little cherub.

Last, but hardly least, Mary and Dick’s shimmering Christmas Tree

In this Joyous Season, may you find the time to take a quiet walk on a beautiful crisp night and “wonder as you wander out under the sky.”

FAB THANKSGIVING ARRANGEMENTS

November 21, 2012/0 Comments/in Flower Arranging /by mturner

As I write, greens and flowers are being cut and expertly pulled together into stunning arrangements. Alas, this Thanksgiving I was not able to get my act together to photograph those arrangements. Instead, I’m reposting the first blog post I did on Thanksgiving arrangements, in hopes of inspiring you to have some fun with greens and flowers this week. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Some talented Richmond women got creative as they decorated for Thanksgiving. They gathered the bounty of their Fall gardens, pulled out a variety of vessels, and went to work transforming the beauty of Nature into gorgeous works of art.

Deborah Valentine’s mantel. Arrangement created by Deborah and Floral Designer Bocky Talbott

Deborah Valentine, owner of V for the Home, and Floral Designer Bocky Talbott chose a container made from tree bark. The container picks up the grays in the gorgeous framed mirror. Those muted hues are a great foil for the Bittersweet. Hydrangeas from Deborah’s yard and exotic greens and flowers that Bocky found in a local flower shop complete the arrangement.

By Deborah Valentine and Bocky Talbott

This arrangement, sitting on a chest in Deborah’s dining room, contains dried Hydrangea, bright red Japanese Maple branches, Poet’s Laurel, Nandina berries, Pomegranates and seed pods.

Arranged by Deborah Valentine and Bocky Talbott

Deborah and Bocky refreshed an arrangement Deborah had done weeks ago, by adding Bittersweet and what appears to be a deciduous fern (just a guess — I have no idea what it is!) to the dried Hydrangea. The faded green of the Hydrangea picks up the green in the pitcher, and has a calming effect on the bold colors that were added.

By Artist Margy Brown and her mom, Peggy Valentine

Margy’s mom, Peggy, brought Margy some of the last Roses from her beautiful Rose garden. Margy, a talented painter, has a great eye for color and composition. She took full advantage of the stunning Japanese Maple outside the study window, by framing the final Roses of the season with the brilliant red foliage.

By Margaret Valentine, of McVey-Valentine Interior Design

Margaret Valentine got jiggy with her linked bud vases (available at Paper Plus), taking advantage of the wealth of plants in her yard to create a lively, colorful tableau. She used Lamb’s Ear, Rosemary, Salvia, Arum, Parsley, Fern, Knockout Roses and Black-eyed Susan, throwing in some florist Tulips that sport complementary Fall colors. Then she sprinkled the table with Pomegranates and Maple leaves for a refreshingly different centerpiece.

By Landscape Designer Susan Robertson

Susan Robertson used the same vessels to create an arrangement with an entirely different look. She chose elegant simplicity, in both color palette and plant choice. The pink and white of the single Camellia Sasanqua (and the solitary Snowball Viburnum) are a nice respite from the usual Fall colors.

By Landscape Designer Susan Robertson

Taking inspiration from the paintings in the background, Susan gathered Japanese Maple branches (from both yellow and red cultivars) and combined them with Hydrangea that have turned a fiery red, then ratcheted up the volume by arranging them in the fabulous fish container (you can take the girl out of the Beach, but you can’t take the Beach out of the girl).

By Janie Molster, of Janie Molster Designs

Interior Designer Janie Molster composed an edible work of art for her table. I love the bounty of the harvest contained in a severe modern geometry, set on a rustic table. Pomegranates, Clementines (with stems and leaves intact) and Brussels Sprouts still on their stalks support a hurricane with a candle nestled in dried cranberries.

By Floral Designer Jennifer Sisk

Jennifer Sisk’s centerpiece is a masterpiece. She had a wooden box built about six feet long by 6 inches wide, then placed it on a a linen runner, overlayed with burlap. She stuffed the box with Oasis, then filled it with a mix of flowers and greens from her garden and the flower shop. The plants include Sunflower, Seeded Euonymus, Hydrangea, Lilies, Mums and Bittersweet. She then tucked in two candles.

By Jennifer Sisk

Jennifer tells me that the three stalks are from the protea family. Check out its jagged blue-gray foliage. Jennifer’s choice of Cat’s Tail, Variegated Aucuba and Seeded Euonymus tie the arrangement together, as does her repetition of the foliage in the water. The grasses blend perfectly with the patina of the mirror.

By Jennifer Sisk

So simple, but so spectacular. The use of only Japanese Maple and Oakleaf Hydrangea foliage (from Jennifer’s garden) make the vase and painting come alive.

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of Grace. May Sarton

I give Thanks for the generosity of my friends who shared their talents with us today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A GARDEN GEM ALONG THE JAMES RIVER

April 23, 2012/in Featured Gardens, Flower Arranging, Landscape Design, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA KICKS OFF THE RICHMOND TOUR WITH A GARDEN THAT MARRIES CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES AND A NATURAL SETTING

Martee and Charles Johnson graciously opened their home and garden for the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week Tuesday, April 24. Proceeds from Garden Week tours held throughout the Commonwealth this week are used to restore and preserve Virginia’s historic gardens.

The urns flanking the front door are planted simply with white Geranium, green and variegated Ivy and Ferns.

Camassia leichtlinii bulbs are just beginning to bloom. Camassia, like almost all of the plants in the Johnsons’ gardens, are deer resistant.

Hatcher lives life in full blur.

Tuckahoe (you can call him Tucky) hasn’t been able to convince Hatcher that life is a marathon, not a sprint.

The garden is a magnificent example of allowing the site to dictate the design. Instead of heavily planting the garden with a riot of color, the Johnsons have used color judiciously, allowing the evergreen backbone to frame the breathtaking views of the James River and Williams Island beyond.

Landscape Architect Charles Gillette designed the original gardens, terracing the property and creating strong axial lines. The lower garden is dominated by a large terrace overlooking the river. The upper terrace, random-width Bluestone bordered by a hedge of Green Gem Boxwood (Buxus microphylla ‘Green Gem’), was designed by Charlottesville based Landscape Architect Charles Stick. Stick masterfully incorporated his own classically designed terraces, walkways and hedges into the existing Gillette landscape.

The pierced brick wall softened by Ivy is a classic Gillette feature.

I love green mortar.

Under stormy skies the James River bisects Williams Island in front of the Johnsons’ home.

The strong evergreen backbone reinforces the formal layout of the walkways and terraces, but gives way to more naturalistic plantings, many native, closer to the river.

Brick paths pave the central axis and the primary paths closest to the house, but more informal crushed stone paths are used closer to the river. Peonies and Astilbes will be in full bloom in another week. More Camassia are just beginning to bloom.

Steps also become more naturalistic as paths travel toward the water.

This cobblestone wall is part of a massive stone retaining wall supporting the lower terrace. The Annabelle Hydrangeas thrive on the embankment.

Mercury anchors the lower terrace. Catmint is just beginning to bloom, and Allium foliage is emerging.

Mercury is fleet of foot, but he can’t catch the CSX train.

This Rose arch leads to a Boxwood Parterre in the lower garden.

The new growth on the expertly clipped Boxwood (see recent blog entry on hedges) creates a tone on tone effect in the Parterre.

Focal points abound in the Johnsons’ garden. The bench and urns sit at the terminus of the Boxwood Parterre.

The monochromatic green background brings out the patina in this old urn.

Martee is known throughout Virginia for cultivating young talent. She has showcased many artists and artisans, including Nicholai Jerome, who owns Spartan Metalwerks. He created The Hand for Martee.

Martee says that three men can sit in The Hand!

The view from the Johnsons’ bedroom. The glass panels upstairs and down slide open.

It’s time to go, to make way for the James River Garden Club women who will create gorgeous flower arrangements with cuttings from Martee’s and other members’ gardens.

JAMES RIVER GARDEN CLUB CREATES FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE JOHNSON HOME

Jenny and Noni get to work in the garage on a cold damp day.

Laura checks out the collection of cuttings. The arrangements consist primarily of flowers and greens from members’ gardens. Because the Tulips are spent after this crazy Spring, some Tulips were bought to supplement those grown in the gardens.

Katherine arranges Rhododendron.

Elizabeth and Deborah take advantage of a large mirror as a backdrop.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta and False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Liz works in the dining room.

Margaret pulls Peonies and Roses from the buckets.

Single Peonies (Paeonia, spp.), Arum (Arum italicum), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Lilac (Syringa, spp.), Tulip

Laura takes cues from the painting that dominates the front hall.

Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), Corsican Rose (Helleborus argutifolius), Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Camassia Leichtlinii (from Martee’s garden), Tulips and Roses