Monday, August 22, 2016

Bringing the Garden Inside

Totally had the garden I wanted in my 30 year previous home.  Excepting it was too small to cut for the house.  Now, in our historic 1900 American farmhouse, space allows plantings, specifically for cutting.
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Yesterday in the car there was time for a conversation I've waited all my adult life to have.  Told Beloved I wanted 2-3 forsythia, specifically for cutting.  Quince too.  Those are the no brainers.  Space to plant them, and cut on them, yet siting them as-if-natural.  Where we buy them, will hunt/gather for other plantings specifically for cutting, groundcovers, trees, deciduous/evergreen shrubs, all are fair game for cutting.    
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Fantasy French Farmhouse Illinois Suzy Stout:

Pic, above, here.

Bulbs, below, I'll force in pots.  Using plastic pots, for ease, and slipping them into terra cotta for the house.  When I worked as a professional grower, bulbs that did not sell by the end of fall, we potted up, setting them outside in the woodland, in a cold frame with asbestos sides.  Will use old windows for my cold frame, already gathered.

Things We Love:  Round Entry Table:

Pic, above, here.

 robin-lucas-instagram-habituallychic-016:

Pic, above, here.

The Devoted Classicist:

Pic, above, here.

Containers, above/below, fascinate me.  Would never have thought to use either in this manner, yet both are perfect.  Designing gardens, yes.  Floral arranging?  Not so much.  A skill set I don't have. Delightful lying to myself, you-can-do-this.  If it's really important to get the cut flowers arranged, I have a back up plan.  Take a picture, send to my friend Susanne Hudson, she can tell me what to do to fix it.

 The Devoted Classicist:

Pic, above, here.

I'm not naive enough to think the cut stems, above/below, just 'happened'.  Skill.  Pure skill.

 "Understatement is extremely important and crossing too many 't's' and dotting too many 'i's' make a room look overdone and tiresome. One should create something that fires the imagination without over emphasis."  Nancy Lancaster:

Pic, above, here.

 country french/buffalo check:

Pic, above, here.

Our potager is getting more/more 'done' and will be ready for zinna seeds next spring, above.  Have been collecting wide range of buckets, containers for flowers, stems, bulbs.  For decades.  Muse must have known I would move.  

peter-copping-rambert-rigaud-vogue-2015-habitually-chic-005:

Pic, above, here.

Studying historic gardens across Europe for decades I especially liked the mixed garden arrangement, above.  Tours usually included tea/scones, and the owner typically made the mixed garden arrangement that morning.  I was moth to a flame with them.  And, the flower arranging room where they were created as desirable as the flowers.
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Cecil Beaton's flower arranging room, below.  Our old farmhouse has 2 kitchens, with the lesser kitchen at the back of the house.  We've already turned it into a large laundry room, with plenty of space left, for my flower arranging.  


 Cecil Beaton’s Flower Room, Reddish House,  Cecil Beaton:

Pic, above, here.

 Veckans stilleben:

Pic, above, here.

I like a bit of a pitiful touch, above, to flowers for the house.  If Susanne had done the flowers, below, for me, I would say, "Make them a bit more pitiful."  She'd do it to perfection, then we'd oooooh/aaaaah about how perfectly beautifully pitiful they are.  It's important to know, and revel, in your oeuvre no matter what others may think.  A touch pitiful, my oeuvre for cut flowers.  Not to be confused with the wonk factor.

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Pic, above, here.

A bit pitiful, below.  Aren't they perfect?

 Blog - the land gardeners:

Pic, above, here.

 Blog - the land gardeners:

Pic, above, here.

Been buying old white cracked chipped ironstone for eons.  Pic, above, a tutorial about planting bulbs 'pitifully'.
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Cuttings from the garden & forced bulbs, put together a touch pitifully.  Odd what makes a person feel rich.
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Garden & Be Well,    XOT

7 comments:

Jean Campbell said...

My mother belonged to the 'Jam 'em in a Vase' school of design, as she called it. What she lacked in design expertise she made up for in quantity and quality of blooms.

Dewena said...

I am an awkward, clumsy flower arranger while my husband takes 5 minutes and a vase looks natural. That's why I have a "vase arrangements" board and just pinned many of your pictures to it.

I love the conversation you had about forsythia and quince to have for plentiful cutting. We left 2 quince bushes behind but never did plant forsythia, something I always regretted. I was always able to coax quince into bloom early for me in the house, such joy to bring spring inside early.

I look forward to seeing what you cut for the house in future springs, even the pitiful ones, and the containers you've been collecting!

Penelope Bianchi said...

I love mine pitiful too! Perfect word! bulbs listing slightly; Quirky and divine!!!

Unknown said...

Hi Tara,
You're so right about what makes a person feel rich. Often we don't know until we're there. I also know just what you mean about the pitiful arrangements. Too-too perfect is often off-putting, but that little something that's not right, or a flower that's ready to drop it's blooms makes it more lovable.
xoxo, Brenda

Unknown said...

Hi Tara,
You're so right about what makes a person feel rich. Often we don't know until we're there. I also know just what you mean about the pitiful arrangements. Too-too perfect is often off-putting, but that little something that's not right, or a flower that's ready to drop it's blooms makes it more lovable. xoxo, Brenda

Unknown said...

Love the idea go growing more cut flowers in the garden - I too have an 19th century old farmhouse and would love to add a quince to the orchard for cutting purposes - are there any varieties you would recommend?

Tara Dillard said...

Deborah, look at Dirr's Manual of Trees/Woody Shrubs.... , he lists origins & dates for most plants. You'll want one contemporaneous with your home or earlier.

Enjoy the hunt, I am too !