SLOW FLOWERS: Week 49
December 8th, 2013
Conifers, Cones and Lilies
Deep raspberry-pink lilies (Oregon grown) paired with evergreens from my yard.
Ingredients:
5 stems dark pink ‘Rio Negro’ hybrid Oriental lilies, greenhouse grown by Peterkort Roses
5 stems Norway spruce (Picea abies), gleaned from my driveway
7 short branches Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), clipped from my garden
3 stems Camellia (Camellia japonica), clipped from my garden
5 lengths variegated ivy (Hedera helix), trimmed from a neighbor’s fence
Lovely cones contrast organically with the teal vase and blue-green needles.
Vase:
12-inch tall x 9-inch diameter with 6-inch opening vintage McCoy urn
Design 101
Lilies for longevity: When you design with Oriental lilies, more than a week of enjoyment will ensue. One or two blooms at a time open and share their loveliness almost in succession, ensuring that something is always in flower. Don’t forget to clip the pollen-laden stamen and pistils from the center of each bloom as it opens. Otherwise, as those pieces fall, they can stain table linens.